The need for more
women to be computer literate and actively involved in Information and
Communication Technology has been
advocated.
By Izunna Okafor
This formed the
central point and idea behind the 'She Creates Awka' summer camp, organized by
the Women's Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC)—a non-governmental and
non-profit making organization — which took place at the Prof. Kenneth Dike
Central E-Library, Awka, the Anambra State Capital.
Speaking at the
event, the Programs Manager in the W.TEC, Mrs. Folashade Braimoh said the aim
of the event was to increase women literacy level in the ICT field, and empower
a good number of them to seek careers opportunities in the field on the long
run. She disclosed that the organization which was founded in 2008 has
organized a number of events and trainings for girls in past, while maintaining
that the 'She Creates Awka Camp' was a two-week camp of intensive training for
girls in secondary school between the ages of 13 and 17 years.
She disclosed that
Anambra was chosen as one of the locations for the summer camp which held in
four different locations across the federation, stating that in the state, they
partnered with the Anambra State Library Board, as well as the EduFun Technik,
Onitsha where the trainees were taken to for an excursion, during the camp.
On what happens
after the training, the ICT guru noted that the organization have some
follow-up mechanisms on ground through which they monitor, checkmate and
evaluate how the girls have put what they have learnt into practice or utilize
it for the benefits of themselves, other people around them, and the society at
large.
On her own part,
the Ag. Director of the Anambra State Library Services, Dr. Nkechi Udeze —one
of the partners in the event — described the event as apt, owing to the fact
that the world itself is rapidly becoming computerized and digitized on daily
basis, and time fast approaching when some who are neither ICT inclined nor
computer literate will be loose their relevance in some offices.
Decrying the rate
of moral decadence in the society today, Dr. Udeze said the event was also used
as a platform to educate the girls on the core values of Ndi Igbo, which she
noted was gradually becoming degenerated, as well as some entrepreneurial
skills that will prepare and enable them become good people and agents of
change in the society, even as she charged the trainees to make good use of
what the have learnt in the cause of the training.
Earlier in his
opening remarks, the Project Officer of the W.TEC, Mr. Tarabina Lesley Kelly
said the organization's mission was to educate, connect and empower Nigerian
women through active engagement with information and communication technology
via training, mentoring and research; maintaining that they were aiming at
creating a society where Nigerian women and girls are able to create and use
information and communication technology for learning, activism,
entrepreneurship, and professional activities effectively.
He extolled their
partners and charged the participants to go in the society and make good use of
what the were taught, and most importantly, impart the knowledge on their
fellow young ones out there who were not opportuned to have such training, as
through that, they will impart greatly in their society at large.
The event, which attracted a former Director in
the federal ministry of education, Mrs. Irene Ifejirika, featured recognition
and awarding of prizes to the best performing students in the camp and in the
training, who were as follow: Miss Umeadi Uchenna (1st position); Miss Obianjor
Chidinma (2nd position), and Miss Ufoaroh Mmesoma (3rd position).
Among other
trainings, the students were, during the camp, taught web designing, animation
programming, robotics programming, shoe making, business planning, computing
fundamentals, such as Microsoft word and power point programs, among other
packages
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