Co-Create Change with Girls in the TechTackle Initiative

I am leading a ‘TechTackle Initiative’ to build adolescent girls’ digital skills and empower them to improve their critical problem thinking and their capacity to innovate technology solutions to critical issues, particularly those affecting girls and women. The TechTackle initiative implements various tech activities including training, hackathons, mentoring, pitches, techxibitions and other similar activities. The TechTackle program aligns with the goal of Girls Voices Initiative to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) among public school girls who lack access to such training to increase their access to opportunities in the digital world we live in.

The TechTackle project will impact 250 vulnerable girls in the public secondary school system. The girls will be taught a variety of tech skills including coding, design thinking, research, app inventor, scratch, python, prototyping, completing a computer-based test among other digital skills. Other indirect beneficiaries are policymakers, parents, teachers, and other stakeholders in the communities that the girls directly influence.

The TechTackle project needs partners who value the little things that they can contribute to support the girls to acquire the digital skills that empower them. Top of our needs are computers, software, suitable venue, and refreshments for the girls. You can join to make a difference in the lives of these girls by sending us your old laptop or tablet which can provide these girls with the hands-on experience at the training and other activities. Or you may choose to donate to our organization to cover other project costs including venue, refreshments and the other anticipated project costs.

The TechTackle project already launched and impacted 45 girls from 9 public secondary schools and the girls successfully delivered an engaging hackathon competition pitching innovative solutions including prototypes they created to address justice issues in Nigeria including trafficking, rape, drug abuse, corruption, etc. The winning teams won various digital devices including laptops, tablets, digital calculators etc. to reward their performances. Following the hackathon, the girls went through a 5-weeks summer Python training programme. And early in the year, we targeted 100 girls in their final year in secondary school to empower them with the requisite digital skills that they require to successfully complete their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Computer-Based Test (CBT) which is the entrance examinations to transition into the university. The impact of the training was rich as the girls got to familiarize themselves with the CBT platform and take some practice test which they reviewed to observe their performance and weak areas that they must improve upon to perform better in the final examination. After the COVID-19 lockdown, other TechTackle activities are anticipated to support the girls to explore a hackathon around the energy sector so the girls can explore tech solutions to energy issues in their communities. Other impact is anticipated in other coding and tech activities planned for the rest of the year.  Join us to co-create impact to promote girls in STEM!

To mark the International Girls in ICT Day, we have mobilized the girls to keep connecting and exploring ideas via WhatsApp. They will be sharing quotes and videos highlighting their challenges with ICT education and their dreams for the future. While we all #StayHomeStaySafe, the girls will collaborate via WhatsApp and other technology media they can access to carry out a remote hackathon to explore innovative solutions to the Corona Virus pandemic. The hackathon launches on the International Girls in ICT Day and the highlights of their progress and outcome will be shared on our social media channels. Other tech resources will be shared on our social media as the nternational Girls in ICT Day is very important to Girls Voices and our work. Let's support girls to access ICT education to expand horizons and change attitudes. #GirlsCanCode #GirlsInnovate #GenerationEquality #LogOnRiseUp #GirlsVoices