Access to Education for Talented African Students

Mohamed is a Graduate of the Ashinaga Africa Initiative (AAI) and the University of York in the United Kingdom, where he completed a BSc in Economics and Finance. “I grew up in Sierra Leone, a place full of young people with vibrant and brilliant potential, but held back by energy poverty, a deep digital divide, and limited access to opportunities. Imagine waking up every day knowing that your dreams depend on a light bulb you cannot switch on. For thousands of young people in Sierra Leone, this is not imagination - it is daily life.”  

Mohamed experienced these barriers when he was selected for AAI. “When I won the AAI Scholarship, I was overjoyed, but I quickly realized that opportunity means little without access,” he recalls. With no electricity at home, Mohamed faced significant challenges participating in the program. “Every day, I walked nearly two miles to find power, often arriving late because cafés opened at unpredictable times or ran out of fuel. My lack of digital skills made it even harder, and I received three penalties from AAI for attending classes late due to power outages. Sometimes I would return home only to miss assignment deadlines because my battery died. And yet, AAI stood by me - covering my travel, internet, electricity, and cafe fees so I could keep going.”  

“If this is my reality, what about the millions of young people who never get the chance I had? So, I decided to act. I founded a non-profit, Eeager Salone. Today, through our solar-powered charging center, children can study at night, young people can learn digital skills, and communities that live in darkness now have light and hope.” The organization now supports more than 60 children and seven young adults in vocational training.  

His ambitions for Eeager Salone extend even further. The organization is developing a Digital Innovation Institute. It plans to establish an Entrepreneurship Training Center, aiming to equip more than 25,000 young people by 2030 to become, in Mohamed’s words, “job creators rather than job seekers.” He also hopes to pursue a master's degree in Artificial Intelligence, Ethics and Societies and explore how AI can contribute to Sierra Leone’s economic growth.  

“Ashinaga didn't just fund my education- they helped me shape my Kokorozashi, my life purpose: to build systems that empower young people through entrepreneurship, clean energy, and digital innovation,” Mohamed says.  

For Mohamed, access to higher education has become an opportunity to create pathways for others. Reflecting on the potential of Africa’s young people, he says, “Every empowered youth becomes a multiplier of hope.”  

Your support helps talented young people like Mohamed overcome the barriers that can stand between potential and education. As Mohamed told Ashinaga’s supporters on his graduation day, “Your investment is not just changing lives; it is shaping nations. And to every young person listening - your background is not your boundary. Where you are born does not determine how far you will go.” 

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