International Girls in ICT

The International Girls in ICT day highlights the importance of the female sector in the field of Information, Communication and Technology. Each year, through the development of different skills, society as a whole seeks to encourage girls and women to orient their studies towards the growing field of ICT in order to bridge the existing digital gender gap.

Over many years at Teach A Man To Fish, we have been lucky enough to witness some wonderful and brave girls starting their own technology companies or producing great technological ideas and solutions to today's challenges. Many of them have inspired us with their ideas and initiatives, here are just a couple of recent stories from the inspiring young women that take part in our programmes.

Gargi Pandey, a 16 year old student from India, is ready to launch her very own app! This initiative will seek to encourage and help the global community to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Developing an app is new to me and it is really fun. In this era of technology, almost everyone is connected to the internet so it will allow me to find my customers not only in a specific area but all around the globe.”

As part of the youth community, Gargi is concerned about the future of the earth and the environment, so she is ready to take action and hopes to expand her business and expand the app to many other places, as she says, “I can connect with not only my city but also various other cities, countries and people, and take necessary actions that are really required in today's time together.”

Concerned about the situation in her country and eager to reduce the sense of insecurity in the community, 14-year-old Nigerian, Kanyinsola Olatunde, has created a company where a drone will fly over the streets of the area in order to increase the safety of citizens. She will be in charge of flying the drone, she already has the required skills to do so and she aims to capture anything that does not feel right.

“I have chosen the drone business mainly because I would be able to use this business to solve one of the major problem of insecurity in my country (Nigeria). Also because I would be able to make good money out of it, it is a business idea that industries like (agriculture, mining, film making, delivery, security, medical, to mention few) will all sort for. Drones can be used to capture pictures and take videos of dangerous places (caves, tunnels, wildlife and aquatic life and so on) where humans can go to. It makes work at the farm easier and faster. Drones can be used to save lives (it can be used to fly vital organs for organ transplant, it will be the fastest means of transporting vital organs).
And finally because it's quite possible for me to set this business up in few weeks. I have the skills I need, I can fly a drone very well, I am above 16 (I can be a drone pilot). There are no limits.”