Control +A
Digital inclusion for disadvantaged youth in Zambia
The Control +A project is designed to increase digital inclusion and improve economic opportunities for disadvantaged youth in Zambia.
In Zambia, over 60% of the population lives below the poverty line, restricting access to education and digital tools.
Young people face high unemployment, insecure informal work, and persistent gender inequality, with many lacking access to digital resources and relevant training. As the digital economy grows rapidly, digital skills are increasingly essential for employment and economic participation. Yet 47% of Zambians remain digitally excluded, particularly women and rural communities, limiting access to services, education, and income opportunities.
To address this gap, Wilde Ganzen and Young Africa (YA) are implementing the Control+A Empowerment project. Using YA’s UNESCO-awarded franchise model, the project delivers two digital vocational education programmes with 70% practical training, strengthening both employability and financial sustainability.
Through YA’s Integrated Youth Development Model, students receive holistic support, including technical training, digital skills, life skills, entrepreneurship, SRHR, and personal development. Graduates are supported toward internships, employment, or entrepreneurship, with learning facilitated through YA’s digital platforms and ongoing mentoring.
Objectives of the project
In collaboration with Uncommon.org, S2L Zambia will deliver an extensive digital skills course which will offer specialisation in 3 areas – Product Design, Software Engineering and Digital Marketing. We will reach a target of 150 young people to be trained in these areas before the project is completed in 2 years
Digital Skills Development & Training
- Provide basic digital literacy training to all students, targeting at least 525 in 2 years..
- Ensure a minimum of 50% female participation in all courses.
Capacity Building for Teachers & Institutions
- Train all Lilayi Centre teachers in basic digital literacy and use of online learning platforms.
- Equip educators with skills to integrate technology effectively into vocational training.
- Develop and implement scalable teacher and student digital literacy training models for replication.
Infrastructure & Access to Digital Resources
- Build and equip a Digital Hub which will consist of two training spaces with computers, internet, and necessary tools.
- Provide reliable hardware and connectivity for students, trainers, and community members.
- Open facilities to community youth and CBOs to promote broader digital inclusion.
Employment, Entrepreneurship & Partnerships
- Link graduates to internships, jobs, and entrepreneurship opportunities.
- Establish partnerships with at least 50 companies for collaboration including, but not limited to, market-aligned training and job placement.
- Create income-generating services to ensure sustainability.
- Conduct awareness campaigns, outreach, and public events to promote digital inclusion.
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