Pages of Empowerment

While in Ngoma, I visited the area’s youth-friendly center and donated books from Exposure Publishers. This donation wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions of Exposure Digital and RichTech Printing House.

As usual, I had an interactive reading session, followed by a round-table discussion with the beneficiaries. As a group, we looked into Africa’s potential as a future economic powerhouse. In addition, we examined opportunities and the importance of investing in skills development.

Speaking of skills development, we saw the need to have what it takes to make and sell products by leveraging intellectual capital. Using my Akagera Expedition project as a case study, we revisited its planning and implementation. At the end of the session, we picked up important lessons.

When the idea to visit the Akagera National Park was conceived, I prepared the budget. Then I turned to sponsors who eventually funded the trip. Since sponsorship is never free, I had to present a compelling proposal showing how they would benefit from the visibility the tour would create.

Today, copies of the Akagera Expedition are filling up the shelves of community libraries around the country. Plans are underway to distribute the book in other destinations and, eventually, tap into the global market.

Revenue obtained from the sales of this publication is funding the ongoing 30 Districts Expedition. The latter will lead to the creation of digital and physical products that will ultimately open up more revenue streams.

Apart from reading books, the youngsters I interacted with show up regularly to keep up with the advancement of technology in the computer lab. In their concluding remarks, they vowed to make the best use of the facility and take full advantage of the current enabling environment.