Ten-year-old Success Joycelyn Dadzie from Hwidiem M/A Basic School in the Asante Akyem North District has emerged victorious in the Girls-In-ICT competition, outperforming 100 other participants to claim the prestigious award.
As part of her recognition, the Primary 6 student received a cash prize of 3,000 Ghana Cedis, a laptop, a plaque, and a citation.
The competition featured the top performers from a pool of 1,000 girls who took part in a week-long Girls-In-ICT training program across the region, themed “Leadership.” From the initial 100 contestants, the best 10 were selected, each receiving laptops and an ICT laboratory for their schools.
The second and third place winners received cash prizes of GHc 2,500 and GHc 2,000, respectively, along with laptops, plaques, and certificates.
During the event held at the Business School Auditorium of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, highlighted the “Girls in ICT Trust” initiative. She emphasized its goal to empower young women and girls in the field of information and communication technology (ICT).
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful noted that the initiative is part of Ghana’s broader strategy to promote gender equality and increase women’s participation in technology sectors. She explained that the Girls in ICT Trust aims to bridge the gender gap in the tech industry by providing resources, training, and support, thus fostering digital literacy and creating career opportunities for girls in ICT.
MTN’s Support
The Girls-In-ICT program, in partnership with MTN Ghana, is designed to inspire young women to pursue careers in the ICT sector and address the gender disparity in technology.
The training includes various modules, such as Introduction to Computer Programming, Cyber Security, Animation Development, Game Development, Coding, Scratch, and Website Design.
MTN Investment
In a statement to reporters, Mrs. Sophia Tandoh from MTN’s Corporate Services shared that the company has invested $15.6 million from 2021 to 2024. This investment has enabled the training of 10,000 girls and 1,000 teachers in crucial ICT skills, reaching several regions, including North-East, Western-North, Ahafo, Bono-East, Bono, Savannah, Northern, Eastern, Greater Accra, and Ashanti.
