Wired Voices

I am currently a Senior ICT Officer (Communication Affairs) at the Gambia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Infrastructure; overseeing over 21 ministries and government institutions; I am in charge of supporting government’s rebranding initiative via the utilization of ICT tools at the Ministry of Information and Communication Infrastructure.

An Africana Studies / Communication Studies: Public Relations degree holder, I am an active member of the new generation of Africans, utilising ICTs in order to highlight their countries in good light.

I am also currently the focal person for Girls and young Women in ICT at my Ministry; a member of the Gambia’s National Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) committee and co-writer of the policy’s ICT component; and a national committee member and secretary of the country’s E-Judiciary project – digitizing The Gambia’s Judiciary.

Parallel to my Ministry post, I am also a writer, with a newspaper column, called KAT’s Take. The column focuses on contemporary African women issues. I also contribute to www.Balafong.com and was just published in the December 2014 issue of New African Woman Magazine. I also run my own Communications and Business Transaction Service business called, MakalliMatta Consuting. I have greatly utilized the Internet to make connections the world over for my work, particularly in my business transaction services business, which aims at promoting Gambia as an investment hub within the region.

I have first-hand benefited from the opportunities the Internet has brought about. This is mainly from my work with the ministry, within my own business that is mostly conducted online and with my writing, which has given me a huge online presence. The internet has created a platform for young Gambians in the diaspora in particular to get inspired by my work -- it has become a window for them to see the life of a young contemporary African woman through me.

I believe my blogging on my Facebook page since returning back from the States, where I migrated to at the age of 13, six years ago and my newspaper column have motivated many diasporan Gambians to come home. The real picture of both challenges and gains I live and share has given many the courage to return and contribute to nation building.

The immediate impact of the internet has also given me the zest to further push my aspirations of being a dynamic young female global leader; a communications and entrepreneurial icon; women and girls’ activist; and writer in order to effectively contribute to shaping the world gender agenda for social equity and Africa’s sustained human development and prosperity.