Revisit Ousman Umar’s impactful YOLO Vision 2024 keynote talk on transforming struggles into opportunities with digital education and local solutions.
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At Ultralytics' annual hybrid event, YOLO Vision 2024 (YV24), innovators and visionaries in artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision came together to connect and share ideas. Beyond cutting-edge technology, YV24 was a great platform for meaningful conversations about leadership, community building, and how technology can make a real difference in society. One such inspiring talk came from Ousman Umar, the founder of Nasco Feeding Minds, an organization dedicated to providing educational resources and technology to underserved communities in Ghana.
In his talk, "A Life-Changing Story," Ousman opened up about his incredible journey from a small village in Ghana to Europe. He spoke about the struggles he endured and the resilience it took to turn those challenges into opportunities. Throughout the talk, he emphasized how education was the turning point for him - it gave him hope and a way forward.
His story was a powerful reminder that even in the face of immense difficulty, education and access to opportunity can change lives. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Ousman’s moving keynote at YV24, the lessons he shared, and how technology and digital education are changing lives.
Ousman Umar began his talk by sharing stories from his childhood in Fiaso, a small village in Ghana. He explained that life in the village was challenging. His mother had passed away during childbirth, and cultural traditions placed blame on the child in such situations. Despite this, his father, a shaman, stood by him, protecting him and giving him the chance to survive.
Ousman went on to elaborate that education was not easily accessible in his village. The nearest school was miles away, and he had to walk long distances daily to attend classes. However, after just two years, he was forced to stop to help support his family. By the age of 12, he was still unable to read or write, but his curiosity about the world remained strong.
At nine years old, he stepped outside his village for the first time, a moment that opened his eyes to a world beyond its boundaries. He realized there was so much more to discover. His curiosity grew even further when he saw an airplane flying overhead for the first time.
He narrated this incident saying, "I couldn't understand how this metal bird could stay in the sky, but my toy car couldn't even move by itself."
His imagination was sparked when he learned that white people had built such machines. That realization fueled his dream of reaching Europe, a place he imagined as a paradise.
Ousman described how his travels eventually took him to larger cities, including Accra, where he first encountered the bustling activity of a port. He mentioned that the ships, trucks, and constant movement were eye-opening. The truck drivers he met at the port spoke of Libya as the gateway to Europe. Inspired by their stories, he began his journey to Libya, hoping it would bring him closer to his goal.
He joined a group of migrants traveling through Niger and into the Sahara Desert, led by truck drivers. Ousman shared how these drivers turned out to be traffickers who abandoned the group after just three days. They were left with minimal water and food in one of the harshest environments in the world.
He vividly described the challenges of walking for 19 days in the desert. The extreme heat and lack of resources claimed the lives of most of the group. Out of the 46 people who began the journey, only six, including Ousman, survived.
After surviving the journey, Ousman spent four years in Libya, working under harsh conditions to save money for the next leg of his path. He spoke openly about the systemic discrimination he faced, describing how, at the time, his identity and background made him feel as though he were treated like a slave in Libya.
Despite these relentless hardships, Ousman’s determination to reach Europe and create a better future kept him moving forward. His unwavering focus on his dream made it possible for him to overcome even the most challenging moments.
Over the four years in Libya, Ousman had saved $1,800 to continue his journey to Europe. However, when he reached Tripoli, he fell into the hands of human traffickers again. Determined to reach what he envisioned as paradise, he embarked on a dangerous journey through Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, and Mauritania before facing the dangerous Mediterranean crossing.
The crossing took 48 long hours in a small, overcrowded boat battered by rough seas. Ousman eventually arrived on the island of Fuerteventura in Spain, physically and emotionally exhausted. The journey was devastating, especially as he recalled the hundreds of others who had drowned along the way. Upon arrival, he was detained and spent a month and a half in jail before being transferred to Malaga, where his journey in Europe finally began.
In Malaga, officials asked him where he wanted to live. He remembered hearing about the football team “Barça” and mentioned it as his choice. This decision led him to Barcelona, where his life in Spain started.
Ousman arrived in Barcelona in 2005. He was alone in a city that was utterly unfamiliar to him. He did not speak Spanish and could not read or write. He also didn’t have the money to support himself. For nearly a month, he lived on the streets, greeting strangers. Most people ignored him, leaving him isolated and unsure of what to do next.
His situation changed for the better when a wonderful woman noticed him. She offered him food, shelter, love, and guidance. Her support gave him the stability he needed in his early days in Barcelona. Ousman described this turning point in his life as being born again. It allowed him to start rebuilding and learn about the power of education.
Ousman shared how he gained access to education for the first time in his life, describing it as a truly life-changing experience. He said, “I understood the importance and power of education.” Learning to read and write opened up new opportunities, giving him the confidence to envision a brighter future and set bigger goals.
He spoke of how he reflected on the hardships he had endured and, rather than seeing them as setbacks, began to view them as lessons that shaped his purpose. Determined to bring about change, he decided to use his experiences to make a difference. His focus shifted to improving access to education for underserved communities, ensuring others would not have to face the same struggles.
In 2012, he founded Nasco Feeding Minds to address the root causes of migration and create opportunities for young people in underserved communities in Ghana. Nasco Feeding Minds focuses on providing knowledge rather than temporary solutions like food aid. The initiative equips students with access to education and digital tools, empowering them to build a better future for themselves and their communities.
Nasco Feeding Minds operates through community contributions and relies on grassroots efforts to drive meaningful change. The program equips young people with the skills they need to succeed without leaving their hometowns. Creating local opportunities reduces the need for dangerous migration journeys.
Nasco Feeding Minds has established 17 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) labs in Ghana, serving over 50 schools and benefiting more than 6,500 students annually. These labs provide young people with critical digital skills, preparing them for greater opportunities and a brighter future.
Teachers are also supported through training programs that help them effectively integrate digital tools into their classrooms, ensuring students gain the maximum benefit from the resources provided.
Ousman Umar then launched Nasco Tech after the success of Nasco Feeding Minds. He took the next step and helped young people turn education into real job opportunities. Nasco Tech provides training in technology and entrepreneurship. It enables students to transition from learning to building stable careers. Ousman explained that Nasco Tech equips participants with coding, software development, and IT support skills. These skills are tailored to meet the demands of the global workforce.
Nasco Tech offers programs that focus on developing technical skills. These programs allow graduates to work for international companies while staying in their hometowns. This initiative has helped over 30 professionals secure jobs in the computer science field. Many of them work for companies in Spain while living in Ghana.
Nasco Tech fosters a cycle where education leads to jobs, and jobs drive local development. Ousman concluded his talk by sharing his belief that, with the right tools and training, young people can thrive within their communities while also contributing to the global economy without leaving their home country.
The power of education, especially when enhanced by AI, holds immense potential to transform communities. Computer vision and other artificial intelligence technologies are helping underserved areas overcome challenges and gain access to new opportunities. AI in education enables personalized learning experiences that cater to individual needs, making education more effective and accessible.
For example, Vision AI can transform a simple smartphone or tablet into a reliable educational tool. Using computer vision, these devices can recognize objects, translate text, or even provide augmented reality (AR) experiences. This allows students in remote areas to engage with interactive lessons, such as exploring 3D models of biological structures or solving math problems with step-by-step visual guidance.
These capabilities bring advanced learning resources to regions where traditional tools and facilities are unavailable, bridging the gap between local challenges and global opportunities.
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Ousman Umar’s story shows how education when paired with technology, can transform lives and communities. Through Nasco Feeding Minds and Nasco Tech, he is helping young people gain valuable skills, access global opportunities, and contribute to their local economies without leaving home.
By combining education and technology, we can tackle challenges at their roots and create new opportunities for growth and development. Ousman’s work is an inspirational reminder of how education can inspire change and build a brighter future for communities around the world.
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