KAFI INTERN SPOTLIGHT:
From Community Finance Leadership Training to Field Research Supervision: How Esau Kanu Is Building Practical Experience in Digital Financial Inclusion and SME Development.
The transition from learning to practical experience is an important part of building a successful career. For Esau Kanu, a Certified Community Finance Leader from KAFI Financial Literacy Leadership Fellowship, Cohort 03, that transition has opened doors to valuable field research experience and professional opportunities in Sierra Leone.
Through his internship experience, Esau participated in a research study titled “Digitalization in Sierra Leone: Unlocking Sustainable and Inclusive Growth,” gaining practical exposure to data collection, community engagement, field supervision, and research operations.
Understanding the Research
The study examines how Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Sierra Leone are adopting digital tools to improve their businesses and the challenges affecting digital inclusion.
It explores three fundamental questions:
- How do digital tools support business owners, and are the benefits reaching women-led, rural, and disability-owned businesses?
- What barriers prevent businesses from adopting or expanding their use of digital technologies?
- What gaps exist within the wider digital ecosystem, including network connectivity, data costs, mobile money services, digital skills, access to finance, and regulatory frameworks?
The research covers agriculture and agribusinesses, including fishing and food processing, among other business activities.
The study is being conducted for the GSMA Central Insights Unit and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), with findings expected to inform the British High Commission's growth strategy.
From Training to Field Leadership
As part of his internship, Esau received training in data collection using KoboCollect and gained an understanding of the research methodology and objectives.
His outstanding performance during the training earned him an appointment as Field Supervisor for Kono District, where he worked with a double-pivot research team.
Under his supervision, the team successfully interviewed 44 businesses, meeting the required sample size for the assignment.
Beyond the urban business environment, Esau and his team extended their fieldwork into remote rural communities, engaging farmers and cattle rearers to understand their business activities and experiences with digital technology.
Leaving Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone, to conduct research in the provincial communities of Kono District provided him with opportunities to build new relationships, discover local business realities, and gain firsthand knowledge of the challenges facing rural entrepreneurs.
Applying Community Finance Leadership Skills
Esau's experience demonstrates how the knowledge acquired through the KAFI Fellowship can translate into practical professional competencies.
As a Certified Community Finance Leader, he applied his knowledge of financial inclusion, leadership, and community engagement to interact with business owners and collect relevant information for the research.
His responsibilities strengthened his experience in:
- Field research and data collection.
- KoboCollect digital data collection.
- Community engagement and stakeholder interaction.
- Field team supervision and coordination.
- Rural business engagement.
- Understanding SME digitalization and financial inclusion.
- Research documentation and professional communication.
These experiences provided him with practical exposure to the relationship between digital technology, financial services, and business growth.
Unlocking New Professional Opportunities
One of the most significant outcomes of Esau's internship was the professional opportunity that followed his fieldwork experience.
Following the assignment, he secured an opportunity to be engaged on a contract basis for future research assignments, subject to project availability.
His prospective roles include working as an on-call field enumerator and freelance transcriptionist.
This represents an important step in his professional development, demonstrating how practical assignments, relevant skills, and leadership experience can create pathways to further employment opportunities.
Esau's Reflection
Reflecting on his experience, Esau expressed appreciation to KAFI for providing the training and opportunity to apply his knowledge in a real-world professional environment.
He described the experience as an opportunity to discover new communities, build relationships, strengthen his professional skills, and contribute to research that supports inclusive business growth.
He also expressed his willingness to participate in future KAFI training programmes and professional opportunities.
About the KAFI Financial Literacy Leadership Fellowship
The KAFI Financial Literacy Leadership Fellowship is designed to equip young people with practical knowledge, leadership competencies, and community finance skills that can be applied across financial institutions, fintech companies, businesses, development organisations, and communities.
Through its training, certification, practical assignments, and professional exposure opportunities, KAFI continues to support the development of a new generation of Community Finance Leaders across Africa.
Esau Kanu's experience reflects the importance of connecting learning with practical opportunities and creating pathways for young people to contribute meaningfully to their communities and the wider economy.
Congratulations to Esau Kanu, Cohort 03, on this professional milestone.
We celebrate his commitment, leadership, and contribution to advancing research and inclusive growth in Sierra Leone.
KAFI Trains. Certifies. Deploys. Places.
Driving Financial Literacy and Inclusion Across Africa.
KAFI Financial Literacy & Empowerment Foundation
