The Founder's Story: How Loss Became a Mission

In many developing countries, young people dream of Europe as a beacon of opportunity and prosperity. They yearn for brighter futures, often believing that success can only be found far from home. Yet the journey to Europe, often called the "Backway", is fraught with unimaginable danger, heartbreak, and loss.

For our founder, this reality is deeply personal. A few years ago, he lost two beloved family members, Mbemba and Lamin, who were just 20 years old when they embarked on the perilous journey across the Mediterranean in search of a better life. Their lives were tragically cut short. Their dreams, like so many others, were swallowed by the sea.

"They were 20 years old. They had everything ahead of them. The sea didn't care." Yaya Trawally, reflecting on Mbemba and Lamin

Their loss became the driving force behind the founder's mission: to ensure that no family has to endure the same heartbreak. According to a UNHCR report, more than 6,615 lives have been lost or reported missing along this treacherous route in recent years. Behind each number lies a story of untapped potential, unfulfilled dreams, and families forever changed.

But grief alone does not change systems. Yaya's 15 years working in UK schools as an IT and Network professional, setting up networks and seeing first-hand what a single laptop could do for a young person's confidence, showed him what the answer could look like. If young people in The Gambia had real skills, real tools, real mentors and real pathways into work, they wouldn't need to cross the sea. The future they were risking their lives to find could exist right where they were.

TechForAll Foundation was registered as a charity in England and Wales in 2024. Within months, the first Digital Hub was open in Banjulinding, The Gambia. Free computer skills training, donated and refurbished equipment, and mentoring from qualified IT professionals, all at zero cost to the learners.

In the UK, the foundation runs parallel work with migrants and refugees in East London, people who arrived here with skills, ambition and resilience, but who faced digital exclusion as a barrier to everything: employment, services, education, connection.

At TechForAll Foundation, we believe that no one should have to leave their home or risk their life to achieve their dreams. We envision a world where young people can thrive within their own communities, supported by access to education, technology, and opportunities that allow them to build successful futures close to home.

By equipping people with the tools they need to succeed in the digital world, we aim to transform lives, reshape mindsets, and inspire hope. TechForAll Foundation is more than a charity, it is a movement to create a future where no one feels compelled to take the "Backway" and families can remain whole.