The Beginning: Our First IT Training in Sierra Leone (December 2006)
In December 2006, Develop Africa, Inc. took its first significant step toward empowering youths in Sierra Leone through technology. A two-person team—Sylvester Renner (President) and Dr. Jasmine Renner (Development Director)—visited iEARN Sierra Leone to conduct a two-day Microsoft Office training workshop.
Before the sessions, Sylvester had reached out to Sylvanus Murray, Founder of YEDEM, about offering IT training to local youth. Sylvanus connected him with Andrew Greene, Director of iEARN Sierra Leone—a connection that would mark the beginning of Develop Africa’s hands-on work in the field.
Andrew and Sylvanus were passionate about empowering youths through computer training. It was refreshing to connect with like-minded leaders who had a heart for transforming lives and shaping the future through education. Their energy, humility, and steadfast belief in the potential of young people were reinvigorating.
Together, we dreamed, planned, and built. They modeled servant leadership. Their dedication extended far beyond the walls of the training center. They saw every youth as a story waiting to unfold, every challenge as an opportunity to innovate.
Photo above: Sylvester, Sylvanus, and Andrew
The sessions focused on building foundational skills in MS Word and MS Excel, covering topics such as the following.
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Text formatting -bold, italics, size, fonts, etc.
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Navigating and using menu bars / options
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Basic Excel formulas
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Tables, borders, and shading
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Page orientation, page margins, and page numbers
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Use of clip art
The training took place at the National Stadium Hostel, off Syke Street in Freetown.
The setup was modest: a cloth hung on the wall as a makeshift projection screen, and students took turns sharing computers. But the enthusiasm was electric. Each participant brought a hunger to learn, turning those simple conditions into a place of transformation.
As Sylvester guided the sessions, the students observed both excitement and challenge. For some, this was their first time using a computer; even basic mouse navigation was new. Yet, their perseverance was inspiring.
This training not only equipped students with valuable computer skills but also revealed the deep digital divide that existed and the urgent need for structured technology education.
That realization became a turning point for Develop Africa. From this humble beginning, a vision took root—to equip every child and youth in Africa with the tools and training to succeed in a digital world.
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