18 Oct 2018

Clicking Generation ICT Academy for Kids and Teens will host training to equip young girls with Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) skills in Maun on October 20.

One of the founders, Ms Tsaone Gaborone said the upcoming training targets primary school leavers.

Ms Gaborone said the event is running parallel with the Africa code week, which started on October 15 and ends on October 21.

She observed that the Clicking Generation was formed in 2011 to empower young people aged between five and 18.

She said the organisation was formed after realising that many young people lacked ICT skills and only gained such knowledge at tertiary level, where they are core.

She observed that the organisation, which was initially in Gaborone, opened its doors in Maun in 2014, adding that a week-long training of trainers and students has been taking place in Maun every October since 2015.

Ms Gaborone said 1 297 students were trained during the Africa Code Week in 2017, which exceeded their targets. 

She said the target for the Africa Code Week this year targeted 4 000 children, which she said was achievable as they have engaged learners at Moremi Memorial School, Tshwaragano Junior Secondary School, Matlapana Primary School and Shashe Primary School.

The Africa Code Week, she said, aimed to empower students with basic ICT skills and advanced skills with coding that are necessary in the 21^st century.

Ms Gaborone said the programme also targeted teachers for them to be up to date with the digital age to produce well rounded students.

The Africa Code Week initiative, she said, is a collaboration between the Clicking Generation ICT Academy for Kids and Teens and a South African organisation, SAP.

She also said the initiative has been supported by Google since 2016.

Ms Gaborone said one challenge that affected their initiative was shortage of personnel, which she said was curbed through engaging volunteers, who also need training. ENDS