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Social Entrepreneur · Author · Keynote Speaker

Building the tools Africa's children need to thrive in a digital world.

I'm James Mawaka — founder of LeNoir Foundation, creator of TypeSpark Africa, and a lifelong advocate for education, digital equity, and community-led change. I build things that close gaps.

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Technology should amplify human compassion, not replace it. That's the principle that guides everything I do.

Building Africa’s digital workforce | TypeSpark Africa (offline typing for 100k+ African learners) & Founder: LeNoir Foundation | Forbes EQ Contributor | Keynote Speaker

I grew up on a farm in Zimbabwe. At fifteen, my family sought asylum in the UK. I discovered the power of education in a London library, and I've spent the past decade making sure other children get that same chance.

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Through LeNoir Foundation, the UK-registered charity I founded, I've launched schools, built libraries, trained teachers, and put books and devices into the hands of children across three continents. My latest project, TypeSpark Africa, is teaching children aged 5–8 to touch-type fully offline, in their own language — because digital literacy shouldn't depend on a Wi-Fi signal.

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I write about purpose-driven leadership for Forbes. I speak at conferences and universities about digital inclusion, authentic storytelling, and building movements that last. And I wrote a children's book called Keke Misses Home because the kids I work with deserve to see themselves in the stories they read.

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TypeSpark Africa.

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4 in 5 African children aged 10 cannot read a simple text (UNESCO, 2025). Fewer still have any digital skills. And there isn't a single typing tool built for offline African classrooms.

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TypeSpark Africa changes that. It's a fully offline progressive web app that teaches children aged 5–8 to touch-type using a structured, home-row-first methodology — in English, Swahili, Shona, and Zulu. No internet required after install. No data leaves the device. Works on any device a school already owns.

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We're currently piloting in Zimbabwe, expanding to Uganda and South Africa, and raising pre-seed funding to scale.

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4 Languages | 7-Stage Curriculum | 100% Offline | 3 Pilot Schools

What we've built so far.

£100k+

Raised For NGO'S

Top 100
Amazon

Childrens Books
Best Selling Author

1000+

Students In Programs

3

Libraries Established

85

Teachers Trained

33k

Views Articles on Forbes.com

Recognition & affiliations.

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Forbes EQ Contributor

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British Citizen Award Recipient

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Best Digital Literacy & Educational Access NPO 2025 (LeNoir Foundation)

"James embodies the change our world urgently needs — where the brightest minds of today come together to tackle the most pressing challenges of our time."

Janice Muradzikwa

Founder of Transcend Healthcare

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Speaking & workshops.

I speak at conferences, universities, and corporate events about the things I've learnt building a social impact organisation from scratch, and the things I wish someone had told me sooner.

Keynote Topics

Book me To Speak
At Your Event

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Whether you're looking for a speaker, exploring a partnership, or want to bring TypeSpark to your schools — I'd love to hear from you.

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If you have any questions contact
jay@lenoirfoundation.com

Thanks for submitting!

© 2026 James Mawaka. All rights reserved. LeNoir Foundation is a registered charity in England & Wales
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