Diaspora and innovation

Putting diaspora skills to work for the Great Lakes

Status: In design
The Great Lakes diaspora includes engineers, entrepreneurs, teachers and health workers. We are working on simple ways to put those skills at the service of young people and institutions, without asking anyone to leave their job or their country of residence.

A ladder of engagement

Everyone starts where they are and moves up a step when they want to. This ladder is a proposal in design.

  1. Contribute remotely

    A few hours a month

    Mentor a young person, review a project, teach online, advise a young company.

  2. Short mission

    Two weeks to six months

    Set up a service, train a team or carry out an audit, on a specific need.

  3. Longer stay or return

    One to two years, or longer

    Lead a team, build a service on the ground or prepare a lasting return, with support at the start.

  4. Start a business or invest

    At your own pace

    Create an activity or back projects once trust is established and the framework is clear.

Seven lines of work and their real status

The status shows where each line stands. No service is open at this stage.

  • Sharing skills

    Remote mentoring of young people and entrepreneurs by diaspora professionals.

    Status: In design

  • Remote and temporary missions

    A simple framework for short missions with organizations and institutions.

    Status: In design

  • Youth, jobs and career growth

    Training young people in trades that pay, linked to RINET Africa’s youth programme.

    Status: Exploring

  • Entrepreneurship and trade links

    Helping artisans and small businesses sell online and to the diaspora.

    Status: Exploring

  • Preparing investment projects

    Information and project preparation. No investment product is offered.

    Status: Exploring

  • Digital services and institutional cooperation

    Contributing analysis and expertise to digital public services.

    Status: Exploring

Mboka Numérique, our initiative in design

Mboka Numérique brings these lines of work together in a proposal for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is published as a working paper, for discussion.

Discover Mboka NumériqueRead the discussion paper

Take part now

Tell us about yourself

Share your skills and availability. We will get back to you when a need matches.

Share your skills

Comment on the paper

Your comments on the discussion paper help us sharpen the proposal.

Write to the Center

Plan a return

Discover the gradual return path we are designing, from remote work to resettling.

Diaspora return
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