Today was not my site visit day, but while visiting Stargate specifically, I noticed several similarities that I could connect to my work with ANDDs. Stargate’s mission of providing opportunities and resources for startups to succeed without expecting money or repayment in return reminded me a lot of what I see in ANDDs, since it is also a nonprofit organization focused on empowerment and development. Because of this parallel, when looking at the SWOT analysis of Stargate, I was able to think more critically about the potential weaknesses within ANDDs as well.

From the presentation, I learned that Stargate struggles with reaching and supporting underprivileged communities. I also noticed a glimpse of this issue during our visit to Technopark when the presenter explained that she became an entrepreneur after previously only working within Technopark itself. This made me think more deeply about access and who is truly benefiting from these opportunities.

As I continue my report on ANDDs, reflecting on these challenges from other nonprofits will help shape both my perspective and the questions I want to ask moving forward. An example would be, what extra steps do you take to include community’s that might not be ask willing to be trained digitally. ANDDs works to provide women with opportunities and training that increase their access to the digital world and the internet. With this in mind, I want to take a deeper look into the demographic ANDDs is serving. Are they truly reaching the women and children who are the most underserved, or are they primarily helping individuals who are already seeking organizations focused on digital development?

I believe this is an important question to explore because it directly connects to the nonprofit’s pillars: “create, develop, and digitalize.” Development should not only mean offering programs, but also actively reaching women and children who may not otherwise have the ability, confidence, or resources to enter the digital world. Focusing on those communities and helping them gain access to these skills is what makes the mission impactful.