"𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍."
As the year comes to a close, I am filled with gratitude and pride for the incredible opportunity to be part of the 𝑺𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒕𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒛 𝒊𝒏 𝑰𝑪𝑻 2024 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎, an initiative by 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏 (𝒀4𝑪) 𝑰𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑯𝒖𝒃 and supported by 𝑼𝑵𝑰𝑪𝑬𝑭 𝑻𝒂𝒏𝒛𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒂.
This program, inspired by ITU’s International Girls in ICT Day initiative, aimed to attract, encourage, and build the capacities of secondary school girls in the field of ICT. With objectives like promoting gender balance, fostering entrepreneurship, building capacity, and boosting confidence, it has been truly transformational—not just for the participants, but for me as well.
From being recruited as a facilitator to conducting workshops and guiding students in learning 𝑯𝑪𝑫(human centered design) and in designing ICT-based solutions through tools like Figma, this journey has been an enriching experience. I was privileged to work with the talented students of 𝑭𝒆𝒛𝒂 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍, whose enthusiasm, creativity, and resilience inspired me every day. I’m incredibly proud that one of the teams I facilitated emerged as the 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒅-𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔 in the interschool competition!
I have grown immensely during these nine weeks, honing my soft skills and gaining invaluable insights—not just from my peers and fellow facilitators, but from the students as well.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude:
- To 𝑨𝑳𝑳𝑨𝑯, for guiding me throughout this journey.
- To the 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔, the 𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒇𝒇 at Feza Girls School, and the 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔, for making this experience so rewarding.
- To the supporting organizations, including 𝑻𝒂𝒏𝒛𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒂 𝑳𝒂𝒃𝒔, 𝑰𝑪𝑻 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝑻𝑪𝑹𝑨, 𝑼𝑵𝑰𝑪𝑬𝑭 𝑻𝒂𝒏𝒛𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒂, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝑶𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑪𝑯, for making this initiative possible.
Thank you for fostering an environment where young girls can dream big, innovate, and challenge societal norms.
The SmartGirlz in ICT program has truly left a mark on my personal and professional growth. I look forward to carrying these lessons with me as I continue to empower others and contribute to impactful initiatives and spaces where the youth, especially young women can thrive and grow. Here's to an incredible year ahead, breaking barriers and building a brighter, more inclusive future in ICT!
And to all the Smart Girls out there—let’s continue to break barriers and chase our dreams!"
#SmartGirlzInICT #STEM #ICTForGirls #Empowerment #Gratitude
