Mentorship & skills development

Developing the next generation of Sierra Leonean creatives.

Mentorship is where Nexa began. Our programmes connect young people with practical skills and with the businesses that need them.

Our impact

Young people at the centre.

Our measure of success is not only the work we deliver, but the young people who leave our programmes with real skills, a portfolio and the confidence to earn from their creativity.

200+young people trained in digital, design and marketing skills since 2020
22young women in our Design & Digital Marketing Masterclass
1real business brief and portfolio per participant
4core skill areas: design, social media, AI tools, digital

How the impact happens

Learning by doing.

1
Learning by doing
Participants do not learn from theory alone. Each one works on a real Sierra Leonean business, so the skills are tested against a real brief from the first week.
2
Mentorship from professionals
Sessions are led by practitioners who deliver client work every day, supported by guest lecturers from the design and marketing industry.
3
Proof of skill
Every participant leaves with a portfolio and a completed campaign that she can show to employers or clients.
4
A pathway, not a one-off
Promising graduates can continue into supervised client projects with Nexa, turning training into their first paid creative work.

Our programmes

From the classroom to the real brief.

Programme · Completed

Design and Digital Marketing Masterclass for Young Women

Delivered in partnership with Skool Grind

A three-week, in-person masterclass in Freetown covering design fundamentals, Canva and social media marketing. Each participant applied her learning to a real business and finished with a portfolio and a one-month social media campaign. Guest lecturers from the design and marketing industry supported the programme.

22young women enrolled
3weeks of in-person training
1real business campaign per participant

Programme · Ongoing

SME Digital Programme

Helps women-led and small businesses establish a professional online presence with a website and a clear digital identity. Young creatives from our programmes take part in the work under supervision, so each business supported also becomes a live learning project.

Growing into an academy

Two tracks, one pathway.

The training track has been tested through the masterclass. The incubator track is in development and will draw on masterclass graduates and future cohorts.

Tested

Track 1 · Training

Graphic design and visual communication
Social media marketing and content creation
AI-assisted creative production
Web and digital skills

In development

Track 2 · Creative Incubator

Mentoring for promising graduates
Supervised work on live client projects
Portfolio building and career guidance
Pathway into Nexa’s associate network

Want to join a future cohort, send a young person our way, or partner on a programme?

Get in touch

Developing the next generation of Sierra Leonean creatives.

Young people at the centre.

Learning by doing.

Learning by doing

Mentorship from professionals

Proof of skill

A pathway, not a one-off