Orange, and German Cooperation have inaugurated the 13th Orange Digital Center in Africa and the Middle East, to train young people in digital technol
Orange, and German Cooperation have inaugurated the 13th Orange Digital Center in Africa and the Middle East, to train young people in digital technology and enhance their employability
The Center based in Conakry, the capital and largest city of Guinea, is spread over 600 sq and is dedicated to the development of digital skills and innovation. The facility features four strategic programs of the Orange group, namely, a coding school, a solidarity FabLab – one of the Orange Foundation’s digital manufacturing workshops, and an Orange Fab start-up accelerator, supported by Orange Ventures Middle East and Africa (the investment fund of Orange Group that invests in the most talented startups of Orange Digital Center).
All the programs are provided free-of charge and open to everyone. They range from digital training for young people, 90% of which are practical, guidance for project bearers, start-up acceleration, and investment in these. Working as a network, the Orange Digital Centers allow experiences and expertise to be shared between countries and offer a simple and inclusive approach to improve young people’s employability, encourage innovative entrepreneurship and promote the local digital ecosystem.
Orange Digital Center in Africa
The Orange Digital Center is completely operational and is fully functional, ready to host several digital training and events. In addition, Orange Guinea, in partnership with universities, will train students for free and roll out Orange Digital Center Clubs, extensions of the Orange Digital Center within some universities in the regions. Thus, it will complement the education system to give as many people as possible access to new technologies and support them in using these technologies to their full extent.
Orange and the German Development Cooperation are working together as part of a development partnership within the develoPPP program, which the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is implementing on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The goal is to fulfil their shared vision, fostering youth employability while supporting sustainable growth and the country’s digital transformation. The program is also working to advance gender equality and inclusion by promoting access for women and girls to ICT jobs.
This initiative is fully in line with Orange’s commitment as a responsible operator and focuses on the following sustainable development goals: (SDG 4) quality education, (SDG 5) gender equality, (SDG 8) decent work and economic growth, (SDG 9) industry, innovation, and infrastructure, (SDG 10) reduced inequalities and (SDG 17) partnerships for goals. The other Orange Digital Centers are situated in Tunisia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Madagascar, Morocco, Liberia, and Botswana.