At 8:31 a.m. in Lomé, Togo, Martino Yovo’s hometown, life is in full swing. However, in the United States, where he now resides, the day is just beginning. A self-proclaimed night owl, Yovo joins our Google Meet call with a warm smile. His journey into tech began in 2018 as a French-speaking teenager struggling with language barriers while learning programming. Today, as a product engineer at Esri, the leading developer of geographic information system (GIS) software, Yovo is giving back by democratizing tech education for Francophone Africa.
Yovo’s tech journey started with a casual suggestion from his elder brother: learn how to build a website. Growing up, he and his siblings often took on small jobs to acquire new skills. With no structured guidance, he borrowed his sister’s Android phone, researched online, and used a basic notepad app to create a rudimentary version of the University of Lomé’s website.
The result was far from polished, but it ignited his passion for programming. Determined to improve, he spent hours reading programming books and articles, tackling languages like Java and Pascal. However, most resources were in English, presenting an additional challenge. In Togo, English proficiency is low, with only a handful of students in a class mastering the language fluently. Learning programming while simultaneously translating technical terms made the process even more tiring.
Despite these challenges, Yovo persisted. Online communities were essential to his growth, though most conversations were in English. While Lomé was bustling with trade, the city had a barely visible tech ecosystem at the time. Without a strong local community, he relied on YouTube tutorials and French-language platforms like Le Site du Zéro (a precursor to OpenClassrooms) for guidance.
By 2018, he had saved 25,000 CFA francs (approximately $41) from his school stipend to buy a low-performance computer. Though slow, it allowed him to develop websites and web applications, which he proudly shared on social media. His growing online presence led to an invitation in 2019 to build a website for a prominent startup incubator in Lomé. While he was not financially compensated, the experience sharpened his skills and introduced him to mobile app development.
Yovo’s big break came during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. While much of the world was shutting down, he seized virtual opportunities, participating in hackathons and collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme in Togo to build a COVID-19 awareness platform. This increased his visibility in Africa’s tech ecosystem.
Determined to help others overcome the barriers he faced, Yovo founded Togo Developers (TDEV) in November 2020. The community started with online workshops and events, eventually expanding to 3,000 members across 14 countries, including non-Francophone regions.
By 2021, Yovo was applying for international roles but faced repeated rejections. Some were due to unexpected setbacks, like a power outage that cut short an interview. Yet, he remained resilient, viewing each rejection as an opportunity for improvement. Recognizing that his limited English proficiency hindered his chances, he enrolled in structured English courses to boost his fluency.
These efforts paid off when he landed a remote job, increasing his income from $500 to $3,500 per month—a substantial sum in Togo. His growing reputation also led to his selection as Togo’s second Google Developer Expert (GDE) in Flutter in August 2023, a goal he had set in 2019.
Despite his successes, Yovo felt stagnant by late 2023. Realizing that his long-term aspirations required a bigger platform, he applied for U.S. and Canadian visas. In January 2024, he relocated to the United States, joining Esri as a product engineer. Within months, he spoke at Esri’s GIS Developers Summit, a significant milestone in his career.
Beyond personal achievements, Yovo remains committed to creating opportunities for Francophone Africans in tech. At TDEV, he and his team have developed a platform offering expert-led courses in French. They have also integrated AI-powered translation tools to convert English-language programming resources, making them accessible to French-speaking learners.
“As a Francophone African, you must prove yourself twice because of the language barrier,” Yovo explains. “We need to create opportunities that level the playing field.”
With his unwavering drive, Yovo is not only forging a path for himself but also building a bridge for others to follow. His story is a testament to resilience, self-learning, and the transformative power of community.
