Hammed Kayode Alabi is a social entrepreneur. He was recently adjudged the second-best fellow during the 16-week-long Western Union Foundation Fellowship, powered by the Watson Institute, where he claimed a $5,000 seed funding to democratise access to 21st-century and life skills in underserved communities across Africa. In this interview with IFEDAYO OGUNYEMI, he speaks on what stood him out during the programme and how he plans to create access to 21st-century skills for 1 million youths across Africa.
You recently emerged as the first runner-up among 47 fellows during the Western Union Foundation Fellowship powered by the Watson Institute. How does this feat make you feel?
I would say optimistic. It shows that putting in the work works. It also comes from showing up throughout the fellowship programme from attending sessions to chatting with mentors, to gaining clarity on the idea that I’m building and being present is what makes all the difference. This prize is a testament to that dedication. It is the validation of the idea that I’m building in leveraging technology and AI to democratise access to 21st-century and life skills in underserved communities. Now that there is funding, the ed-tech product I’m building is near reach and I can improve from there.
Were you gunning for the top prize before the start of the fellowship and what steps took you there?
No, I was not, to be honest. But it does not mean I did not want the prize. Just like every other programme that I have participated in, I focus more on the process than the outcome. I am not saying the outcome is not important but the process is where I learn. I would say my strategy was being myself and showing up. Being in the session, observing and contributing. Doing some of the deliverables is scary. I recall during the fellowship, there was a time when they needed a volunteer to do a practice pitch for their venture. I volunteered and got great feedback. I could recall leaving the session that day and destroying my pitch deck. Sometimes, to build, you have to destroy and I like that. That has always been my way of growing and doing things. Most times, you can only do that if you expose yourself to a situation of learning and feedback. We are here to learn not to be perfect, so I open myself up for feedback and imperfection and many times my imperfection ends up becoming perfect.
I think it takes some sort of vulnerability and self-awareness to do so. I also did not miss any sessions except when I travelled to Saudi Arabia for the Ithra Tanween Mega Challenge for international creatives to design solutions for refugees. Nonetheless, if I sign up or say yes to something, I have to show up. I have to be there. I think that balance is something I also exhibited during the fellowship and many others. I love to share, but I also want to learn and hear alternative perspectives.
What was your experience like during the fellowship?
Hearing other people’s perspectives and the rigour of the sessions. The sessions were carefully planned from Go to Market Strategy, to organisational leadership, to storytelling and pitching, and funders’ readiness. These were things I needed to learn as I was thinking of pivoting from a non-profit model to a social enterprise model which focuses on making a profit and using the profit to continue to create social change. So, it was great to be exposed to different business models and strategies and to also validate, and challenge some of the ideas I already have. Sometimes, the best ideas come from listening to others and reflecting on your ideas as well. Also, what drove me to apply for the fellowship is that you receive funding to organise a basecamp to pay it forward to other entrepreneurs within your community.
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You claimed $5,000 in seed funding to build a project that’s close to your heart. In what ways will the funding help your goals for the project?
I would be building an ed-tech platform that provides access to 21st-century and life-skills courses for young people in underserved communities such as those living in internally displaced person camps, rural communities, slums, and very hard-to-reach communities in Africa. This idea is fueled by my own experiences as I grew up in Makoko, one of the notable slums in Africa. I remember when I turned 13, my dad sent me to a computer school where I had access to a personal computer, and for the first time, I could access the internet and see the world far away from where I was born or raised. I could access courses, and opportunities that changed my circumstances and I believe it could do the same for young people in underserved communities who have access to PCs, mobile phones, and the internet.
Currently, 570 million people on the continent have access to the internet and 70 per cent are young people. By 2025, internet usage will increase by 120 million among young Africans. So, it is not out of place that we can reach 1 million young people in underserved communities by 2030. I will also be using adaptive reuse models to convert abandoned buildings into refurbished innovation centres, and research shows that this can reduce greenhouse emissions by 70 percent.
What inspired you to start Skill2Rural Bootcamp and KLCI?
My story and experience inspired me. As I mentioned I was born and raised in Makoko. I lost my mum when I was seven and my dad became unemployed almost at the same time. I stayed out of school for a whole academic term, and my brother for a whole academic session. These were my circumstances growing up in the slum until I attended a programme organised for vulnerable children when I was 14 that introduced me to self-esteem and leadership. I noticed that my problem is not unique to me but to other young people in my community. I was so inspired that I decided to engage young people in my community. I worked with over 3,000 young people and noticed that only 1 in 10 young people would have access to the 21st-century skills needed to change their circumstances, integrate into the workforce, and prepare for the future of work. This was why I started the Kayode Alabi Leadership and Career Initiative and the Skill2Rural Bootcamp — a skills incubator, career pathway, and marketplace for young people in underserved communities in Nigeria and Africa to develop 21st-century skills.
Skill2Rural Bootcamp in particular uses blended learning, a train-the-trainer approach, where volunteers are trained to run a two-day bootcamp where young people identify problems within their community such as poverty, and co-create solutions using design thinking. As they co-create in the space, they develop 21st-century skills such as creativity, critical thinking, negotiation, etc.
You were also selected alongside 14 others for the London Business School (LBS) Launchpad programme. What are your hopes and aspirations toward the programme?
I think the first thing is to learn business strategies such as learning to build unique, most viable products (MVP), building a brand and marketing strategies, learning new ways of pitching, and accessing mentors who can guide us through creating a viable ed-tech platform. More so, pitching to access funding to continue to build the platform and accessing investors, and experts who will give feedback to continue to improve my work. Feedback is important to me and I’m looking forward to getting as many as I can and also connecting with fellow entrepreneurs.
How do you think the accelerator programme will impact your social innovation work at KLCI?
It would reshape the model as regards scale. It is time to scale and shift the model a bit to ensure suitabilities. In the last six to seven years, we have been running as a non-profit and rely on donors for funding. So, what if there is no donor funding, how do we survive? This is why we are exploring business strategies to solve social problems. I’m becoming more open to this model and think it can affect how we scale. So far, we have been able to reach 8,000 young people through our programming and I think we can reach millions leveraging ed-tech but that requires resources and I think social entrepreneurship offers that pathway.
I believe all businesses should be driven toward helping people or solving a problem. I know profit is important but it should not come first. So, I am hoping that I can learn to make profits that allow me to solve the world’s most entrenched problems such as lack of access to skills and education by underserved populations.
Earlier, you said you plan to reach and empower 1 million young people by 2030 through the Skill2Rural Bootcamp ed-tech platform. How do you intend to implement this?
Technology can travel to where we cannot imagine. So, leveraging the ed-tech platform itself and social media is one of the strategies to reach this number. However, partnerships with a local organisation working on the ground, schools in underserved communities, educators and working with volunteers, and young professionals who will serve as ambassadors to drive product adoption in multiple African countries is one of the ways I would reach this number and as we grow organically, there is a potential to grow exponentially as well. We will start small and then continue to scale it little by little whilst creating features that enable accessibility and continually improve the platform. The goal is to scale from 8,000 to 1 million.
How would you advise young people in the country working in a similar space like you?
If you have an idea, create it. Gather feedback as much as you can, and continue to improve and evolve. Engage the users as you build and do it afraid. That is where growth lies. Growth is in doing difficult things. It is in my uneasiness that I find strength. That is what I have learned in this space. It is only when you try that support will come. Trying is traction and someday luck would shine upon you. I’m still waiting for my luck but I can increase its chances by trying. I will keep trying and working towards that path.
I would also say start with why. Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher said if you have a why, you can bear any how. This is how I remain focused as well. Remembering the why allows me to overcome the difficulties or challenges as I build or create.
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