Part 1: When Your Plan Gets Hijacked by Reality (In the Best Way)
The Trip That Changed Everything
We packed for what was supposed to be a straightforward three-month stint in Sierra Leone. Train some entrepreneurs, teach business techniques, discuss tech and AI, then head to Kenya to meet more entrepreneurs. Clean, simple, done.
Sierra Leone had other plans.
It grabbed us by the shoulders and said, “You think you came here to help us? Wait until you see what we’re going to do to help ourselves!”
The Agricultural Awakening
From day one, Sierra Leone’s agricultural potential blew our minds. Over 60% of the population farms—that’s two-thirds of an entire country. But these aren’t just people getting by. These are innovators and dreamers working with one hand tied behind their backs.
Think Ferrari engine with bicycle tires. Brilliant minds with incredible potential, just waiting for the right tools and training to transform their operations.
Working across the country, we met women scaling businesses with pure determination, young farmers discussing crop rotation like rocket scientists, and entrepreneurs with ideas that would impress Silicon Valley. But when we got to Bo, things got really interesting.
The Road to Bo
The impact of the Bo Learning Center Sierra Leone goes beyond training. Bo is Sierra Leone’s major transportation hub—young people from surrounding villages come there for everything: school, business, markets, opportunities. It’s the Times Square of rural Sierra Leone, minus the billboards and overpriced hot dogs.
When we arrived for what was supposed to be “just another bootcamp,” we had no idea we were about to be schooled by some of the most passionate, knowledge-hungry entrepreneurs we’d ever encountered.
The Bootcamp That Changed Everything
Picture the most engaged classroom you’ve ever seen. Multiply that by fifty. That was our Bo bootcamp.
These entrepreneurs didn’t just show up—they arrived with notebooks like they were preparing for finals, asked questions that would make professors sweat, and brought energy that honestly made us feel lazy. They stayed after hours (without being asked), formed study groups (without being told), and created WhatsApp groups that pinged past midnight with business discussions.
People traveled from rural villages, carrying the hopes of entire communities, all crammed into our sessions like front-row concert seats.
That’s when we heard the question that would completely derail our neat three-month plan.
The Reality Check
“When you leave, what happens to us?”
Mohamed, a young farmer-turned-entrepreneur who could probably teach business classes himself, asked the question that changed everything.
“We need a place,” he continued. “Somewhere we can keep learning, use computers, practice what you’ve taught us.”
Then Fatima added, “Don’t just train us and leave.”
Here’s what hit us: some of these brilliant entrepreneurs had never touched a computer. NEVER. They were running businesses, managing crops, solving problems constantly—but had never used a mouse. Others had maybe used a computer once or twice but couldn’t create a document, make a presentation, or use basic office tools that are essential for any modern business.
It was like watching someone build a house with half a toolbox. They had the vision and business acumen, but lacked the fundamental digital literacy that’s become essential in today’s world.
The African Paradox
What we found in Bo exemplified something we’d seen across rural Africa: incredible hunger for knowledge crashing into systemic barriers to access.
These young entrepreneurs weren’t asking for handouts. They were crying out for the basics first: how to use computers, create documents, make presentations, use Microsoft Office tools—fundamental digital literacy skills that are prerequisites for everything else. Then they wanted to build up to infrastructure, technology access, ongoing mentorship, and eventually dive into advanced concepts like AI applications for farming and modern agricultural technology.
The pattern was crystal clear: brilliant minds who needed to start with basic computer skills before they could even think about advanced applications.
The “Oh Crap, We Need to Do Something” Moment
Back at Global Impact Innovators HQ (okay, not an actual office, but it sounds official), we’d been planning our first learning hub for months. Lots of meetings, whiteboard strategies, and enough coffee to fuel a small nation.
We had it mapped out: potential locations across different countries, timelines, budgets. Sierra Leone? Not even on the list.
But standing in that room in Bo, listening to these entrepreneurs essentially beg us not to abandon them, something clicked. Sometimes the best strategies aren’t planned in conference rooms—they’re the ones that grab you and say, “Pay attention!”
From Crazy Idea to “Let’s Actually Do This”
The decision wasn’t difficult. It was necessary.
Within weeks, we went from “wouldn’t it be nice if…” to “how fast can we make this happen?”
But starting something new requires local credibility. You can’t just show up with computers and expect trust. That’s where our partnership with a local church became gold. They provided space and something money can’t buy: community trust.
This partnership model—combining our tech resources and expertise with established local institutions—wasn’t just practical. It felt right. We weren’t swooping in as outsiders; we were building with the community.
The Vision Gets Real
Our Bo Learning Center would be different from anything Sierra Leone had seen. We’d start with the fundamentals everyone desperately needed, then build up to advanced concepts. A comprehensive hub where young entrepreneurs could:
- Start with the basics: Computer literacy, using a mouse and keyboard, navigating operating systems
- Master essential tools: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), email, internet research
- Develop presentation skills: Creating and delivering professional presentations
- Build business foundations: Basic business planning, financial record-keeping, digital communication
- Then advance to cutting-edge training: AI tools for crop prediction, modern agricultural techniques, advanced business concepts
- Connect globally: Satellite classroom technology linking them with international experts
This was a true learning progression—meeting people exactly where they are and building them up step by step.
From Concept to Reality
By July 2024, with equipment secured and partnerships locked in, we were ready to launch Global Impact Innovators’ first learning hub.
The young entrepreneurs who had cried out for ongoing support were about to become founding members of something that would transform not just their lives, but the entire landscape of specialized training in Sierra Leone.
What started as a three-month program had evolved into something much bigger—a permanent foundation for the kind of advanced training that could revolutionize how young people approach agriculture and entrepreneurship.
That’s why the Bo Learning Center Sierra Leone exists today.
Find out more about us at Global Impact Innovators.
One Response
Wow! This was such an inspiring read! What strikes me most is how the Bo entrepreneurs turned what might’ve looked like constraints into opportunities; teaching themselves, staying long after hours, demanding more than just a one-off program.
As a volunteer mentor, I’m so proud to see how GII listened; how Mohamed and Fatima’s questions changed the plan, and how the Learning Center went from a nice idea to something real and deeply needed.
I’m excited for the next chapter, and very honoured to be part of this journey toward lasting impact.
Keep raising the bar!