Several students with best ICT ideas walked away with BlackBerry phones during the International Girls in ICT Day in Kigali at the weekend.

The day is an initiative backed by ITU member states to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of information and communication technologies (ICTs).

In support of Girls in ICT Day, the Girls in ICT community in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and ICT, Akila Institute for Women, Carnegie Mellon University, and Dot Rwanda, visited Fawe Girls School where girls from different high schools came to compete on solving some of the world’s challenges using ICT.

The Saturday event had several activities such as teaching students how to programme, instructive mentoring on how to make money using ICT and a talk from some women who have made it in the ICT industry.

An idea contest among girls from different schools birthed different solutions to the questions in the field of ICTs as the young girls confirmed their brilliance.

The students with the best ideas won the competition and walked away with BlackBerry phones.

Green Hills Academy emerged the best with their 3D learning idea, with Riviera High School and Fawe Girls School (O-Level) in the second and third positions, respectively.

Kassy Irebe Rudahunga was also awarded for her exceptional eloquence and confidence during presentation. 

She walked away with a computer tablet.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and ICT, Rosemary Mbabazi, lauded the initiative.

Mbabazi said economic empowerment of women requires such initiatives to increase their participation in the labour market in a number of fields, including ICT.

"I know you have a lot of ideas but we also want to see them happen. It’s important to collaborate as it’s with working with others that gets you far. Making money shouldn’t be your main goal because when you create value then money will come automatically. I am very impressed today,” she said.

Mbabazi also asked participants to learn from other communities and customise those solutions to suit Rwandan needs.