For communities facing high youth unemployment and limited access to practical education, workforce-aligned learning can be transformative. In 2017, Toni Zoumanigui founded Africa Leads in Dakar, Senegal, with a mission to equip young people with market-relevant skills in agriculture, entrepreneurship, health, and nutrition.

Designed as a hands-on vocational training program, Africa Leads aimed to bridge the gap between education and employment by aligning curriculum with local economic realities while fostering long-term community impact.

Challenge

Youth unemployment in Senegal disproportionately affects rural communities, where access to vocational education and formal employment pathways is limited. Africa Leads was founded to address several interrelated challenges:

• Limited access to practical, workforce-aligned education for youth
  
  
• A disconnect between traditional curricula and local economic opportunities
  
  
• Fragmented training efforts lacking coordination with government ministries and employers
  
  
• The need to build trust and collaboration across villages, institutions, and funders
  
  

Building a scalable education model required not only curriculum design, but also strong partnerships, operational infrastructure, and sustained funding.

Collaborative Approach

As Founder and Program Director, Toni led Africa Leads from concept through implementation, scaling, and institutional partnership.

The approach combined education design, workforce development, and stakeholder collaboration:

• Program Design and Leadership: Founded and led a vocational school and training program focused on agri-entrepreneurship, workforce readiness, and community-based learning
  
  
• Curriculum Co-Development: Partnered with Senegal’s Ministries of Agriculture and Vocational Education to co-develop curricula promoting health, nutrition, economic empowerment, and sustainable agriculture
  
  
• Workforce-Aligned Training Delivery: Delivered hands-on training to more than 200 youth across 15 villages, aligning instruction with real-world employment and entrepreneurship pathways
  
  
• Strategic Partnership Building: Cultivated partnerships with more than 20 stakeholders across Senegal, Europe, and the United States, including government entities, NGOs, and funders
  
  
• Operational and Team Leadership: Built and managed a team of 17 instructors and staff, overseeing program delivery, evaluation, and continuous improvement
  
  

Throughout the initiative, collaboration with local leaders, ministries, and communities ensured cultural relevance, trust, and long-term viability.

Results

Africa Leads delivered measurable, sustained impact across education, employment, and community development.

• Trained 200+ youth across 15 villages in agri-entrepreneurship and workforce skills
  
  
• Achieved an 80% employment or venture creation rate within one year of program completion
  
  
• Secured $500K in funding to launch and scale the program, with an additional $250K raised through strategic partnerships
  
  
• Expanded program reach by 50% through international and cross-sector collaboration
  
  
• Established a replicable vocational education model aligned with local labor markets and government priorities
  
  

This work demonstrates Planneris’ deep roots in education, workforce development, and systems-building, grounded in real-world execution and long-term impact.

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