In the quest to empower girls and young women with ICT skills for job creation opportunities, the Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa (HACSA) Foundation has graduated the second cohort of its Tech4Girls programme, an ICT skills development and entrepreneurial training initiative designed to transform the lot of underprivileged young women.
The 12-week programme, provides free training in ICT, coding, and Artificial Intelligence, aiming to nurture talents and prepare girls for careers in science and technology-related fields.
In addition to technical skills, the programme also equips beneficiaries with essential soft skills, including marketing, entrepreneurship, emotional intelligence, and leadership, with the ultimate goal of enabling young women to harness their talents in ICT to create jobs opportunities and contribute to development of society, rather than pursuing limited white-collar employment.
Mrs. Johanna Odonkor Svanikier, Founder and President of HACSA Foundation, commended the graduating students for their “resilience and relentless pursuit of knowledge and skills” and urged them to apply their newfound expertise to solve societal challenges.
She emphasized the importance of breaking barriers as they advance into the entrepreneurial space, encouraging them to “carry with you the confidence that you are equipped to change the future.”
According to her, the Tech4Girls programme stands as a beacon of hope for the future of young women in Africa, equipping them with the tools, skills and confidence needed to make meaningful contributions to society.
Ms. Barbara Tulu Clemens, Country Director of the World Food Programme in Ghana, who was the keynote speaker for the event, highlighted the potential for the graduates to fill critical gaps in their communities and the broader economy by applying their digital skills to address practical problems, particularly in the agriculture and food sectors.
In that regard, she urged the young women to consider how their skills could contribute to the World Food Programme’s mission of changing lives through improved agriculture and food systems.
Jim Baiden, Chairman of Fidelity Bank, which is a key donor partner to the HACSA Foundation, called on stakeholders to support the graduates by providing access to seed capital from angel investors or microfinance institutions at concessionary rates. This financial backing, he noted, is crucial for enabling skilled young people such as the Tech4Girls graduates to establish businesses and create jobs.
The graduation ceremony also saw the launch of the 2024 Sankofa Summit, HACSA’s flagship international convention.
The prestigious annual event, set to take place in New York from October 9 to 10, 2024, will gather distinguished leaders, policymakers, thought leaders, creatives, and influencers from the diaspora to discuss pressing development issues affecting countries and communities in Africa.
This year’s summit, which is on the theme, “Inspiring the youth, healing communities,” also offers participants opportunities for collaborative ventures, and the chance to shape Africa’s future by contributing to thought-provoking deliberations that cover a wide range of topics, including investment, financial inclusion, technological innovation, the creative arts, youth skills development and leadership, women empowerment, healthcare and mental health.
Among other activities, panel discussions of pertinent development issues in Africa, exhibitions, film screenings, tours of heritage sites and a charity gala characterise the annual summit, which is also used to raise funds to support HACSA’s projects including the Tech4Girls training programme.
