“Jina langu ni Janice. Mimi ni mwalimu. Ninafundisha elimu ya kompyuta” (My name is Janice. I am a teacher. I teach computers.)

A simple sentence that would carry through generations. 

In 2006, American technology entrepreneur Janice Lathen traveled to Tanzania and visited Banjika Secondary School. She greeted the students in Swahili, and their exuberant reaction inspired her to ask if the school wanted a computer.

When she learned Banjika had no electricity, she donated a solar power system along with two computers.

Once computers arrived, student transfers into Banjika increased by 500%. The need and desire for digital skills were obvious, so Janice began fundraising for more computers and more schools. From that small project, Powering Potential was born. 

This year, Powering Potential celebrates our 20th anniversary. Since 2006, we’ve brought solar‑powered computers, educational technology, and digital skills training to over 45,000 students at 45 schools across Tanzania.

The Digital Divide

Over the last twenty years, digital technology has transformed economies worldwide, and the need for digital literacy has only grown. In a country like Tanzania, where most employed people work as small‑scale farmers, a lack of digital skills makes it even harder to move into higher‑earning, higher‑growth sectors. At the same time, the digital divide has widened: those with digital skills are finding new opportunities in the global economy, while those without are being left further behind.

Solar power has become an increasingly important part of the solution

Energy access has also changed. When Powering Potential began, most schools we worked with had no electricity. Today, many do. But power can still be unreliable, with electricity often going out for days or weeks at a time. For those reasons, solar power has always been an essential part of our program.

At the same time, solar power has become even more accessible in the past 20 years. Costs have fallen, and many local businesses install and maintain solar power systems. Since climate change already greatly affects the communities we serve, it matters that our projects are powered by the sun.

The urgency of demographic changes

20 years ago, Tanzania had a large population of youth with high youth unemployment rates. Today, demographics remain an urgent issue.

In 2026, 50% of the population of Tanzania is under 18. It is estimated that by 2040, one in four people on the planet will be African, and by 2050, one in three. That population growth gives African countries an enormous opportunity to advance economically, if those young people have the skills needed to find employment and start businesses in today’s economy. There currently remains a large gap between the skills employers are looking for and the skills young people have when they leave school. Even more now than in 2006, employers need workers with digital skills. Investing in digital literacy for young people in Tanzania and across Africa can help drive economic growth and development. And that investment has to happen now.  

At Powering Potential, we are proud of our track record of improving employment for graduates of our partner schools. In our surveys of graduates, 58% report finding employment after school, which is ten times the national average. Anecdotally, we hear from teachers that graduates of our partner schools get jobs faster than their peers. They tell us that their students are also using their newfound digital skills to start their own businesses and market them online.

Where are we headed next? 

This year, we’re bringing solar‑powered computer labs to 12 more schools, helping partner schools update their hardware and systems, and adapting our training so students have the skills they need in a rapidly evolving economy. Moving forward, we will ensure students can build the digital skills they’ll need in today’s workplace, including familiarity with AI tools and strong internet literacy.

Every nonprofit hopes for a future in which its services are no longer needed. Perhaps in another 20 years, Tanzanian students will have the learning materials and digital skills they need. Until then, we’ll keep adapting our programs and trying to reach more schools so that young people in rural Tanzania can access the opportunities of a digital world.