ICT and girls education are Rwanda’s forte

There is a common belief that “If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a nation.” Education Times this week takes it a step further by making a case for girls embracing not just education but ICT in particular. The role played by technology in our lives today cannot be further exaggerated. The mere thought of what mobile phones and computers can do is enough to show that technology is the way to go and girls should not be left out. Gadgets and technology have for long been dominated by boys and yet there is absolutely nothing that stops girls from embracing ICT just like the boys. The good thing is that already a group of girls under the Girls in ICT Rwanda umbrella are going around encouraging other girls to follow in their footsteps. Not only are they encouraging young girls to join, they are also serving as good examples since they are all accomplished people in the field of ICT even at their relatively young age. Esther Kunda at 23 is a CEO of a tech company and has developed an app that helps farmers to send and receive vital agricultural information using sms. Rwanda is now used as a benchmark when talking about women empowerment. The government’s commitment to ICT is also very well pronounced and therefore the environment is conducive for girls to embrace and benefit from ICT. Girls dreaming of a career in ICT need not be intimidated by the dominance of boys. What boys can do, girls can do too, and sometimes better. We should all do our best to support girls to strive for the best in life. Girls in ICT Rwanda are offering a deserved support system but a lot more can be done by others.