The W.TEC Girls Technology Camp
The Girls Technology Camp is an annual camp designed to encourage Nigerian teenage girls develop an early interest in computers and other information and communication technology (ICT) and to choose a technology-related career path. The camp will equip the girls (aged 11 to 17 years) with foundation knowledge of ICTs and teach them how to use ICTs for educational and professional benefits.
Sobre ti
Sección 1: Sobre ti
Sección 2: Sobre tu organización
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Sí
Nombre de la organización
The Women's Technology Empowerment Centre - W.TEC
Sitio web de la organización
Teléfono de la organización
+234 1 850 9782, +234 819 115 0387
Dirección de la organización
Suite 88, Block A4, Sura Shopping Complex, Simpson Street, Lagos Island, Lagos
País de la organización
Nigeria, LA
Tu organización es
OSC/ONG
How long has this organization been operating?
1-5 años
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tu idea
Name Your Project
The W.TEC Girls Technology Camp
Describe Your Idea
The Girls Technology Camp is an annual camp designed to encourage Nigerian teenage girls develop an early interest in computers and other information and communication technology (ICT) and to choose a technology-related career path. The camp will equip the girls (aged 11 to 17 years) with foundation knowledge of ICTs and teach them how to use ICTs for educational and professional benefits.
Country your work focuses on
Nigeria, LA
Innovación
What makes your idea unique?
The W.TEC Girls Technology Camp is innovative because it is the only programme in Nigeria devoted to increasing the technology knowledge and skills of girls. W.TEC also provides a female learning environment, because studies have shown that many women feel more comfortable learning in women-only environments and some culture discourage interaction between women and men who are not related. The Camp also provides comprehensive ICT learning experiences that comprise, not just of training, but also mentoring and career counseling to provide support and encouragement.
The W.TEC Girls Technology Camp seeks to provide technology education at a fairly young age before girls are socialised into thinking of technology as a male preserve. While an increasing number of Nigerian schools offer computer classes, this tends to be limited to private schools. W.TEC targets predominantly the poorly-funded public schools that often do not have access to the personnel and equipment necessary for a solid introductory ICT education.
The motive behind the camp is to try and change “the more boys, less girls” trend in technology and to introduce young girls to the technology of today with the hope that they will get involved with and impact the technology of tomorrow. The camp will utilize a hands-on approach, where the girls will learn by doing, rather than through a purely classroom and chalkboard style.
With mentoring and guidance, the girls will be able to learn exciting things that will gear their interest towards either studying a technology related course or becoming involved in using or developing for another aspect of ICT; which will make them especially relevant in our world where technology has become an increasingly indispensable tool.
W.TEC is committed to research and so the camp methodology and outcomes are evaluated and this information enables us refine our programming and also provides data with which to educate the public and other stakeholders.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impacto
Esta presentación se trata de
Tell us about the social impact of your innovation. Please include both numbers and stories as evidence of this impact
Previous camp post-assessment tests showed that the girls who attended the camp increased their knowledge of how to use computers, the Internet, mobile phones and other ICTs. They were able to explain how they would use these tools and had a broader understanding of technology-related career and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Evaluations of W.TEC’s two previous Girls Technology Camps show that all 30 graduates of the camps indicated an interest in either pursing technology careers or using technology productively within their work and 2 have commenced technology degrees in university.
Six months after each camp, W.TEC interviews each girl to identify the longer-term benefits of the camp to their lives. This evaluation showed that 78.6 % of the girls had used the computer and/or the Internet after the camp for academic and extra-curricular activities.
In addition to the technology-based sessions, the girls participated in other sessions designed to equip them with important life skills. These sessions include Gender & Leadership, Public Speaking, Self Esteem & Self Confidence, Self Defense, and Career Talk workshops. The girls stated that they had used skills and knowledge gained from these workshops. For instance, most of the girls had used the public speaking skills to make presentations in school. The Gender & Leadership workshop had given the girls the opportunity to discuss gender inequalities and learn strategies to manage these challenges. The Career Presentations and mentoring sessions had helped the girls understand that women were not exempted from technology careers or activities. All the girls had shared the knowledge gained within their personal networks, creating a multiplier effect.
Evaluations have also highlighted the advantages of educating women, as each alumni has shared her knowledge and skills with at least 2 other women or girls, thereby more than doubling our impact.
In general, all W.TEC’s programmes (including those targeted at older groups of women) are changing the mindsets and lives of a segment of women, their families and close social network. Our alumni have improved their financial standing, participated in political discourse using new technologies, been exposed to people and experiences outside of their local communities.
Problem: Describe the primary problem(s) that your innovation is addressing
Statistics show that 70% of Nigerians live below the poverty line, most of who are women.
Technology is an important engine for economic growth with the potential to spur both national and women’s economic advancement. However, women are under-represented in technology, which has dampening effects on long-term growth and development.
Over the last decade, Nigeria has witnessed a rapid growth of ICT jobs, however women account for less than 20%. Women in ICT jobs represent less than 5% of the total female workforce and tend to occupy mostly low-skilled, junior or non-technical positions (DevNet, 2005). In 2006, 5 million Nigerians were estimated to be online (Internet World Stats), with women making-up just 24% (ITU, World Telecommunication Indicators, 2006). This negatively affects women’s abilities to develop economically and socially. It also hinders Nigeria’s progress, because links have been traced between women’s economic and social development and national growth (Goldman Sachs Global Economics Paper 164, 2008).
This disparity occurs partly because existing power relations determine who has access to and enjoys the benefits of ICTs (Gurumurthy, 2004) and if unaddressed will foster perpetual poor quality of life for Nigerian women. The elimination of such imbalances is therefore recognized universally as critical to overall development.
To address this lack of female participation in the knowledge economy, W.TEC seeks to increase the number of women using technology by offering classes that demonstrate applications of technology, providing technology career information and presenting female technical role models to dispel stereotypes of gender inappropriateness.
Actions: Describe the steps that you are taking to make your innovation a success. What might prevent that success?
At the end of the first two editions of the Girls Technology Camp, W.TEC conducted evaluations to get feedback from the participants on their experience at the camp. We also conducted tests, which were measured against pre-tests (conducted at the start of the camp) to measure ICT and related knowledge gained from the camp.
Six months after the camp, W.TEC conducted the final part of its evaluation to find out how the participants had been using skills and knowledge gained from the camp. All this information has provided valuable guidance to us as we plan and organise the next edition of the camp.
As a result of these steps taken to grow W.TEC and provide services more effectively, Nigerian girls will be more encouraged to learn about and use ICTs. In addition, women will become more visible players in the knowledge society. This means that there will be higher employment rates among women; reduction in gender-based stereotypes of appropriate careers and by extension of defined gender roles.
The specific outcomes we are working towards are that by the year 2028 (i.e. 20 years after W.TEC’s inception and the first Technology Camp), 70% of W.TEC alumni will be:
- Working in ICT careers or in related fields; or
- Evidently using ICTs on a regular basis in their work (assuming they are not in a technology-related job); for activism or otherwise; and
- Mentoring younger women in the use of ICTs
One challenge that we have faced with previous programmes, including the camp, is the girls' lack of access to the ICT infrastructure after the camp, which prevents them from practicing and keeping up their skills. To help address this, W.TEC is currently setting-up a technology centre and cyber cafe, where our alumni can use computers and other ICTs and access the Internet at a highly subsidised fee. This centre will also provide employment for a few of our alumni and an opportunity for them to develop their technical skills.
Results: Describe the expected results of these actions over the next three years. Please address each year separately, if possible
Success in Year 1:
Build up on the feedback from the earlier editions of the camp to provide a curriculum that is rich and engaging for the girls. It should provide practical skills that the girls can use in school or to secure part-time/holiday jobs. The camp should also show evidence of guiding the girls in their choice of career.
The girls will:
- Develop computer and technical skills, which they can use to enhance learning and organise their lives
- Discover a diversity of technology-related careers and be inspired to pursue technology courses of studies and careers
- Be introduced to women role models and mentors who work with or use technology, to encourage their own passion for technology
- Develop confidence and leadership skills
- Join the 200 women and girls who have benefited from W.TEC’s programmes and who form the Alumni Network, which offers mentoring and support as our alumni start or progress in their educational and professional careers
- Contribute to the body of knowledge on how to effectively sustain girls’ interest in technology through their participation in W.TEC’s post-camp evaluations
Success in Year 2:
Some of our alumni who have graduated from secondary (high) school should have gone on to pursue science and technology based courses of study in a tertiary institution, or have identified ways in which ICT are relevant in their chosen area of study.
W.TEC would have some success in creating more public awareness of how ICTs contribute to economic and social development and how important it is that have technology knowledge and access.
Other specific outcomes are:
- 65% of camp alumni will indicate an interest in pursuing technology-related careers
- 70% of girls will be emerging as leaders within their school and communities
- 60% of girls will be sharing their knowledge and skills with other girls and women
Success in Year 3:
None of our alumni would have graduated from university/polytechnic at this time, but they should be making considerable progress in their studies and career preparation. In addition, many of them would be serving as mentors to younger girls either in their own social networks or within the W.TEC programs.
W.TEC would have several featured publications and articles in the media on the benefits to the country of more girls developing ICT skills.
Other specific outcomes are:
- 30% of W.TEC Camp graduates would have embarked on a technology-related course of study
- 75% of camp alumni will indicate an interest in pursuing technology-related careers
- 80% of girls will be emerging as leaders within their school and communities
- 70% of girls will be sharing their knowledge and skills with other girls and women
How many people will your project serve annually?
Menos de 100
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Less than $50
Does your innovation seek to have an impact on public policy?
Sí
If your innovation seeks to impact public policy, how?
W.TEC seeks to influence legislation and public policy through our research on how ICTs can improve girls' and women’s economic, political and social well-being.
Our major research projects, which include tracking graduates of the Girls' Technology Camp to identify effects of ICT education on their quality of life, will help highlight the benefits of higher-quality education - particularly technology education - for women and girls. We will use this information to work with other groups to push for more funding for technology education for girls and women.
Sustenibilidad
¿En qué fase está el proyecto?
Operando entre 1-5 años
Does your organization have a board of directors or an advisory board?
Sí
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Sí
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with businesses?
Sí
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with government?
No
Please tell us more about how partnerships could be critical to the success of your innovation
W.TEC has received support from various organisations and individuals in the hosting the Girls Camp. These include Laureates College, which will provide the venue for the camp and the Internet access; Omatek Computer Ltd., which will donate a prize of a laptop for the best student at the camp; the facilitators who will provide their expertise and services at no cost; and various media organisations who will provide free coverage. W.TEC also covers the cost of the project manager and assistant to organise and supervise the camp. W.TEC actively seeks and nurtures partnerships to ensure the continuity of the camp in subsequent years.
We would like to learn more about how your initiative is financially supported. Please explain your business plan/revenue model
W.TEC’s work has been implemented with support from a combination of international bodies, corporate and private donations. However, we are always working to partner with more individuals and groups. Some government agencies have indicated interest in partnering with W.TEC and this support will help provide a stable long-term structure and extend the scope of the project beyond what W.TEC could do alone.
W.TEC supports its programmes by generating revenue through consultancy, speaking engagements and technology training services. Clients have included other NGOs, policy committees and private corporations and individuals. W.TEC is launching a cyber cafe in May, which will generate additional income. These income supplement all grants and donations received.
The other sources of funding and support are:
- W.TEC Board Members: Members of the Board of Trustees and Advisory Board have made pledges to support the camp in-kind or cash
- Laureates College: The school based in Lagos, Nigeria will donate it’s computer laboratories, classrooms, boarding facilities and grounds to W.TEC for use in hosting the Technology Camp
- Omatek Computer Ltd: This indigenous computer company will donate a laptop computer to be awarded to the best student at the camp. They have also made their factory open to the girls for excursions.
- Nigerian Corporations: W.TEC is approaching a number of Nigerian companies with requests to support. One foundation has pledged to provide some financial support the camp.
- Today’s Woman, Technology Times and other Dailies: These publications will provide media coverage of the camp and publish reports on the camp at no cost to W.TEC
- Private Donations: Private individuals have pledged money to cover some of the camp expenses. The facilitators of the workshops will also provide their expertise for free and thus teach classes and workshops at no cost to W.TEC.
La historia
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
It was in the spring of 1999 that I decided that I would commit myself to more fully exploring the intersections of gender and technology; and that I would work to encourage African girls and women to become more confident users and developers of technology. As an undergraduate, I set-up a business typing and printing essays for fellow students. This gave me a clear understanding of the potential that information technology held for earning income by providing more effective ways of managing information.
Wanting to explore the links between technology and the economy, I pursued a Masters degree in information systems. For my thesis, I researched the role of African women in this process and found that despite the opportunities for employment within the information and communication technology sector, women were largely under-represented.
It was at this point that the idea of setting-up a programme to provide a safe and accessible space for women to develop information technology knowledge and skills took root. Since then, I selected experiences that would prepare me for the work that lay ahead. This included work researching the relationships; teaching and volunteering at community technology centres; developing and managing websites; mentoring young people; and writing proposals.
I co-launched a technology mentoring project for teenage girls in 2006 and this gave me the confidence to take steps towards setting-up W.TEC. In January 2008, the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC) was launched with the first Girls Technology Camp organised in August.
Tell us about the person—the social innovator—behind this idea.
I am Oreoluwa Somolu and am the founder and executive director of W.TEC. I have a Bachelors degree in Economics from Essex University, U.K. and a Masters degree in Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems from the London School of Economics & Political Science.
Research and knowledge-building is important to me and my published work includes ‘Telling Our Own Stories: African Women Blogging for Social Change’ (Gender & Development Journal, Nov 2007) and ‘Making the Most of On-line Learning: An Introduction to Learning on the Internet’ (Education Development Center, 2004).
Prior to setting-up W.TEC, from 2006 to 2008, I was Project Manager for Vision 2020: Youth Empowerment and Restoration Initiative, where I managed a series of nationwide career awareness workshops for secondary school students, as well as polytechnic and university students. I also co-founded a technology mentoring programme called Blogs for African Women (BAWo), which introduced girls to technology and supported them in their exploration and use of various tools. BAWo was first implemented in Lagos, Nigeria in 2006 and then in Nairobi, Kenya in 2008.
From 2001 to 2005, I worked in the United States at an educational nonprofit organisation on a number of projects, which sought to attract more girls and women to study and work in science and technology-related fields.
In October 2008, I was inducted as an associate member of the Computer Professionals of Nigeria Registration Council (CPN). I also sit on the board of the Nigerian Mobile Advocacy Network and Pace Technologies.
I am a 2009 recipient of the Anita Borg Change Agent Award for my commitment to issues of women in computing in Nigeria.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Web Search (e.g., Google or Yahoo)
If through another source, please provide the information
ICRW
Does your project address any of the following barriers to women’s technology access and use?
Social norms, Economic or institutional constraints, Women’s lack of involvement in the technology development process.
If you checked any of the boxes above, please explain how.
Social Norms: At the camp, girls explore the gender-based challenges and discrimination that women in Nigerian society face. Guided by the facilitators and mentors, they discuss how to successfully navigate the gender inequalities experienced by women. The result is that women and girls become more aware of how patriarchy, through aspects of culture and religion, limit women’s choices and are able to identify strategies to challenge or manage this. For instance, many girls from the camp have expressed interest in technology careers, which they formerly saw as ‘men’s work’ and identified ways to get their families' support.
Economic Constraints: W.TEC programmes seek to help women and girls develop the skills and awareness of the economic advantages that ICTs bring. The camp provides ICT training, which exposes the girls to ICT-based career and entrepreneurial opportunities. This training is complemented by career counselling to guide on choice of work; work placement to give experience; and mentoring to show women who are successfully using and working with ICTs and also to provide a support network as the women navigate their careers. W.TEC tries to assist the girls with advice, securing internships, work opportunities at other W.TEC programmes. The soon-to-be opened cyber cafe will provide an additional opportunity for technical development and earning money.
Women's Lack of Involvement in the Technology Development Process: The girls will be introduced to ICTs through hands-on and workshops. They will be able to learn exciting uses of computers and other tools that will gear their interest towards either studying a technology related course or becoming involved in using or developing for another aspect of ICT. Mentoring and career education through talks by female technology professionals are designed to provide a support network for the girls as they consider how to integrate technology into their lives.
Does your project involve women in one or more of the following stages of the technology lifecycle? Identification of the problem the technology will solve:
Technology introduction, Technology training.
If you checked any of the boxes above, please explain how you will ensure women’s involvement in each relevant phase of the technology lifecycle.
Technology Introduction: To address women’s under-representation in high-skilled ICT jobs, W.TEC starts its intervention programmes from an early age. We introduce the girls (aged 11 to 17 years) at the camp to computers, the Internet and other ICTs like mobile phones. For most girls, this is the first time that they have touched and used a computer. At the end of the 2009 camp, the best performing student was given a netbook by Nigerian computer manufacturer, Omatek Computers. Omatek has established a plan available to the other girls, where they can buy a low-cost netbook and pay in installments. W.TEC will launch a cyber café in May 2010, which will provide a safe space for the girls to continue to access computers and other ICTs at a subsidised fee.
Technology Training: W.TEC equips the girls with basic skills in using a computer to type documents, manage numerical data in spreadsheets, and find information on the Internet. The girls also explore alternative uses of common tools like mobile phones. This training, coupled with career information sessions, is designed to inspire the girls to pursue technology professions, many of which pay well in Nigeria. W.TEC supports the camp alumni with scholarship and work placement information, higher education guidance and mentoring. W.TEC offers opportunities for camp alumni to gain work experience by assisting with future camps. The upcoming cyber café will provide an additional source of short-term employment for some of the girls.
If women are a focus of your project, how did this focus evolve?
The project focused on women from its conception..
Which type of women will your project reach directly?
Rural, Peri-urban, Urban, Low income.
In what ways does your project team/leadership involve women?
It is led by a woman/women., It is led by a woman/women from a developing country., The core project team includes women., The core project team includes women from developing countries..
Has your organization formed any new partnerships in response to this challenge? If so, with what type/s of organization/s?
Non-profit/NGO/community-based organization, Empresa, Women's organization.
Has your project leadership had prior experience with the following?
Working with women, Working with technologies, Working to increase women's economic empowerment through technology, Working on innovation.
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Comentarios
Terrific idea!
Thank you, Meg!
This sounds like an amazing camp! I was wondering if you could explain more about how it is "marketed" to attract the students? It sounds like you've included life skills in the curricula to address some specific needs (self defense, job-related skills and training, etc.). Are these purely in response to requests from the youth and their parents, or are they used to attract a wider variety of students to the camp?
Also, how do you see this project being long-term sustainability of the camp - fees for attendance, donations, government funding?
Thank you for your comments, Jon. We approach secondary/high schools to inform them about our camp and ask them to nominate students. W.TEC also widely publicises the camp in the print and electronic media, and through our partners, other civil society organisations. This way other organisations that work with specific communities of girls are able to nominate them. Girls are also able to nominate themselves.
Our camp is aimed at ultimately increasing the numbers of women working and using technology efficiently and productively for work and education. The Nigerian technology industry is still dominated by men. Many women and girls want to develop technology skills and knowledge, but are discouraged by the overwhelmingly 'male face' of technology and the lack of female role models.
The W.TEC Camp offers a unique opportunity for girls to be introduced to computers and other information technology, as well as technology-related career options, within a girl-only environment, which our past experiences and research has shown that girls and women thrive in. This is focus on girls only, as well as the opportunity to develop technology skills, is a major selling point for girls.
With respect to the long-term sustainability, W.TEC has been developing partnerships with corporations and government agencies to support the camp. In previous years, we have received cash and in-kind support from key partners and expect to increase this support for future editions of the camp. W.TEC also provides some funding towards the camp from earned revenue from training and consultancy services.
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