DCDJ at Devex World

Last Thursday, the DCDJ Fellows attended Devex World. This was a great opportunity for these young professionals to learn more about putting their data science skills to use.

Screenshot from the Data Revolution session at Devex World

Des Chiffres et Des Jeunes (DCDJ) is a program led by Development Gateway and funded by the MCC-PEPFAR Data Collaboratives for Local Impact (DCLI) Program in Côte d’Ivoire. DCDJ aims to bolster the subnational supply and use of data for Ivorian citizens, engage youth as champions of these services, and fuel innovation to address rising data needs. A DCDJ Fellowship provides dual benefits for both Ivorian host organizations and Data Fellows themselves.

As the final cohort of DCDJ Fellows is finishing the work at their placement sites, many are looking for new opportunities to grow professionally. Attending Devex World through DCDJ provided a platform for professional networking, exploring new ideas, and seeing how their data science work fits with the broader development community.

22 Fellows attended all or part of the event, along with French translator Cedric Doffou. Each of the Fellows found value in each of the different sessions, and nearly half of the Fellows said they would use information learned in the Data Revolution session in the future. Specifically, Data Fellows gravitated to the Data Revolution session because of its focus on balancing data skills, data openness, and data sharing. Additionally, Devex Backstage and the Meet & Greet/networking sessions were noted by many Fellows as useful to their careers.

As we near the closing months of the DCDJ program, and work to transfer the project to its future more sustainable parent organization, we will continue to look for opportunities to support the Fellows as their careers grow.