Rwandan youth launch free self-directed community tech training [Hi-Tech]

Three young technology entrepreneurs in Rwanda have decided to take on the job of providing free app development skills and training to the youth in the country.

The trio – Ildephonse Mungwarakarama, Theogene Niyonsenga and Jerome Habimana – started a company in 2014 called House of Technology.

Their aim is to bring technology to the youth all over the country so as to improve academic outcomes and prepare the future workforce.

They launched a programme last week called Code for Good.

This programme is open to the public who want to be trained in app development, help to train others, or offer support for future projects.

On their website – code.rw – the trio said they are not only focusing on university students or graduates, but high school students and those below the age of 18 to prepare them for the future.

Registration is done through their website, and the training will be conducted in the various communities where people register, and by volunteer developers in these communities.

Certificates will be awarded for the free training and beneficiaries will be expected to also pass on what they have learned to others to build a hi-tech community.

The Code for Good programme is also developing an Online Children’s Creative Writing and Reading Portal to involve parents, teachers and authors to engage and motivate children to read and write stories and poems themselves in their native language.

This is remarkable because, as we dance to Google’s offer to train 10 million people in Africa in technology skills, these young Rwandans believe they can do it themselves and develop a community of tech literates.

Watch this edition of Hi-Tech on The Morning Call with Ismail Akwei for more.