IT for Children is a Swedish social enterprise working to close the digital gap in Ghana, where less than 30% of the population uses the internet. Inspired by previous rural projects in Ghana and a conviction that all people should have equal access to information and opportunities to communicate, regardless of their income, gender, and where they live, Torsten Kjellgren founded IT for Children in 2016.
The social enterprise supports children in two villages and surrounding areas in Western Ghana. It provides free, high-quality information and communications technology & education for thousands of school children and young people in Ghana every day. In addition to internet and computer literacy, the work of IT for Children also impacts education in other areas, health, gender equality, sustainability, and job creation.
Impact Story
In 2022, IT for Children supported 398 children and youth with access to the internet and computers. Jessica is one of these children.
Before IT for Children set up an ICT lab at her school in the western region of Ghana, Jessica and her classmates were learning ICT theoretically on a chalkboard. Today, she accesses the fully equipped ICT lab for her computing classes where she was introduced to the internet and taught computer skills in a practical context for the first time.
Jessica is so eager to learn, she even spends time after class at the lab.
Now I can use Microsoft Word and PowerPoint very well. I can also search for information on the internet and I can check how long it will take someone to travel from one place to another, and so many other things!
IT for Children is part of our Incubator in Ghana, thanks to the support of our global partners Kivra and Hogia.
Our Incubator has provided this social enterprise with tailored capacity building support, focusing on developing the organization's financial sustainability and business model, as well as strengthening its impact management and reporting skills.
