Onja

Unlocking Africa’s next top coders

How it works

Our starting point is Madagascar, home to 101 species of lemur and millions of talent-rich, opportunity-poor students.

The Wasted Talent

In Madagascar only 1 in every 20 people make it to university. There are few or no scholarships and thus tertiary study is a privilege reserved for the small number of people who can afford it. As a result, the majority of the most brilliant minds are limited to low- paying, unfulfilling careers.

RECRUITMENT

We asses the very brightest students who can’t afford high school or university and select those who show motivation and computer programming aptitude.

EDUCATION

Students receive two years of English and Computer programming instruction at our live-in training centre in Mahanoro, a small beach town in Eastern Madagascar.

ENTERPRISE

Graduates begin exciting work developing software with overseas teams. They continue to advance their skills and earn a life-changing salary to support themselves, and their families. 100% of profits made are used to train the next wave of talented students.

SUSTAINABLE

With the enterprise up and running, we’ll be able to grow our student base without further donations – the work completed by a single graduate will fund an estimated 7 further students.

Ready to meet a student you can support?

Once trained, students pay forward their opportunity to others thus impact will continue to grow long after donations stop.

Meet the Students

What they say

I always yearned to go to university but my family couldn’t afford to send me, so after I finished high school I helped my mother farming and selling goods in the market. Thanks to Onja I can study and accomplish what I’ve longed for.

Rinon

Onja Student

If I wasn’t at Onja, I would work for my aunt and uncle, as they have money. I would take care of their children and couldn’t study anymore. But because I have Onja, I can learn many things.

Synthia

Onja Student

In Madagascar it’s so hard to trust people from different places and ethnic groups, but at Onja we trust each other.

Fely

Onja Student

If I wasn’t at Onja, I would have worked as a cook and wouldn’t be able to help my family but now I can plan my life and want to help others that really need it.

Sugi

Onja Student

At Onja, I’ve already learnt so much and I especially want to thank the volunteers who teach us.

Jerome

Onja Student