Interview with Rojina Bajracharya: Co-founder of Girls in Technology
“Engineering is not always about books and theories; it’s also about the ability to create something on our own”, says Rojina Bajracharya, co-founder of Girls in Technology. She is also a Django Developer at Leapfrog Academy as an intern and is learning Javascript development (AngularJS) on her own.
Winning the first Toptal scholarship was a turning point in her life. She is ambitious, optimistic and believes that change begins with ourselves. She strives to alter the ineluctable idea of male dominating the technical field, overcoming numerous impediments on her way.
Interview By: Richa Adhikari
Q. How did your journey begin as a programmer?
Although I was an Electronics Engineering student, programming was always my top priority. At times, I even regretted not choosing Computer Engineering. Later, I realized there is no specific field for being a programmer. Also, I always felt that although almost every girl may have a good knowledge on the idea of programming, but she lacks the know-how regarding its implementation. I started tracing the loophole. Then I came to know that the books I was relying on could not give me everything and so I started to learn something which could help me to create something: big or small. I started learning programming by taking help from online materials and going to training centers.
Q. Winning the “Toptal Scholarship for Female Developers” sounds huge. How was your reaction then?
After one and a half year of knowing what I was good at and practicing hard on it, I heard about a scholarship program and applied immediately. I literally never thought, out of all the girls around the globe, I would be the one to get it. It was obviously overwhelming (smiles). Moreover, it changed the perception of my society towards me. Now I am free of deadlines and brickbats. Winning this pushed me to work more on what I was focused.
Q. Any plans on investing the scholarship amount?
I have planned to invest it on my startup and I have already bought a laptop which I am carrying in my bag right now (chuckles).
Q. Could you tell us about ‘Girls in Technology’ and its progress till date?
We believe we are here to change the stereotypical thinking of the people around the world that “Girls are not meant to be in the field of Technology”. We seek to create a platform for every girl who wants to walk in the path of ICT and equip them with the latest required skill-set to make them market- ready. We aim to make them aware of and involve as many girls/women as possible to bring sustainable development in tech education and work sectors. Girls in Technology is already a year old. Just a few weeks ago, we successfully held a conference where we met with 120 different girls in technology along with 6 role models. We are planning more things for the future.
Q. Do you really think there needs to be a different platform for girls/women? I mean, why not collaborate with men?
Girls In Technology doesn’t entirely consist of girls. There are many male counterparts and we have been working together. Not actually a different platform, but may be girls need to value their worth first and build more confidence to bring the change they want to see and GiT is a platform for that.
Q. Besides technology, in which field do you think you can make an appealing change?
I always had a mindset that Education should be free and liberate every mankind. Education should give every person a way to pursue what he/she wants. So, I really want to change the existing education system.
Q. Which would you choose? Working in a big international company or residing in Nepal and extending your start-up?
Since my childhood and until now, I have never set my goals for abroad so I will always prefer Nepal. In present context, Nepal itself has a huge scope in technology. First, we have to learn to utilize the available resources and learn from the technical expertise, and then we can think about international companies. Outsourcing projects are so prevailing that we don’t actually need to go abroad which is in fact an advantage for those who don’t want to go abroad but want to work for international companies.
Q. Where can we see Rojina Bajracharya in 10 years time?
Well, 10 years could be difficult to predict, but in coming 5 years, I want to see myself as a good programmer. Right now I am still a beginner. Yes, the scholarship might have added a ‘fame’ part but I am a beginner and have a lot more to learn. I want my start-up company to thrive and be established as an excellent one. May be after 5 years I will have a strong team working on outsourced projects. Of course — with girls leading the team. (laughs).
Q. What is your ultimate goal?
My ultimate goal is to learn consistently and build up my programming skills.
Q. Any final words to our readers?
It’s never too late to start. But again, if you start early, you will fail fast. This will give you enough time to think and evaluate your mistakes, providing a path to improve with more diligence and patience. If we are truly interested in something, we should go for it. And practice is the major thing. Practice is a key to every opportunity. Opportunity mostly favors the prepared mind; so, let’s prepare our mind.
About Toptal
Toptal is home to some of the world’s most intelligent and talented computer scientists, developers, and software engineers. Toptal’s network includes professional engineers across 93+ countries, with expertise spanning countless industries and interests.
The winner of the Toptal Scholarship receives:
A $5,000 scholarship to be used towards educational and professional development goals.
And also, one year of weekly one-on-one mentoring by a Toptal senior developer, who will help the winner with topics like project guidance, choosing an academic or career path, and preparing for interviews.
