Give Me Five for a Smile is a new initiative built on the clubs, outreach and projects we have run since 2024. We find kids in places no one screens, give them mentors, labs and scholarships — and then get out of their way.
We are honest about where we are: this is our launch year, the first cohort is forming now, and every number we publish is one we can prove.
Most talent pipelines in the region sort students by marks, then complain that the pipeline is empty. The marks don't show up first — curiosity, stubbornness and a habit of fixing things show up first.
So we built a search for that instead. We run discovery days, we watch who builds, and we bet on them early. It turns out the same kids finish school twice as fast when someone finally looks at what they can do.
"Give me five minutes with a student and I can tell you more than their transcript ever will."
— Kofi Mensah, founder
Not slogans on a wall. Each one is a budget line, a job title, and a stop on one journey.
Discovery days in schools and communities the system overlooks, screening for building ability, not exam history.
Every fellow gets a mentor who has shipped something real, not just a talk.
A laptop, a robotics kit and lab time. The hardware follows the student, not the school.
University seats, internships and a standing invitation to our partner employers.
Public showcases, local press, and families who watch their kids demo for the first time.
We arrive with a mobile lab, run building challenges all day, and watch. No tests, no forms to pre-qualify — just show up.
Strong builders get a place in a local club with a named mentor and their own kit, regardless of which school they attend.
After a year in the club, students we believe in meet the panel. We ask what they built, not what they scored.
Scholarship, laptop, lab access and a mentor for two years. School fees paid on time, every term, directly to the school.
University immersion weeks, internship pipelines and a cohort that stays connected and gives back as mentors.
Fellows spend a week with faculty and students at partner universities — running real experiments, not watching slides. For many it is the first time they hold an oscilloscope or sit in a lecture their own idea could come from.
Immersion weeks end with a showcase and a practical conversation: what to study, where to apply, and who pays. Our partners commit to interviews, not just goodwill.
Our mentors are engineers, teachers, doctors and founders. Some mentor from a neighbouring country, some from the same street. They commit to one student, one year, one project.
We handle logistics, hardware and reporting. Mentors handle the part that matters: showing a student that someone who has done it believes in them.
Give Me Five is young. These are the numbers from our pilot discovery days and the first cohort forming now — not projections. They grow with every partner who joins.
No general funds that disappear into overhead. Pick what you are paying for.
Full scholarship, kit, lab access and a mentor for one student, for a year.
One full day in a community, with kit, transport and volunteer costs covered.
Books, kits, laptops or cloud credits — new, refurbished or sponsored.
Universities can host immersion weeks and interview fellows. Employers can take on interns and sponsor kits. Schools can host discovery days. Individuals can sponsor, mentor or volunteer a single Saturday.
Whatever you bring, we will make sure it lands on a student and not in a process.
We reply to every message, usually within two working days.
Sponsor a child, volunteer a Saturday, mentor a project, donate a laptop or bring us to your school. Pick the one that fits your month.