Muzinda Hub has partnered with global children’s charity Theirworld (a Code Club initiative) to provide wider access to basic technology and coding courses to 120 young girls aged 10 and 20 years of age in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The project will teach and train girls in computer literacy, basic coding, how to create apps as well as crucial life skills – such as confidence, creativity and critical thinking.
A statement from both organizations said The Code Club initiative reflects the growing focus on digitalisation, automation, artificial intelligence and robotics, and the implications they will have on the workplace of the future.
“UNESCO figures show girls are 50% less likely to attend higher education than boys and those that are in education are not studying science, technology and engineering. If these trends continue, we are facing a future where girls will be absent from the digital economy – we want to change that,” said Ms Vimbai Gwata, the Head of Muzinda Hub.
Muzinda Hub is an impact investment initiative of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe that was established in 2014 and has trained over 3 000 entry-level developers, creating close to 2 000 free-lancing and employment opportunities for its graduates.
Senior Project Coordinator from Theirworld Ms Laura Lombardo, said: “The collaboration between Theirworld and Muzinda Hub will strengthen and consolidate the efforts of both organisations to make coding and ICT more accessible and appealing, particularly to young women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa. It’s a huge challenge that no one can tackle alone and we are very much looking forward to launching the initiative in early 2019 in partnership with Muzinda.”
Theirworld is a global, UK based children’s charity founded by Mrs Sarah Brown, committed to giving the most vulnerable children and young people a brighter future. Theirworld Code Clubs are safe spaces where girls can learn about coding and basic ICT through a playful, creative approach.
Econet and Theirworld are both members of the Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC-ED), a New York-headquartered forum that brings together companies, governments, foundations and philanthropists who want to make an impact in education.
