Women in the rural areas have been left behind by technology – but one NGO is determined to bridge the gap. It is setting up learning centres – called ‘Pamusha’, Home for Technology – at various buildings, including the Post Office Savings Bank offices.
Currently, Tech Women Zimbabwe is currently providing Information Technology (IT) skills to women and girls from its Belgravia offices in Harare.
The founders of the organisation, Rumbidzai Mlambo and Aretha Mare, told The Zimbabwean that the project was aimed at narrowing the IT gap between disadvantaged females and their male counterparts.
“As a women’s empowerment organisation, our main objective is to equip girls and women with IT skills that will enable them to use digital technology as a tool for innovation,” said Mlambo. She urged teachers and parents to allow girls to attend the courses at times convenient for them.
Study times will be determined by each participator’s free hours and participants will be taught subjects such as computer programming, computerised business studies, and how to do power point presentations.
Before end of this month, the organisation will set up the ‘Greek Lab’ facility, to teach rural pre-school children as young as four computer programming skills. Early Child Development teachers will be equipped with the skills for further transmission of such skills to children.
Besides the lessons, Tech Women Zimbabwe organises what it calls eye-opening tours for young people to other countries where they interact with successful women business people and other high achievers.
One such trip involved 10 children drawn from across the country. They visited companies run by high achieving women in South Africa.
“Children participating in the visits then become ambassadors among their communities,” explained Mlambo.
She noted that, despite females making the bigger percentage of the country’s population, their involvement in the IT field remained minimal. Even university and top company executives, Tech Women Zimbabwe noted, lacked modern day digital technology knowledge and skills and would benefit from the project.
The project is not without its challenges, as some teachers and parents denied children time to attend the studies. Mlambo said some parents would rather have the girl child do household chores than attend the computer lessons.
Mare chipped in and indicated that Tech Women Zimbabwe was spreading digital literacy awareness among communities in order to demystify myths that computer technology was a preserve for boys only.
They do accommodate boys – but they pay a token fee for the lessons, which are free only for girls.
“Women should step up and support the scheme and aspirations of fellow women,” Mare said. She called on children with an interest in science subjects to seize the opportunity and gain the free knowledge.
Mare also urged policy makers to formulate policies and practices that would enable bridging of the knowledge gap between females and males. She bemoaned lack of technological knowledge among women.
Mare said it was tragic that most children in Zimbabwe did not receive enough support from government and local communities to become computer literate and therefore able to participate in the modern digital age.
Tech Women Biog
Tech Women was formed November 2013.
Rumbidzai Mlambo was born in 1982 in Kadoma. She attended Founders High in Bulawayo and went on to study Bio-Chemistry and Chemistry at the University of Zimbabwe before doing a Masters in International Property studies at Africa University.
She did an internship at Jupiter Networks (a multi-million dollar company in the Silicon Valley) and later worked for the Research Council and the University of Zimbabwe. She is currently studying for a Bachelor of Laws with the University of London.
Aretha Mare attended Mt Pleasant High School, Harare, and acquired a Higher National Diploma in Applied Chemical Technology at the Harare Polytechnic. She did a B.Tech (Hon) Chemical Technology at the National University of Science and Technology and several other courses including Leadership Development Program, Emerging Leader Tech Women (US State Department). Mare did an internship with G Santa Clara Valley Water District in emerging technologies on water treatment and water quality. She is preparing to embark on an MBA (Strategic Innovations and Future Creations.
Post published in: News