Tech Up Rural Girls
TURG Project

It is no longer news that in recent years, the importance of technology in advancing human development cannot be overemphasized. However, the benefits of technology are largely concentrated in urban areas, leaving rural areas and communities behind. It is also well known that women/Female participation in tech is limited thus the need to bridge the digital gender gap. To address this issue, a 2-day tech event was held in the South West local government of Ekiti state, with the location in Corpus Christi a Secondary school at the headquarter, Ilawe-Ekiti, with 30 female students aged 13-23 and 10 teachers of different school within the local government as the target audience for the training which was aimed at equipping rural girls on the 21st century digital skills and how to use the technology skills. The event which was the maiden edition was attended by facilitators from different tech niches who shared their expertise with the girls.

DAY ONE: 8th May 2023.

On the 8th of May, the implementing and supporting partners of the TECH UP RURAL GIRLS (TURG) project arrived at Corpus Christi, Ilawe-Ekiti, in the Southwest Local Government Area of Ekiti state, which was the venue for the event with their team at about 9:50 am. The participants and their teachers had arrived awaiting the commencement of the program. The team of volunteers assisted in the registration of each of the attendees present for the training, before commencement. They gave the students Tags, Books, Pens, and Customized shirts and directed them to sit inside. The Project Coordinator in person of the Executive Director of Slum and Rural Aid for African Child Development Initiative, (SARAFACDI), Mr. Blessing Tunde Dada made the opening remarks, he expressed his gratitude to the students, teachers, facilitators and his team members for coming and urged the participants to make good use of the event and explained the purpose of the event and the goal of the project to the beneficiaries. Mr Blessing Dada briefly explained the mission and vision of the Slum and Rural Aid for African child development initiative (SARAFACDi) and then introduced the sponsors and partners for the project. Such as Z Zurich Foundation, iDixcover, SwisAfrica, Build A Child Initiative, De-Rock Tutors, YALI Network Ekiti, GEGAS, Bibigrace Foundation, NTA ado ekiti, Surestview studio, Digitlab, Tutumade Adeyeye Foundation, etc.

The facilitators were also drawn from different tech niches, including Web development, Robotics, Graphic design, Digital marketing, UI/UX Design, Photography and Cinematography, Social Media Management, etc. The facilitators then took over and introduced themselves to the girls. The session started with an icebreaker from Mr Femi Apata, the founder of De-Rock Academy, he explained how the students can achieve success and the importance of technology in today’s world and how it can be used to solve problems in rural areas. The girls were then introduced to the concept of coding and how it can be used to build software applications. Mr Banji Akole taught them the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and was given practical exercises to work on for an hour. For the Graphic design class, Bolu Olosunde gave an explicit idea of Graphic design to the girls. Then UI/UX Facilitator, Tobi Ogunkoya came in and gave a breakdown of what UI/UX design is. There was a lunch break where refreshments were served after which one of the sponsors, the person of Mr Abdullateef Lawal, founder of Idixcover Opportunity was connected via Zoom to address the participants for about 15 mins, thereafter Facilitator Mopelola Akinwunmi taught them briefly Social Media Management. They used practical examples and hands-on exercises to make the learning process more engaging. During the digital marketing class, they had a project of creating a digital marketing plan for a local business, the session was facilitated by Mr Segun Apejua. Each facilitator took turns teaching the girls the basics of their area of expertise. The students were asked questions and they gave answers that shows that they were truly impacted and their questions were also answered. The program ended around 5 pm with a prayer from a Muslim student and a Christian student. We took pictures and everyone went their way to prepare for the next day.

DAY TWO: 9th May 2023.

At exactly 9:00 am, the event’s started with a review of the previous day’s activities. The girls presented their projects, and the facilitators gave feedback on their work. They commended the girls for their excellent performance and encouraged them to keep learning and exploring technology. The training continued for the day. Facilitators such as Wave Ajileye give a continuity of the previous work on UI/UX design, and Iseoluwa Oyeyemi gave a succinct explanation of Technical/Content writing. Fola Emmanuel discusses graphic design using Corel Draw and AI. Oluwashina Matthew also talks about Robotics, types and importance and also show them various instrument used in building robot, Janet Isesele briefly explains Social Media Management, tools and what is needed to maintain a social media space. For the photography and Cinematography class, Grace Abayomi founder of Surestview Studio, and Isaiah Afolabi founder of DigitLab Media handled the class respectively. After each session, the girls were split into groups, and each group was given a tech project to work on. The projects ranged from using CorelDRAW to create designs, handling the camera to take pictures in the photography class to setting up a social media page. The facilitators and volunteers provided guidance and support as the girls worked on their projects. The school principal expressed her gratitude to the organizers of the event and the facilitators who imparted knowledge to the girls. She encouraged the girls to take advantage of their acquired skills and continue exploring technology. \

The media team, from the National Television Authority covered the event and had an interview session with the school principal, some of the facilitators, Participants and the Executive Director. The event ended around 5 pm with a closing remark from the Executive Director who appreciated everyone who participated one way or the other to make the event a success. He also acknowledges the lead sponsor Z Zurich Foundation, iDixcover and other partners. He encourages the students not to relent and promised that the training continues with their mentors whom they have being assigned to base on their interested tech niche. He went further to appreciate the sponsors of the event for partnering with the Organization to make the event a success. There was a closing prayer after which we all took photographs. The team travelled back to Ado-Ekiti.

CONCLUSION:

The 2-day tech event was a huge success as it provided rural girls with the opportunity to learn technology skills from experts in different tech niches. The event showed that rural communities can benefit from technology with the right resources and support. The girls were excited to learn and explore technology, and the event inspired them to pursue careers in technology.