UG Team and Administrators of Mfantsiman Girls
The University of Ghana Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (UG-GMES) and Africa Project at the College of Basic and Applied Sciences (CBAS) has launched the Women In Tech Campaign to close the gender gap in technology.
The campaign was launched at the Mfantsiman Girls' Senior High School (SHS), to provide mentorship and an enabling environment for Women in Technology (WIT) to adapt to the use of modern information technologies.
Prof. Wiafe engaging some Mfantsiman Girls
In his remarks, Director, Regional Marine Centre, Prof. George Wiafe, lamented the disadvantages girls face due to their inability to use such modern technologies. “Women are sometimes disadvantaged as they advance in their careers, when they are unable to use Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and Open Sources tools. The project intends to provide them with mentorship and access to work in an enabling environment” Prof. Wiafe said.
Welcoming the delegation, the Headmistress, Mfantsiman Girls' SHS, Mrs. Phyllis D. Arthur-Simpson, expressed her excitement about the goal of the initiative. She was certain that more schools would come on board in order to take advantage of the fantastic opportunity. She also mentioned some of the difficulties her school had encountered since creating the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) clubs. These included proprietary software, a shortage of trainers, difficulties in accessing data, inadequate internet connectivity, non-availability of IoT kits and sensors, the absence of an enabling environment and funding issues among others.Representatives of Mfantsiman Girls' SHS tech clubs presented a few of their innovations using IoT and open-source software. The first was a humanoid robot that could detect whether or not someone was wearing a nose mask and then automatically distribute hand sanitiser. There was also on exhibition, a system that could create electricity while vehicles were in motion.
Mfantsiman Girls' Demonstrating some of the Products they Created
The students expressed excitement about the initiative as it aimed to pique their interest in the use of the IoT, Big Data and Open Source technologies. The UG-GMES is set to visit Aggrey Memorial Senior High School in Cape Coast next. |
