About Develop Africa
Develop Africa is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded on January 30, 2006, by Sierra Leonean-American educator and systems thinker Sylvester Renner. Born from a single defining moment — a young girl crouching on Howe Street in Freetown, asking passersby for food — Develop Africa was built on one conviction: that education, not dependency, is the path to lasting change.
For twenty years, we have worked on the ground in Sierra Leone to remove the barriers that keep children out of school and young people out of the workforce. Our approach is shaped not by theory, but by two decades of real experience — what works, what fails, and what it takes to build programs that outlast any single intervention.
Our Impact
Since 2006, Develop Africa has:
- Deployed over $3.3 million in educational resources and program support
- Awarded more than 1,260 scholarships to students at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels
- Provided school supplies to over 124,700 children in Sierra Leone
- Trained hundreds of youth and professionals in digital skills and computer literacy
- Opened a new junior secondary school in Magbakoli Village in 2026, ending a dangerous river crossing that had kept children from reaching class
- Maintained GlobalGiving Superstar status and a Candid Platinum Seal of transparency
Students we supported as children are now graduates, breadwinners, and community contributors. Girls who received scholarships have completed secondary school and transitioned into employment and further training. Twenty years of sustained investment has proven one thing: education, when paired with mentorship, skills training, and community support, creates change that compounds across generations.
What We Do
Develop Africa delivers seven core programs in Sierra Leone, each designed to address a specific barrier to education and economic opportunity:
Scholarship Program
We provide full and partial scholarships covering school fees, uniforms, and essential materials for students at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. Since 2006, we have awarded more than 1,260 scholarships to students who would otherwise have no access to education. We track each student's progress over time — turning enrollment into completion, and completion into opportunity.
Girls' Education Initiative
Girls in Sierra Leone face compounding barriers including early marriage, economic pressure, and cultural expectations that prioritize boys' schooling. We provide scholarships, mentoring, and sustained support specifically designed to help girls enroll, stay in school, and transition into further training or meaningful employment. Our girls' education graduates go on to become breadwinners, community leaders, and role models for the next generation.
School Supplies Distribution
A child without a pencil, notebook, or backpack is a child set up to fail before the school day begins. We distribute backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, and essential learning materials to students in underserved communities. To date, we have provided school supplies to over 124,700 children in Sierra Leone, coordinated through trusted local partners with accountability at every step.
Digital Skills and Computer Training
We prepare Sierra Leone's youth and working professionals for a digital economy through hands-on computer literacy training, Microsoft Office instruction, and AI literacy programs. Our curriculum equips graduates with skills that translate directly into employment and economic opportunity — bridging the digital divide one student at a time.
Mentoring Program
Knowledge and credentials alone are not enough. Young people need trusted relationships with adults who have walked a path and are willing to share what they have learned. Our mentoring program pairs students and young professionals with experienced mentors who help them set goals, build confidence, and stay accountable to their futures.
Vocational Training
Not every student's path runs through a university — and Develop Africa celebrates that. We equip young people, particularly young women, with marketable trade skills including cosmetology and technical vocational education. A graduate with a trade skill can open a business, serve her community, and support her family within months of completing her training.
Community Development
We partner with local organizations and community leaders to build and expand school infrastructure, install solar energy at learning facilities, and invest in the physical foundations that make education possible. In 2026, we partnered with the Pa Karim Memorial Foundation to open a new junior secondary school in Magbakoli Village — serving nine villages and over 1,500 future students.
Develop Africa has been a GlobalGiving partner since 2008 and holds Top-Ranked status — the highest ranking awarded to organizations that consistently demonstrate strong donor engagement, transparency, and program reporting.
How We Work
Develop Africa operates through a community-centered, partnership-driven model. We work in close collaboration with local schools, community leaders, parents, and our Sierra Leone affiliate team — Develop Africa Sierra Leone (DASL) — to identify needs, deliver programs, and monitor results. Every initiative is designed to be locally owned and positioned for sustainability beyond our direct involvement.
We also collaborate with U.S.-based and diaspora volunteers, individual donors, foundations, and corporate partners who provide financial and in-kind support to advance community-led education and workforce readiness outcomes in Sierra Leone.
Why Trust Us
- 20-Year Track Record: In continuous operation since January 30, 2006 — with over $3.3 million deployed and programs that have reached hundreds of thousands of children.
- Candid Platinum Seal: We have attained the highest level of transparency on Candid/GuideStar — view our profile.
- Charity Navigator Rated: Independently evaluated and rated by Charity Navigator for financial accountability and transparency.
- GlobalGiving Superstar: Top-ranked partner on GlobalGiving.org since 2008 — view our GlobalGiving page.
- Annual Financial Audit: We conduct an independent financial audit each year and make our Form 990 publicly available.
- Long-Term Student Tracking: We follow our students over time — not just at enrollment — ensuring that scholarships lead to completion and completion leads to opportunity.
- Local Expertise: We operate through a Sierra Leone-based affiliate team with deep roots in the communities we serve, ensuring programs are culturally grounded and community-owned.
- Technology-Enabled: We use digital tools for program delivery, monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting, and communication — maximizing efficiency and accountability at every level.
What We Believe
We believe education is the most powerful and lasting investment a community can make. We believe that self-reliance — not dependency — is the goal of every program we run. We believe that when a girl is educated, her entire community benefits. We believe that digital skills are no longer optional — they are the entry point to economic participation in the modern world. And we believe that twenty years of on-the-ground experience in Sierra Leone has given us something no theory can replicate: the knowledge of what it actually takes to build systems that last.
Please visit our Projects page to learn more about our work.
