Digitruck Salone Project: Opening Digital Doors for Rural Women and Girls

The reality of life for the rural majority in Sierra Leone is often defined by digital exclusion. Poverty remains significantly higher in non-urban areas, and national Internet connectivity stands at just 18% based on recent figures from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and GSMA (2022–2023). These barriers leave rural populations disconnected from the social and economic opportunities that digital access provides.

The Digitruck Salone Project, implemented by Media Matters for Women (MMW) in partnership with Close the Gap and funded through the Internet Society Foundation’s BOLT Grant Program, is helping to change this reality. The project utilizes a 40-foot refurbished shipping container converted into a solar-powered, self-sustaining digital classroom to deliver high-quality digital skills training to young girls and women entrepreneurs residing in remote, high-poverty villages.

Close the Gap provides the technical backbone of the initiative, refurbishing the container, equipping the truck with laptops, solar infrastructure, and ensuring the mobile classroom meets international standards. Meanwhile, MMW leads on community engagement, training delivery, safeguarding, and ongoing mentorship to ensure the Digitruck reaches girls and women in low-income areas.

Together, the partnership demonstrates a powerful model for digital inclusion in hard-to-reach communities.

Cultivating Confidence and Academic Success for Girls

The Digitruck Salone Project primarily targets girls aged 14-18, many of whom are using a computer for the first time. Before the training, some, like 15-year-old Mariatu, were afraid to even touch the keyboard. By the end of their sessions, their confidence and curiosity flourished.

Girls receive practical digital literacy training, including Microsoft Word, Internet navigation, online safety, and the use of essential applications. These skills have directly improved their academic performance. Students who previously lacked access now use Google and YouTube to research assignments, revise lessons, and deepen their learning.

MMW ensures strong safeguarding and access: motorbike riders are hired to safely transport girls from distant communities to the Digital truck. These riders are trained on child protection laws and sign strict commitments to uphold zero-tolerance for inappropriate behaviour. The protective learning environment, combined with the air-conditioned classroom, has earned overwhelming community trust, with some parents insisting that their daughters participate.

The training is already inspiring creativity. Davida, a 17-year-old participant with no prior access to electricity or the Internet, utilized her new skills to open a TikTok storytelling page, which has garnered over 20,000 followers. She translates her content into Krio to expand reach to local audiences. Inspired by the training, she now aspires to open a cybercafé business in her community.

Elevating Women’s Entrepreneurship

For women entrepreneurs, the Digitruck Salone Project provides digital skills that create tangible economic opportunities. Participants learn how to utilize TikTok, WhatsApp, and Facebook to promote products, establish customer networks, and connect with audiences beyond their local communities. Training also covers essential business skills, such as record-keeping using Excel to track profits and losses, an especially valuable tool for small business growth.

Women share inspiring success stories:

• Fatmata, who runs a shoe transformation business, learned how to advertise online. Her before-and-after videos eventually went viral, boosting her customer base and income.
• Mary, a tailor, overcame her shyness, learned to market her designs, and now proudly models her creations in videos. Her online presence significantly increased sales through her WhatsApp business group.

To sustain this progress, MMW provides participants with smartphones and six months of data bundles. Women continue to post products, run promotions, and build digital portfolios long after the training ends. The training schedule is designed around their realities, with three short morning classes per week, ensuring it never disrupts their work or caregiving roles.

A Model for Community-Led Digital Inclusion

The Digitruck Salone Project demonstrates what is possible when local leadership, strong technical partnerships, and community-driven strategies meet.

• Close the Gap delivers the technical expertise that powers the Digitruck’s design, mobility, sustainability, and high-quality equipment.
• Media Matters for Women anchors the project in the community, ensuring that training content, mobilization, safeguarding, and follow-up support are culturally relevant and accessible.

Together, the partnership reaffirms the importance of creating an Internet for everyone — including girls and women living in the most remote corners of Sierra Leone.