Together for Tech - Together for Change!
Changing the world starts with coming together – and that's exactly what makes us so excited about our new partnership! Dreamtown, Mercantec, and Youth Dream Center have united to bring about change through the power of technology.
Mercantec is a leading Danish vocational school in Viborg, dedicated to equipping students with practical skills for the future. Mercantec integrates sustainability both at a strategic and operational level - and aim to educate and train young people, equipping them with vocational qualifications that support sustainable development. As a vocational school, they are in a unique position to shape young minds—both by increasing their awareness of sustainability and by empowering them to make responsible choices. In other words, they play a crucial role in society by educating the workforce of the future.
IT for Impact
Visiting IT education at Grafton Vocational Institute, Freetown
So does Youth Dream Center Sierra Leone - our dedicated partners in Sierra Leone. An organisation committed to empowering young people through education, skills training, and entrepreneurship. By providing access to safe and inclusive learning spaces, vocational training, and mentorship, YDC helps equip youth with the tools they need to build a better future. The aim is to boost young people’s self-reliance and job opportunities, ensuring that young people can create lasting change in their own lives and in society.
Together, we support young women’s access to IT education in Sierra Leone's informal settlements by connecting brave, young minds from all walks of life – some with expert IT knowledge and others bringing invaluable experience from the informal communities.
Visit at Windeemer Vocational Training Center, Freetown
Cultural Exchange Meets Tech Innovation
In February 2025, 8 students and 2 teachers from Mercantec Technical School in Viborg, Denmark, landed in sunny Freetown, to explore how tech empowers young women in informal settlements across Sierra Leone.
We arrived at four buzzing IT hubs in Freetown. The sense of empowerment, connection, and community was palpable – setting the stage for cultural exchanges and inspiring conversations between the young Danes and the young women from the informal settlements, all determined to learn and grow in IT. During the visit to Sierra Leone, the passion for learning stands out as evident among both students and teachers, and their determination to make the most of what they have is truly inspiring.
IT for Impact
In the IT hubs, young women are starting to bridge this digital gap and grow their digital literacy. By providing access to computers and training, the IT hubs and teachers enable women to become active participants in the digital world, opening new career paths and increasing their independence. It also allows the young women to challenge harmful gender norms and to support each other.
The dreams are endless. To be able to run your own business online, working at a hotel or hospital reception, accessing further education, printing flyers or posters for your business, and simply fulfilling your dreams and living life on your own terms.
From left: Rebecca Sesay and Khadija Isata Kamara fixing a laptop
New Dreams. New Collaborations.
This partnership between YDC, Dreamtown, and Mercantec is all about inspiring young people to join forces and drive change through real action. During the trip, we got to understand how technology can be a powerful force for social change. But also, the limitations that come when people are excluded from the digital world. As the visit came to an end, we shared our dreams for greater opportunities and identified both the challenges faced by the IT hubs and the aspirations of the young women involved.
Together, we pinpointed key steps that will take the IT dreams even further:
Taking IT to the next level – are you onboard?
Many more women want to join, which requires more IT equipment.
If many more women are joining, it also requires increased financial support to hire more teachers and to support more education opportunities.
The young women want to get online to also take part in an online world of knowledge, which requires internet access.
The power supply is very instable due to power cuts and unstable connections. Solar panels would be a strong and green solution to the current unstable electricity connection.
The small classrooms are very warm with heavy air, which makes it difficult to focus and concentrate. Air conditioning initiatives like fans would make a significant impact on learning environments.
Do you have ideas to help us make an even greater impact? Or are you ready to get involved in our IT for Impact initiative and support safe tech educational spaces for young women in Sierra Leone's informal settlements? We’d love to hear from you at nina.albertsen@dreamtown.ngo.
