Techamaka a women@godo initiative in partnership with eSkills4girls visited Holy Child College at Obalende Metropolis, Ikoyi, Lagos State, on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, to train 160 girls between the ages of 10-16.
Holy Child College is a Catholic secondary school for girls whose major aim is to ensure that the girl child has the confidence and ability to be the best they can, academically, technically physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 
This according to the school will enable the girls’ challenge and question in a constructive manner that which they learn so as to become resourceful and active members of local and global communities of which they are a part.
The school management and students were excited to welcome the #eSkills4girls and techamaka team which consisted of three trainers and three teaching assistants.
The training took place at the school’s ICT Labs which resulted in the splitting of the girls into different batches.
The techamaka team employed the tutorial teaching method which had the Instructor and teaching assistants supporting students through the class.
The training session was broken down into different sessions according to their age brackets. This was geared towards ensuring that the girls were all carried along. We also observed that the girls tense were able to learn faster given the fact that each girl had access to one computer system
The training topics were:
- Computer development using Scratch for ages 8-12
- Web development using Sublime text
- HTML coding language: 13-18
The goal of the training was to inspire and intrigue the girls into considering tech fields, whilst showing them that success and learning in the field is possible.
The girls were expected to
- Create a scratch chasing game
- Create code for a simple and,
- Basic website without pictures or colors
Under scratch we explored
- Intro to computer programing
- Description of the scratch interface
- Using codes, costumes, and sounds
- Using the cartesian plane to understand scratch code
- After which the girls were allowed to practice
Under Web development with HTML they explored
- Intro to web development
- What are IDEs
- Foundation of coding with HTML
- After which the girls were allowed to practice
Mrs. Cynthia Ebelebe one of the ICT team members of the school shared her thought with us
“#eSkills4girls tech training was a training worth the energy we inputted to make sure the girls all had a computer to one student. The students were engaged throughout. There was no dull moment. The girls are excited and fulfilled at the end.
I believe that training like this should be held more often as it will gradually help to skyrocket the percentage of girls in STEM a few years from now.
The drive for the need of digital inclusion for all girls that the techamaka team came up with will not only advance the digital literacy of girls in Nigeria but also in Africa.
This is because digital literacy training opens the door to other essential skills needed to operate in a broadband environment, including financial literacy skills, as well as ICT-enabled career training.
Such training enable girls to set up online businesses, or to use broadband services, such as social networking sites, to enhance their ongoing livelihood and economic activities”.
Mogaha Daniella, Umege Christabel, and Aniyikaye Anjolaoluwa emerged as the best participating students during the training and were excited about the level of value that has been added to them.
Mogaha Daniella said, “honestly I feel very excited being part of this training. Although this is not my first time in a coding class. I always felt bored when it comes to coding.
At first, I didn’t feel like I could program but as I attended subsequent classes I found it more interesting. One of the unique things about the just concluded training is the fact that the instructors(#eSkills4girls and techamaka team) were patient enough to take us through the class.
They broke down their definitions of terms and were willing to answer all of our questions. I would like to challenge as well as motivate my fellow girls to start participating in tech training as well as tech careers.
The world is daily getting more digitized and the girl child shouldn’t be left behind at any level. If you as a girl child have ever tried a tech career and it seemed difficult, I urge you to be patient enough to give it a try again. this will enable us to be carried along in the activities that go on in the tech ecosystem.”
The school Administrator Rev. Sr. Antoinette Opara appreciated the #eSkills4girls and Techamaka team for selecting the school as part of the training initiative.
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