International Development Grant

Digital Livelihoods: Youth and the Future of Work at Scale

Project Number: CA-3-D001963001

Status: Terminating

Country/Region:

Kenya 25.00%
Malawi 3.28%
Tanzania 21.94%
Senegal 1.11%
Rwanda 25.00%
Zambia 3.28%
Ghana 4.00%
Jordan 15.28%
Morocco 1.11%

Maximum Contribution: $15,527,071.00

Start Date: November 30, 2015

End Date: November 30, 2019

Duration: 4.0 years

Project Description

The project aims to expand the Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) economic empowerment programming which includes social innovation entrepreneurship information and communications technology (ICT) empowerment and leadership skills development to help 200 000 young women and men build entrepreneurial and job skills and use technology to increase their incomes and employment opportunities. Project activities include: (1) recruit youth to take leadership training; (2) deliver entrepreneurship information-communications technology and workforce readiness programs; and (3) develop and curate self-directed online learning for youth. Digital Livelihoods plans to investigate and develop a network expansion model that recruits and empowers institutions and teams of young leaders to deliver sustainable results in their countries. The DOT network expansion model has the potential to be an innovative and effective approach to program scale adopt relevant digital tools and leverage private sector partnerships.

Expected Results

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (1) increased scale and sustainability of local partners to deliver empowerment and economic programs to unemployed and underemployed women and youth; and (2) increased participation and leadership of unemployed and underemployed women and youth in the social and economic development of their local communities.

Progress & Results Achieved

Results achieved as of March 2019 include: (1) the project equipped 485 young leaders (255 female and 230 male) with knowledge skills and support to deliver economic empowerment and digital skills programming in their communities; (2) the project has reached 50 635 young people (26 820 female and 23 815 male) in communities across Ghana Jordan Kenya Malawi Rwanda Tanzania and Zambia; (3) 5 421 youth have registered in DOT digital platforms and digital engagement groups; (4) 103 new partnerships were established with a wide range of partners including government civil society and private sector and programming has expanded within existing countries of implementation as well as four new locations: Ghana Jordan Malawi and Zambia. The creation of a robust ecosystem of partners through which the resources and expertise of diverse actors can be leveraged is contributing to project scale (through alignment with national priorities) and sustainability (through local ownership and engagement).

Key Information

Executing Agency:
DOT - Digital Opportunity Trust

Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada

Program:
YFMInternaAssistPartnershp&Programing Br

Last Modified:
September 19, 2025

Development Classifications

DAC Sector:

Democratic participation and civil society 25%
Employment policy and administrative management 25%
Information and communication technology (ICT) 25%
Business support services and institutions 25%

Aid Type: Project-type interventions

Collaboration: Bilateral

Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation

Selection Mechanism:
Unsolicited Proposal

Policy Markers
Level 1 Gender equality
Level 1 Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting)
Level 2 Youth Issues
Level 1 ICT as a tool for development
Major Funding (>$1M)
Budget Breakdown
2015-04-01 to 2016-03-31 $15,527,071 CAD
Geographic Information
600
Project Number: CA-3-D001963001