Coding Africa’s Future Now
Mentorship: To get the full value of joy you have to find someone to divide it with.
As a student in my early teens, I always wondered how real-world problems were solved and when I would get the chance to play my part in making the world a better place. I could only imagine how professionals and entrepreneurs went on with their work: It was subtly implied to us that we were not ready to be problem solvers just yet.
But over time, students have been introduced to innovation at an early age and encouraged to try to solve problems bedeviling society through hackathons and science congresses.
I was privileged to be part of the 2nd annual Rusinga Virtual Hackathon that was held on 25th — 28th August 2021. It was organized by the Rusinga Group of Schools in partnership with various sponsors including our very own JENGA School and Microsoft among others.
When Wendy Oluoch (JENGA’s CEO and partnerships lead at the time) asked me to be part of the hackathon, I was hesitant due to the fact that I saw it as an extra responsibility. Turns out, it was one of the most profound learning experiences I’ve had.
As an Innovation Fellow at Impact Africa Network, I have picked up some invaluable skills in innovation that would help young kids to also realize possible solutions for our continent and world at large.
First things first, What is a hackathon?
A lot of people think hackathons are only for programmers and tech-wizzes. As much as that has some truth, hackathons are open to everyone who is passionate about problem-solving, willing to learn and work in a team.
So never be shy or intimidated to apply for such opportunities; they are a learning opportunity with a chance to be as creative and innovative as possible.
This year’s hackathon was a much-anticipated event as the 1st one had already set the pace. Despite being a virtual event, over 100 students signed up from more than 15 schools, including homeschooled students. It was one of the most diverse, fun-filled and intense hackathons I had ever attended.
Theme and Aim:
The theme of the hackathon was coding Africa’s future now with sub-themes around :
1. Education: Create a project that improves the accessibility of information and resources to students especially during this Covid-19 Season.
2. Healthcare: Create a project that improves the quality, efficiency, or accessibility of healthcare.
3. Finance: Build a project that addresses small scale businesses financial problems.
4. Cyber bullying: Create a project that uses technology to combat cyber bullying.
5. Environmental Issues: Create a project that addresses environmental problems. Develop an app that helps users know where, what, and how to recycle.
These were timely themes that reflected the current dispensation of the world. I was quite interested in what the participants would come up with especially in the areas of health and finance.
We (the mentors and the organizing team) had two logistical meetings where we were briefed on our responsibilities as mentors and what we should expect from the whole experience. The Head of Communications at Rusinga Schools spearheaded the process and kept us abreast of new developments.
Highlights and Key take aways :
Dr. Bright Gameli, our keynote speaker during the opening ceremony, kicked us off with words of encouragement. He challenged the participants to be part of the technological revolution and the opportunities that come with it. He also emphasized on team work and capitalizing on your strengths. He went on to urge that the best way to plan is to write down and ask questions. Lastly, he maintained the aim of hackathons is to learn!
Participants were in groups of 4 to 5 participants.
I got a chance to do a presentation on how to create an effective pitch deck and how to host their projects on cloud. You can learn a few tips and tricks from this deck that I shared with the participants.
I also had the privilege of guiding a group of brilliant young kids; the buzzing_bees, which comprised 10–13 yr olds.
To be honest, I was a bit unsure on how much they could accomplish but turns out they were more than capable.
They were creative and focused as they built on ideas around the health and finance theme. They listed all their ideas, categorized them according to the different themes and voted for the best or merged some of them. Their creativity and clarity coupled with empathy and idea meritocracy were mind-blowing.
They used micro bit to create an interactive game that aimed to help people continuously sanitize and keep fit during this pandemic by getting rewards every time they accomplished certain tasks.
With young minds exposed to such technology, I believe our country is witnessing a generation of citizens who can harness technology now more than ever.
Not to mention, the other teams did exceptionally well. I went round (to various virtual rooms) and was quite impressed to see teens aged between 14 to 16 proficient in python, HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
They were able to create various apps that helped solve a myriad of challenges we face in our country and the world at large.
The grand finale was amazing with the best team walking away with :
Winning Team — Ksh 100,000
1st Runners Up — Ksh 60,000
2nd Runners Up — Ksh 30,000
So what to expect from a hackathon with young kids?
1. Expect to learn new stuff yourself :
I learnt about micro bits , team collaboration and new stacks!2. Patience and collaboration leads to magic:
With kids, if you are patient enough you will learn that their brilliance is beyond measure.3. Start them early. Start them young.
Meeting teenagers with 5 years experience in python programming challenged me to think against the impossibilities. For some of us, we were exposed to programming deep into our university years. Kids just need the tools and opportunity to learn.
Conclusion :
Education has evolved over time and the need for hands-on learning that is adapted to the modern world demands. Schools need to start entrenching hands-on learning by holding hackathons and project-based learning.
