Nancy Sibo was the winner of the first ever Ms Geek Rwanda contest held last year. She beat 25 other contestants from various higher learning institutions in Rwanda.

Sibo’s winning project was a Mobile Cow application that allows farmers to monitor the oestrus cycles in cows. The IT enthusiast got the inspiration to participate from her very own field of study- agricultural engineering.

Being a part of the competition has opened doors for the 25-year-old and for her; the sky is the limit as she is determined to use every opportunity that comes her way.

"I got a job within two weeks, after my graduation because of the connections I had after taking part in the competition. I have been working with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) since October last year as a stakeholder engagement facilitator in the department of education,” Sibo says.

She says she has been able to meet very important people who have not only helped her with her development in the tech world, but also in her career.

As of now, she is working on different projects though she is mainly focusing on the projects run by VSO.

"I am also part of a campaign called Hands Up For Her, an initiative that fights for girls’ rights to education, a project for another organisation called Hacey,’ she says.

For the Mobile Cow app that won the contest, she says; "I can’t say that there is some cash I am earning from the app but knowing that the app helps people gives me motivation. It’s not all about the money; the fact that it’s helping some people is rewarding enough.”

Winning Ms Geek

With no proper background in ICT, Sibo won a tech contest, and she says believing in herself is the secret to her success.

She says, "I was confident that I would gain something from the contest. We were also mentored and trained so this paved a clear way to the trophy.

"Another thing was that my app was simple and easy to use. I studied agriculture at the university, so the idea came as a result of the research I was doing for my dissertation which made it easier for me.”

Future plans

Sibo is hoping to develop more apps, though right now, her priority is to plan on how to expand and develop the Mobile Cow application.

"I can’t say that I have an ICT background but growing more in the ICT sector is one of my future plans. I have the opportunities around me so I can afford to do that,” she says.

She also hopes to engage in various projects that support the development of the girl child, be it in technology or any other sector.

Advice

She advises girls to move out of their comfort zones and endeavour to take on more challenging courses, for example, going for careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

"ICT is not as complicated as many people think, it’s something challenging but at the same time interesting. Girls should strive to show boys that they too can excel in sciences,” she says.

Sibo adds that Ms Geek is a contest worth carrying out every year because more girls are yet to benefit from it.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw