The Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD) has concluded its two-day tour of ICT training centres established in basic schools in the Greater Accra region, to assist with the Girls-in-ICT programme.
The tour, which began on Tuesday, 2nd July, is part of a week-long exercise to furnish these ICT training centres with laptops, and familiarise students, especially girls, to computer programming, animation, website design, and cybersecurity, among others. The project is supported by GIFEC, GI-KACE, the NCA, MTN, GES, ATC Ghana, and GIZ.
Led by the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the MoCD visited eight ICT training centres and interacted with a total of 200 female students, to encourage them and note their progress in the ICT training.
Showcasing their skill, the girls displayed their progress with animation and coding using the app, Scratch. They also created a website with Mobirise, containing information about the minister, the Girls-in-ICT programme, how to donate money to the programme and how to volunteer to assist.
The Ablekuma West MP noted that she was very impressed with the website, and encouraged the girls to stay on their path. She also advised the girls to put their backs into everything they did. “Work hard, be diligent and don’t just work because you want recognition,” she said.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful stated the Ministry aimed to train 3,000 girls in three regions to ensure that girls and women become as confident in the ICT field as boys and men are. The programme will include a regional competition during the weekend, which would see 1,000 girls partaking. The top 100 girls will be awarded with laptops, the top 10 will win laptops, while their schools either get furnished with an ICT lab, or receive more ICT materials if they already have a lab. The top three girls will receive laptops and cash prizes.
“This Greater Accra Girls-in-ICT programme will be one of the most keenly contested, because all the centres that I’ve been in, the girls have demonstrated extreme skill even after only two days training. They’re very articulate, they’re confident, and all of them say they’re winning,” The minister said, expressing her excitement for the upcoming competition.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful added that it was vital to begin introducing girls to ICT as soon as possible, since ICT usage was prevalent in everyday activities. “If I had my way and we had the funding for it, we’d start from the kindergarten level so that they’ll be very conversant with digital tools,” she said.
To ensure the training reaches maximum efficiency, over 500 laptops have been delivered to basic schools in the 29 districts of the Greater Accra region, so the girls can practice on them.
The Girls-in-ICT project will see a Mentorship Day on Tuesday, 9th July, where leading women in various ICT workplaces, will meet with the girls. The programme will climax on Wednesday, 10th July, with a presentation of awards from the regional competition.
By Derrick Kafui Deti – Digital Economy Magazine
