A youth innovation and mentorship programme equipping young Africans with practical programming skills, collaborative experience and opportunities to develop solutions for their communities.
01 / Why Kappa exists
Young people need the opportunity to put what they learn into practice.
Project Kappa creates space to acquire practical skills, work alongside others and learn with experienced mentors. It connects technical learning with questions that matter in young people’s communities.
Our aim is to help young Africans become creators of solutions: curious enough to ask questions, confident enough to try and supported enough to keep learning.
Discover how it all began.
02 / The 2026 pilot
Cohort 1 brought nine participants together for a six-week programme of practical programming, mentorship and collaborative project work.
Mentor & facilitator
Supporting the cohort’s programming and learning journey.
Get to know Tyrone03 / The cohort experience
From the first application to the closing ceremony, the pilot connected learning, mentorship and collaboration.
The pilot received approximately 300 applications. Cohort 1 applications are now closed.
Nine participants formed the pilot cohort.
Participants developed practical programming skills with guidance from Tyrone Marghuy.
Two teams began developing technology-based concepts in response to challenges affecting young people.
The first cohort came together to close its six-week programme.
04 / What participants worked on
Two teams began exploring community-focused applications. Both projects are presented here as concepts in development.
Project A · Concept in development
An anonymous peer-support application focused on mental health. The team explored how technology could help young people connect and share with one another.
The proposed application centres on anonymous peer-to-peer support. Work began during the pilot as participants applied their programming knowledge to a shared project idea.
Project B · Concept in development
A student accommodation rental platform with 3D property videos. The concept explores how students could view accommodation before choosing where to live.
The proposed platform combines accommodation listings with 3D property videos. The team began developing the idea during the pilot’s collaborative project work.
05 / The ESF innovation pathway
Our long-term vision is a connected pathway: young people discover possibilities, develop their ideas and, over time, return to support the next generation.
ESF’s long-term vision
Practical skills and collaborative experience.
Guidance as young people develop their ideas.
The ambition: young people creating solutions for their communities.
The ambition: participants return to share their knowledge and experience.
06 / Outcomes & what’s next
The pilot gave participants experience in programming, teamwork and collaborative problem-solving. Two teams began developing ideas grounded in young people’s lives.
Participants put new programming knowledge into practice through shared project work, with mentorship alongside technical learning.
The pilot highlighted the importance of access to laptops, a clear learning structure and sustained guidance as students develop their ideas.
ESF aims to deepen this model through continued mentorship and partnerships that allow more young people to participate. Future cohorts can build on the pilot’s lessons, with stronger foundations, access to tools and support as ideas develop.
Cohort 1 applications are closed.
Follow ESF for future programme announcements.
View the application noticeOur ambition is to help young people move from an initial question to an appropriate solution. These are guiding intentions for the programme’s development.
Innovation can take many forms: software and digital products, physical prototypes, hardware and electronics, community solutions, services, process improvements or research-based proposals. These are possibilities for future work, not additional outcomes claimed for Cohort 1.
We aim to strengthen foundational learning, problem validation, regular progress reviews, mentor engagement and access to laptops and prototyping tools.
07 / Get involved
For mentors, universities, technology companies, foundations and supporters: help create the conditions for young people to learn and build.
Guide young people through questions, decisions and constructive feedback.
Become a mentor (opens in a new tab)Support a cohort, provide technical expertise, host workshops or help students share their work.
Partner With KappaTell us how you would like to contribute to Project Kappa.
Contact Early Smile FoundationTEAM NAME
Describe the problem, team, prototype, testing and verified learning.
Insert an approved mentor quote.
Tyrone Iras Marghuy · Pilot mentor
