In May this year, GSMA & EQUALS hosted a Tech4Girls workshop in Mukono, Uganda, funded by Verizon in partnership with Maendeleo Foundation & W4. The week-long workshop brought together 60 young girls and young women for an intensive and fun tech learning experience. The EQUALS team interviewed the Uganda Tech4Girls workshop award winners to find out what they thought of the Tech4Girls workshop.
EQUALS: Please tell us a little about yourselves and your background.
Joanita: My name is Joanita Nakinawa. I’m a senior five student at Mt. St Henry’s high school in Mukono. I aspire to be an accountant.
Moureen: My name is Moureen Nabwire. I just completed senior four and I would like to be a fashion designer.
Brenda: My name is Brenda Nassali and I just completed senior four. I enjoy tourism and athletics. I want to be an entrepreneur.
EQUALS: What motivated you to participate in the Tech4Girls workshop?
Joanita: I wanted to use a computer because I had never used computers before. Even though my school has computers, there are many students sharing just a few computers, so I had never had a chance to use a computer on my own before.
Moureen: I also wanted to learn how to use a computer. I have always been shy about using computers in school: when you don’t know how to use computers, other students might laugh at you.
Brenda: I was curious to know how to use a computer and I wanted to learn how to have my own email address. I also wanted to learn about the Internet. I had heard about the Internet but had never used it before.
EQUALS: Did you learn some new tech (or tech-related) concepts during the workshop?
Joanita: Yes, we learned about e-commerw to use Shopify, and how to do research on the Internet.
EQUALS: What did you enjoy most during the workshop?
Joanita: We most enjoyed working together in a group and with other workshop participants to find ways to use e-commerce to solve a community problem. For the second part of the workshop, we were divided into groups and had the opportunity to use the skills we learned to come up with ideas to solve a social and/or environmental challenge in our community.
EQUALS: What was/were the most memorable moment(s) of the workshop for you?
Moureen: When we presented our group’s project. Also, when our project was selected as the winning project and when we received our certificates of completion. We were very proud.
EQUALS: Can you please tell us about your final project? What inspired your idea?
Brenda: Our project provides affordable, washable and reusable sanitary pads for girls and young women. We developed a website to provide girls and women with training in how to make reusable sanitary pads and also to distribute affordable reusable sanitary pads to girls and young women. There are many girls in Uganda who miss school or even drop out of school because they cannot afford sanitary pads: on the days of their menstruation, they cannot come to school. They miss a lot of study time and some even drop out of school because they cannot catch up with their studies.
EQUALS: Has the Tech4Girls workshop inspired you to continue learning new tech skills or even contemplate a career in the tech sector or tech-based entrepreneurship?
Joanita: After the workshop, I would like to learn about online marketing and how I can develop my skills in online advertising. I am also eager to learn how to use IT to help me in my future career as an accountant.
Moureen: I am keen to learn more about how technology can be used to help retail businesses in Uganda.
Brenda: Yes, I now want to learn more about how I can use technology to promote my business for when I become an entrepreneur.
EQUALS: What are your goals and dreams for your future?
Joanita: I want to be an accountant. I would also like to start a book publishing business. My other goal is to help orphaned children.
Moureen: I want to become a fashion and design entrepreneur and help my community by enabling unemployed youth to develop skills.
Brenda: I am very passionate about helping young girls to stay in school through educational sponsorship. I would like to work in this area.
EQUALS: Is there a woman role model you admire? What do you admire about her/them?
Joanita: I admire my mother’s hard work and time-keeping skills.
Moureen: I am inspired by my aunt who is very kind and hard-working.
Brenda: For me, it’s my sister. She is a very optimistic person, very supportive and very hard-working!
EQUALS: What advice would you give to encourage other girls and women to explore technology and/or take part in a Tech4Girls workshop?
Joanita: Using technology helps you discover your strengths.
Moureen: The workshop sparks your curiosity and encourages you to learn more.
Brenda: It also shows you how to use technology to solve problems.
EQUALS: Would you like to add anything?
Joanita: We really enjoyed taking part in the EQUALS Tech4Girls workshop. It helped change our mindsets, and helped us learn how to be problem-solvers.
Hear more from the Uganda workshop winners:
More info about Tech4Girls: equalsintech.org/tech4girls
EQUALS Tech4Girls is supported by Verizon