Libraries Without Borders wins Roddenberry Prize

We are proud to announce that Libraries Without Borders is one of the four winners of the Roddenberry Prize. Every year, the U.S. based Roddenberry Foundation rewards the work of social organizations and entrepreneurs in the fields of education, environment, science, and humanity.

Libraries Without Borders received the $250,000 grant to foster youth employability in Senegal, especially in rural and suburban areas.

In West Africa, only four percent of young people attend college, not only because of financial and social constraints, but largely because of a severe shortage of places. In Senegal, for example, the capacity of universities is stretched thin, and not all qualified students can enroll.

Beyond the university, a large part of the population, especially in rural and suburban areas, is poorly connected to the Internet. The need for digital content – accessible offline – to be used in training, education and staying informed has never been greater.

“We are convinced that technology could be a fantastic lever to foster access to education; that’s why we want to work with local universities and Senegalese training centers. We want to develop offline Internet solutions to reinforce access to higher education and to help young people in difficult situations to obtain work, including those not previously enrolled in institutions of higher education.” Jeremy Lachal, BSF General Director.

This project is the first step before a bigger expansion in other West African countries.

“The Roddenberry Prize gives us much more energy to strengthen our Lab and our research and development approach to the access of qualitative content for communities that are poorly or not connected to the Internet.” Muy-Cheng Peich, BSF Education Director and Lab coordinator.