African Youth Architects

06/09/2026

AiKona (The Kona Offline Smart Learning Platform) in Gambia

We are thrilled to announce that AiKona has been officially selected for the 2026 Acceleration Week!
The project aims to address the education crisis in Africa—including high dropout rates, teacher shortages, and limited digital infrastructure—by providing an offline, small language model learning platform optimized for low-cost Android devices. The platform is trained on African national curricula, supports multilingual learning, and operates entirely without an internet connection, ensuring accessibility in rural and underserved areas.
In June 2025, the project launched pilot programs in schools across Nigeria, Ghana, the Gambia, the Republic of the Congo and Madagascar, reaching over 150 students aged 12–18.



https://www.wydf.org.cn/en/News/202606/t20260606_810038.htm

06/09/2026

AiKona (The Kona Offline Smart Learning Platform) in Gambia

We are thrilled to announce that AiKona has been officially selected for the 2026 Acceleration Week!
The project aims to address the education crisis in Africa—including high dropout rates, teacher shortages, and limited digital infrastructure—by providing an offline, small language model learning platform optimized for low-cost Android devices. The platform is trained on African national curricula, supports multilingual learning, and operates entirely without an internet connection, ensuring accessibility in rural and underserved areas.
In June 2025, the project launched pilot programs in schools across Nigeria, Ghana, the Gambia, the Republic of the Congo and Madagascar, reaching over 150 students aged 12–18.

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04/21/2026

African Youth Architects is pleased to engage with the Tertiary and Higher Education Trust Fund - The Gambia on the Knowledge Transfer by Africans for Africans (KTAFA) initiative.

During the meeting, our Executive Director, Fatou Dino Hydra presented the Knowledge Transfer by Africans for Africans (KTAFA) initiative, which includes the Student Skills & Empowerment Program (SSEP), a structured, evidence-based component designed to bridge critical gaps in tertiary education through peer-led learning, mentorship, workshops and practical skills development.

We are encouraged by the THET Fund’s strong interest and shared commitment to strengthening higher education outcomes. Both institutions will continue exploring areas of collaboration to advance impactful and student-centered solutions in The Gambia.

The African Youth Architects extends its sincere appreciation to the THET Fund, the Honourable Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and the Ministry for their leadership and continued support to the higher education sector.

04/20/2026

It was a pleasure meeting with Tertiary and Higher Education Trust Fund - The Gambia ahead of the implementation of the Knowledge Transfer by Africans for Africans (KTAFA).

THET Fund Engages African Youth Architects on KTAFA Initiative

The Tertiary and Higher Education Trust (THET) Fund recently hosted a meeting with African Youth Architects (AYA) at its office complex in Bijilo.

Led by AYA’s Executive Director, Fatou Dino Hydara, discussions focused on the Knowledge Transfer by Africans for Africans (KTAFA) Project, an initiative aimed at bridging academic and professional gaps among tertiary students through peer-led knowledge exchange and capacity building. She presented the concept, highlighting key findings from the academic needs assessment and proposed areas of collaboration.

THET Fund expressed strong interest in the initiative, noting its potential to strengthen student support systems and promote skills development.

Both sides agreed to explore areas of partnership, signalling a positive step towards advancing tertiary and higher education in The Gambia.

04/18/2026

【AiKona, Gambia】At the "Global Link for Youth Actions," Fatou Hydara, Founder and Executive Director of AiKona in Gambia, outlined her vision for digital cooperation. She shared that she looks forward to collaborating with China to co-develop offline AI education models and multilingual tools, building an innovation bridge to advance large-scale digital education in Africa.

04/18/2026

01/23/2026

The African Youth Architects hereby invite all students in tertiary education institutions across The Gambia to participate in the Academic Needs Assessment Survey. 👉https://forms.gle/u6dZP2mQZsHtRP5L9

Although a substantial number of responses have been received from students of the University of The Gambia (UTG), there remains a need for broader institutional representation. Students from all other public and private tertiary institutions are therefore strongly encouraged to contribute to this survey.

Comprehensive and diverse participation is essential to ensure that the findings accurately reflect the academic needs, challenges and priorities of tertiary students nationwide, thereby informing evidence-based interventions and policy recommendations.

This survey created by African Youth Architect(AYA) for their upcoming project in The Gambia (Knowledge Transfer by Africans and for Africans) seeks to understand the academic needs, challenges and skill gaps of tertiary students in The Gambia. The results will help connect students with experts and...

01/23/2026

CALLING ALL TERTIARY EDUCATION STUDENTS IN THE GAMBIA! 🎓🇬🇲

This survey is exclusively for tertiary education students in The Gambia, including those in Universities, Colleges and Vocational/Technical training (TVET).

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1H2626vvhxaq1zVnueFeEOVQvNVGxU4bwGYtxbCRbV6M/viewform?ts=68cb2464&edit_requested=true

Your responses will help us design relevant and practical solutions for the student community.