In a bid to bridge the digital divide and provide essential technology education to underprivileged children, the Serving With Love (SWL) Foundation has unveiled its new Digital Life After School Programme (DLASP) centre in the heart of Lagos on Sunday, December 10, 2023. The centre, strategically located at Salami Shaibu Street, Pedro Road, Somolu Lagos, will cater to children residing in the Somolu Local Government Area and its surrounding environs.
According to a recent report by a UNICEF education specialist, only 7% of Nigerian youths possess the ICT skills necessary for working and living in a digital economy. DLASP, launched in May 2018, has already made a significant impact, with over 300 children benefiting from the education programs. The initiative has also contributed to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on Quality Education. In addition, SWL has cared for over 2000 individuals through various feeding initiatives, fulfilling the SDG on Zero Hunger, and provided health and well-being support to over 300 women and children under the SDG for good health and well-being.
Molade Adeniyi, Chairman of the Executive Council of SWL, stressed the importance of raising awareness around the existing digital divide and enlisting support from government bodies and individuals. She stated: “Through DLASP, we are transforming individual lives and hoping that the digital divide is a thing of the past. Currently, we are funded by donations from members, that come in monthly. But when we think about growth and scale those donations and contributions cannot get us to where we want to be. So as we go into a new year, we are intentional about sharing our impact and reaching more people, who can contribute to the work being done.”
Tomi Otudeko, Founder/Trustee of SWL and the Head, of Corporate Services at Honeywell Group, emphasised the urgency of addressing the digital literacy gap in Nigeria. “What is more important to us isn’t the big, it is the small. It is changing one life at a time. We are here at Somolu because we want to create impact on a community level.” she noted.
Another Founder/Trustee of SWL and Executive Director, of Junior Achievement, Foluso Gbadamosi, asserted, “Our focus is to get young people trained digitally, so they can have the skills to create a better future for themselves, and also to equip them to solve the problems in their environment.”
The grand opening of the DLASP centre witnessed the attendance of educators, and supporters such as Adedokun Oduyemi, Founder/CEO, of Digital Fortress, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, Chief Digital Officer, Wema Bank PLC; Mrs Tolulope Babatunde, Business Strategy and Development Manager, Merystem Nigeria and Toyosi Olatunji, Group Chief Project Officer Leadway Insurance and Founder/CEO of Arcane Insights as they rallied behind the foundation’s mission to transform the lives of underprivileged children through digital education.
