In late 2023, we chose to start from the field. Before building a programme, we wanted to understand what learners, entrepreneurs and companies actually needed.

With the trust of the Institut Pasteur de Bangui and the Ministry of SMEs, our first partners, we opened a space for listening and experimentation.

Each week, students, entrepreneurs and business leaders came together to share expectations, test our first formats and refine them with us, remotely and on site. In three months, we sharpened our approach and reached more than 500 people.

In 2024, we expanded the public sessions launched the year before. The formats stayed open, but became more intentional, including dedicated sessions for women so we could better understand their barriers, questions and ambitions in digital careers.

The amphitheatre format at the Institut Pasteur de Bangui helped us reach people at scale and structure the community. But learning development needs more than theory. We needed an equipped room, with computers, so participants could practise for real.

The partnership with the Office National d'Informatique (ONI) made that next step possible. With access to a computer room, we launched our first practical sessions and laid the foundation for the Academy's first promotion.

The first promotion is our most concrete proof of concept. It starts from the ground up, with a pilot cohort that lets us test the IKOUĒ Academy vision in real conditions.

From the beginning, the goal has been to combine online learning and mentoring. Because the e-learning platform is still being built, we started with weekly sessions, guided closely and shaped around what learners actually need.

This promotion helps us refine the curriculum, test the pace and understand how far we can go. It is not ideal that learners cannot yet focus on the programme full time, but it gives us a solid first base for what comes next.