My 2018- part 1
Its an amazing year for me i break the barrier within me. This is the year i felt yes i can do it. I dont want to make it long so it wont be boring lol.
So it was after attending the javascript masterclass by devC Kano, On January 2018 I got a call from one of the hub managers here in Kano to join a software development team in their Hub “We saw talent in you, dont let it go to waste” so they said. it was then i challenged myself to do something new i.e leaving the comfort of my room to actually be with people to develop a solution. first time i started using Reactjs it was about that time i joined facebook developer circle as a co-lead and there i challenge myself even more from attending meetups now I’m to organize one. It wasnt easy for me been a person who got nervous presenting in front of 3 people.
February 2018 I organised the first tech meetup DevC Kano Women in Tech. I know there are lots of women in the city like me hiding their talents in their room all they need is a boost. It was a success for me because nobody knows this girl(Me) and she is organizing an event, Fortunately 40+ women actually came and were really interested.
March 2018 I received an email with other leads ‘invitation to attend f8’. it was crazily exciting. It was 6am WAT shared the good news with my mom and siblings!. Yes I have been out of the country a couple of times but this time around is different! its attending F8! in CA US after 15 minutes of excitement reality hit me in the head VISA. i know dozens of high reputation people that got their visa denied at the US embassy so what will make mine different. I google lots of stuff about the interview and how people got rejected I learnt from their mistakes, so I made sure I prepared all the necessary documents and went to the Abuja Us Embassy where I met kano devc lead Aminu bin and devc maiduguri lead Ahmad p-thinker. So i joined the queue after 4 people been denied in front of me I felt something inside my tummy which comes all the way to the throat “Next!” she called. “Passport Please?” she stretched her hand without looking at me “Why do you want to travel to california”? she asked “To Attend facebook f8 conference” I said quickly. she collected the invitation letter “Why did facebook chose you?” she asked still not looking at my face. Now im worried because this lady is not even looking at me to atleast see if it’s human or a cat. Lol “Im a facebook developer circle kano colead” I answered “What’s Your Major?” she asked again “Computer Science” I replied and then the magic words came in “Visa Approved….”I didn’t hear the rest of the words. Thats it! just like that! all the nervousness! I was shocked because the way the lady is responding I thought its an automatic rejection. I got the white paper and say thank you and left the embassy. It was after a couple of minutes the excitement rushed in. I Over prepared for the interview because of all the things I heard that happens in the US embassy and the lady that didnt even look at me for once. And the visa is valid for 3 years. what a stroke of luck!. Btw an advice for those wishing to apply for us Visa be sincere! Seeing the questions i was asked and all she sees were the invitation letter and Passport. I think they have some kinda witch lie detector or some kinda wizard technology that smell ur intention. Shhh heheh Fast Forward !!
May 2018! Unfortunately, I was the only in my circle that got the visa that means a lonely 18hours + journey for me. But guess what? that didn’t happen i met DevC Kaduna Lead Robert John from Abuja Airport Who was really of help to me like a brother!. And then we met Kuzi Devc Harare Lead At Frankfurt Airport. And the lady i sitted next to for the 11 hrs trip to CA was nice. Even though she slept for 8hrs. So it was actually a nice journey.
In California, F8 everything was super new to me I met devC leads from around the world, other developers around the world and women in tech. Going to the facebook HQ is so exciting!. My introvert self was dragging me back, this is my first time going this far from home and meeting lots of people at the same time. Even though i was the only in the devckano circle that attend the conference, the other leads were soo friendly I didn’t feel lonely. A big thanks to my CA Best Buddy DevC Harare Lead Kuzi!. I have learnt a lot at f8 not just on the new tools and technologies but also I learnt been around people and enjoying it. Which was the first step for me to pursue my goals.
After i got back to Kano with lots of zeal, ideas and positive mind i realized there must be change especially when it comes to the women so i emphasized more on it. Now im called a feminist lol.
June 6th I received a mail congratulating me on Becoming a dsc lead I was very excited realizing i got another opportunity to really make an impact, This time around in my college you can learn more about DSC here.
July 2018 the DSC SSA Leads went to Lagos to attend the dsc summit it was a great experience for me. Even though i missed meeting one on one with the Vice President Mr Yemi Osibanjo because of one thing or the other which made me feel sad for hours. But then perhaps “its not yet time” i told myself. A short read here.
After the Dsc Summit I and 2 great ladies founded and created the first ever Women In Tech community in the Northern part of Nigeria. the passion i have for inclusivity of women into tech is beyond words. because i realized during tech meetups seeing myself as the only lady feels so not right and thats why i only attend few maybe 3 meetups before 2018. Building this community is one of the best thing that ever happened to me. Got lots of feedbacks, Support from Startup Kano Ahmad Bature and the impacts we are making. Now the ladies are attending meetups not just to watch but to particpate. Because wintechnG just show them the way of joining other tech communities like devc , gdg etc. without thinking its for guys or they have to be an expert.
So this is half way through my 2018.
PS: Im not a Writer pardon my mistakes and grammatical errors. Hehe
You can follow me on twitter @iamsoosy
