Debugging Libya’s Future through Boasting Young Tech Talent

Looking back at Maharah on the World Youth Skills Day 2024

July 15, 2024

Team LMS presenting their project on Maharah’s Demo Day, Benghazi

Abduladeem Ajaj / UNDP Libya

Libya is one of Africa’s youngest countries, with a median age of 27 years. Rather than focusing solely on its more popular traditional revenue sources, Libya’s biggest investment should be in its youth. Actively investing in their skills and well-being has the potential to transform the nation's development and reduce its reliance on “black gold,” a term commonly used to refer to oil or petroleum. While oil and hydrocarbon, in general, still retain their importance for the national economy , Libya’s true gold is its youth, whose potential and innovation can drive the country towards a prosperous future.

Maharah’s Demo Day, Benghazi.

Abduladeem Ajaj/ UNDP Libya

A wonderful example of investing in young people’s Maharat, or skills, is in Maharah’s Coding School, launched in late 2023, an initiative to equip young people with coding and tech expertise, developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with Libyan Spider and with financial support from the European Union (EU). Maharah propels Libyan youth by equipping them with in-demand coding skills and fostering them as agents of social and economic progress.

The initiative concluded in May with a Job Fair held in the hub cities of Tripoli, Benghazi, and Sebha. Over 100 alumni trained in coding participated to explore employment prospects. And multi-sector companies attended the events to meet potential candidates and establish partnerships with young coding talents.

LMS Team for the Win

One of Mahrah's success stories was Team LMS, winners at Maharah School’s Demo Day Contest in Benghazi. Their project was a learning management system, an integrated educational platform that enhances communication between teachers and students, assists with course registration, tracks exams, and marks absences.

Team LMS presenting their project on Maharah’s Demo Day, Benghazi. <strong> 

</strong>©UNDP Libya/ Abduladeem Ajaj<br>

The four team members are Mohammed Alfitouri, Moad Abumansia, Hassan Kara, and Ibrahim Elmahdawi.

We spoke with Moad and Ibrahim.

Moad Abumansia, one of the team members of Team LMS and a graduate of the Maharah Coding School.

Abduladeem Ajaj/ UNDP Libya

"My coding journey started with software engineering at university," Moad explained. "We covered website development and programming basics, but it was very theoretical. I felt ill-equipped for the practical side of things." Discovering Maharah's program was a turning point for Moad. "It offered the perfect bridge between theory and practice," he said. "Having the chance to develop my practical skills and connect with a network of fellow coders was invaluable."

Ibrahim Elmehdawi, one of the team members of Team LMS and a graduate of the Maharah Coding School.

Abduladeem Ajaj/ UNDP Libya

Ibrahim Elmehdawi's story is a testament to resilience. Despite losing his eyesight at a young age due to an accident, Ibrahim's passion for computer science ignited in his first year of secondary school at the Blind Association, where it was part of the curriculum. "I've always loved discovery," explains Elmehdawi, "and that curiosity extends to the world of technology." Refusing to let his vision impairment hinder his ambition, Ibrahim saw Maharah as an invaluable opportunity to sharpen his practical skills and connect with a network of fellow coders.

The European Union's Head of Cooperation, Mr. Márton Benedek, emphasized Libya's potential that lies in its youth during the Human Development Report Launch Event in Tripoli.

“Libya boasts a well-educated youth population, particularly within a North African context, and so it has the right resources for a bright future. It is crucial for us, as the European Union, one of Libya's key strategic partners, to ensure that we provide the technical assistance and capacity-building support needed to realise this potential.”

Márton Benedek / Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Libya