It was a refreshing experience for participants at a week-long programme tagged: “Green Tech Girls Summer Bootcamp” on renewable energy, environmental sustainability, sustainable agriculture, leadership and entrepreneurship training for secondary school girls which was held at St. Anne’s School, Molete, Ibadan.
Convener of the programme, Mrs. Damilola Asaleye, said a significant gap exists in the participation of women and men in the technology industry, and in the access of women and men to technological knowledge base.
Asaleye who is popularly known as ‘Solar Queen’ stated that there is “a general and societal belief about girls/women not being technically inclined thereby narrowing female careers to specific industries, which results to lower income, low self-esteem, depression, stress, lack of economic growth and much more.”
She said that the objectives of the programme included “to sow the seed of technical career paths in young/teenage girls, mentor the participating girls in green technology and entrepreneurship and also to groom bold and confident girls that will have the love of the environment, be advocates of clean energy, develop good leadership and entrepreneurship skills and be bold to embrace sustainable agriculture in their respective communities with project partners which include Leap Africa – Youth Day of Service, Ashdam Solar, PetsPoint, Agribility and African Creative Hub.
“Also to instill entrepreneurial skills in young/teenage girls through the use of available materials around them tagged or discarded as wastes.”
Meanwhile, chairman of the programme, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Eleven Eleven Twelve Foundation, Adetunji Lam-Adesina, lauded the gesture of the initiator, as he urged government to tap from what she has done for the young ones.
Lam-Adesina said words could not quantify what the organisation known as Girls and Women Technological Empowerment Organisation (GWTEO) has done to impact the lives of female students positively.
“This is what we need at present for us to be able to take Africa out of the shambles that we are, and we have to take our future in our hands; people need to sacrifice and give it all what it takes to enhance their standard of living.
“I’m so happy that my own generation is doing this and as you can see that the girls are all fired up, happy and passionate about this programme. I’m almost certain that what it’s going to come out of this programme is going to be 100 per cent positive.
“You have trained; the next thing is action; we are a theory-oriented people, those in other continents are practice-oriented.”
The closing ceremony was graced by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education Science and Technology, Mrs. Aminat Atere, who was represented by Mr. David Odedara.
Atere, in her remarks, commended the organisers led by Mrs Asaleye for their contribution towards the development of education in the state.
She stated that “the workshop is most appropriate at this time when there is a decline in the number of female students’ enrolment into science-related courses in higher institutions of learning, coupled with the societal norm that women end up their careers in the kitchen.
“However this belief is no longer true. Women are also vital in the development of any nation, more so that the world is a global village where technology dominates all aspects of human endeavours.
“I have been reliably informed that this programme is put together as part of the community development programme of GWTEO to arouse the interest and expose female students to STEM activities from an early age, so as to motivate them to choose careers in technology-related courses.”
Also, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports, represented by Mrs. Modinat Badmus, lauded the organisers of the workshop, saying they have exposed the students to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) which will thereby motivate them significantly.
She noted that the programme will enhance the participants’ self confidence and their abilities to become technology leaders and change agents.
“It is pertinent to note that the youths, especially girls, are assets to the nation because they constitute a greater percentage of the manpower that drives the socioeconomic development of the nation. This is why proper attention must be paid to issues that relate to the growth and wellbeing of the youths,” Badmus said.
Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, one of the participants, Adeola Oladele, commended the organisers for impacting the lives of girls in the state and Nigeria in general. Oladele urged GWTEO to continue in this direction, saying the programme could make participants self-sufficient and would meaningfully keep one engaged which also helps in building a career.
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