Work Packages
Lead: University of the Aegean
WP1 ensures the smooth running of the project from start to finish. Its core aims are to coordinate and manage all project activities, define strategic directions, monitor progress across each phase, ensure compliance with work programme timelines, and evaluate the project’s impact on its target groups. Two transnational meetings will be held: a Kick-off Meeting in Kenya (2 representatives per partner) and a second Transnational Project Meeting in Greece (1 representative per partner plus 2–3 selected teachers from each partner school, combined with a study visit).
Lead: Consufé
WP2 lays the foundation for the entire project by developing a deep, evidence-based understanding of the lives, needs and aspirations of young single mothers (YSMs) in Butare/Huye (Rwanda) and Kisumu (Kenya), and of the labour market demands in both regions. The work begins with a literature review and expert interviews with six professionals (three per country) to identify key challenges and relevant local initiatives. This is followed by the mapping of key YSM subgroups through engagement with five pre-identified projects. Four participatory stakeholder workshops (two per country) — involving family members, teachers, employers and community organisations — will produce a social and network map highlighting support systems and barriers. Three participatory methods will then be used to engage directly with 90 YSMs, capturing diverse perspectives to inform curriculum design. The WP concludes with a market needs and skills gap analysis to identify the digital competencies most in demand in each context.
Lead: Maseno University
WP3 uses the insights gathered in WP2 as the starting point for co-creating an innovative, ICT-based curriculum tailored to the needs of YSMs. The objectives are to define the specific skills and competences YSMs need to succeed in the labour market, to propose a curriculum that integrates entrepreneurship, digital literacy and empowerment, and to develop the associated learning materials. The curriculum will be designed as a short-term training programme of four to six months, aligned with educational authority requirements in both Kenya and Rwanda. A four-day creative design workshop hosted at Action Synergy in Greece will serve as the collaborative platform for curriculum drafting, combining two days of curriculum design work, one day of visits to relevant TVET initiatives, and one consortium meeting day. It is important to note that the outputs of this WP are prototypes, to be refined through testing in WP4.
Lead: Rwanda TVET Board, with Akado VTC and Mons. Mubiligi Catholic T.S.S
WP4 validates and refines the curriculum prototype through two iterative cycles of real-world implementation, evaluation and redesign. In each cycle, 40 YSMs (20 per country) participate in the full training process — from selection and teaching through to assessment and graduation. To ensure inclusivity and full participation, support measures including childcare and meals will be provided, along with basic equipment such as computers and smartphones. Feedback is gathered from both learners and educators after each cycle to inform targeted improvements to the curriculum, learning strategies and materials. Skills acquired are officially certified by the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) in Kenya and the Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) in Rwanda, ensuring national recognition and alignment with existing qualification frameworks.
Lead: Action Synergy
WP5 brings together everything the project has built and learned to produce the finalised, openly accessible curriculum. Its objectives are to systematise the knowledge and experiences generated through the design thinking process, to deliver a refined and complete version of the curriculum — including all teaching materials — based on insights from both testing cycles, and to collect and showcase impactful stories from YSMs and educators that promote awareness of ICT inclusion in TVETs. The WP also documents the use of design thinking as a replicable methodology for inclusive curriculum development, and engages policymakers in discussions on the systemic challenges of reintegrating YSMs into education and the labour market. The outputs of this WP form the core of the project Handbook.
Lead: Empower Rwanda
WP6 ensures that the project’s results reach and inspire the widest possible audience — from local TVET schools and community organisations to national authorities and the international education community. Its objectives are to promote awareness of Tech4SM among stakeholders identified in WP2, to distribute key messages and materials at local and regional level, and to share intermediate and final results at local, regional and international level through diverse channels. By building a compelling and sensitive narrative around the project’s journey and impact, this WP positions Tech4SM as a model for replication in similar contexts in Africa and beyond.