Free career training for African university students
Free career training for students ready to enter the job market.
About Us
Our primary mission is to provide career training services to underserved markets, with a focus on university students in African countries.We believe everyone is created equal on this planet and should have a fighting chance to reach their potential.The key to economic development is access to education, training, and the creation of valuable jobs. We live in a world of opportunity and inequality – our goal is to bring professional opportunities to those who need them most.The Job Garden™ is a nonprofit corporation registered in the state of New Jersey, USA.
The Job Garden™ Initiative
We are launching The Job Garden™ nonprofit to develop professional education and training offerings taught by experienced professionals. We will initially target university students in the most underserved countries in Africa who are ready to find jobs and launch their careers. The cost of education and training to our students, and the universities they attend, will be $0. Our initial focus will be on countries like Burundi, which is the poorest country on earth, with an average annual per capita income of $220 per year. You read that right – not per hour, week, or month, but per year. We are also looking at Sierra Leone, Kenya, and Rwanda.We plan on being a leading provider of free career training services to graduating African university students in the next 5 years.
Countries We Work In
Sierra Leone
We have a signed agreement with the University of Sierra Leone to teach our career training course to university seniors, starting in October 2026. The University of Sierra Leone is the oldest western-style university in Africa (founded in 1827) and is a magnet for university students in Sierra Leone and across Africa. It has approximately 20,000 students across all faculties.
Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda
We are currently in the exploratory phases of offering career training services to university students in these countries.
Career Training Course Overview
The following course modules will typically be taught in each university over a 10-week period, leading up to student graduation. Certificates for course completion will be granted to each student who successfully completes the course. This course will help university students prepare themselves for the job market and apply for jobs.
01
Career Self Discovery
Personal strengths, career paths, key skills, setting goals
02
How the Labor Market Works
Focuses on how labor market works and what companies are looking for in employees
03
Importance of Job Digital Literacy
Basic computer, online, and software skills
04
Professional Communications Skills
Prepares students for working professionally with their teams, peers, and customers
05
Quality Management
Focuses on importance of quality work and workplace performance
06
Resume Writing and Job Application Skills
Preparing good cover letters, resumes, and profile building
07
Job Search Skills
Job platforms, networking, researching industries
08
Job Interview Preparation
Common questions, STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method, mock interviews
09
Employability Skills
Communication, teamwork, problem solving, time management
10
Job Readiness
Expectations, culture, metrics for job
Board of Trustees
Chris Davis
Chair Board of Trustees, Executive Director
CEO/COB business experience
Entrepreneur
Non-profit experience
Languages: English, French, German
MBA and Masters in Finance
Certified teacher
Wayne Lifshitz
Secretary, Board of Trustees
Extensive international humanitarian experience
Experience in both non-profit and for-profit philanthropic sectors
Most recently Senior Director at Chemonics, a leading for-profit international development consulting firm
Extensive contacts in Africa and humanitarian community
Lee Lorenzen
Board of Trustees
Funding / investment experience
Serial tech entrepreneur, startup expert
Former SHOP.COM CEO (Amazon / Microsoft investors)
Board of Advisors
Stella Bangura
CEO, On the Spot Media
TV and media consultant
Entrepreneur – working on a TV station venture in Sierra Leone
Resident of Freetown, Sierra Leone, first The Job Garden target country
Strong Sierra Leone contacts network, including Minister of Education for Higher Education
Attended Sierra Leone University, the top university target for this market
Dr. Nelson Aluya
MD, MBBS, CMO
Physician, Department of medicine/ Department of pediatrics, University hospital, Newark, NJ.
Served as a Medical Director, Medical officer, Chief Medical Officer and Advisory board in various organizations
Leader in African development movement, on Board of GIAA, the Global Initiative for the Advancement of Africa
Extensive contacts in target market of Nigeria and other African countries
Donations
We would greatly appreciate a donation (monthly if possible) to help support our mission. Please follow the donation guidelines below (if this does not work, please reach out to us on the Contact Us section):Please set up recurring monthly Zelle transfers (if you don’t have Zelle, it’s easy to set up on your bank account’s online portal, eg, in the Transfers or Payments menu, or ask your bank how to set it up – Zelle is a useful, FREE money transfer service) from your US bank account to our non-profit bank account using this email address when prompted in Zelle:
Donors
We would like to thank the following donors for their generous support:
Ted Moise, Lee Lorenzen, William Zurn, Artem Daniliants / Daniliants Ventures, Renate Davis, Eric Davis, and Chris Davis
Contact Us
If you are a university in Africa interested in our career training services, or interested in donating, please contact us by email so we can set up an exploratory videoconference with you:
Chris Davis
Executive Director
Copyright 2026 – The Job Garden™ A NJ Nonprofit Corporation
Made with ❤️ by Daniliants Ventures
