Our team of change champions participated in the ICT and electronics training, which was intended to boost science and technology especially among girls. The training was organized by FUNDI BOTS under the Fundi GIRLS, an initiative that works towards increasing more girls in science and robotics trainings.
The event attracted female change champions from major organizations including Reproductive Health Uganda, Uganda Youth and Adolescents health forum, Makerere University, Makerere Business School and Kyambogo University with students perusing various courses. The event took place at SAYUUNI complex in Kisaasi, a Kampala suburb.
Young girls were empowered with various skill sets on how to apply technology in days to day activities.
“I was excited at the scratch electrics technology training, I am going to start using the skills I learnt here to make flower vessels more different” says Patricia Kisakye Our change champion.
“I will also use the scratch technology in robot and game making, this was important in a way that as young person am challenged to find that my age mates are thinking global innovations like robots. It dared me to think, how I can apply this differently in my country” Patricia added.
There was also sharing of empowering life stories mainly intended to allow girls realize that they have to be empowered, transformed informed and value their lives through being responsible. Should they engage in sex, it should be safe sex but also routinely go for HIV testing to know there status.
“You need to realize that you need to be informed, transformed before you can count yourself of value to the society, using science and technology, I realized that there was a high viral load which is caused by poor adherence to their (young people) medication as a result of inconsistencies in talking medication or never taking at all. Through technology, I and a colleague started a campaign dabbed “Kyendi kyendi” to send inspirational messages timely enough to remind young people living with HIV about taking medicine”. Says Akumu Deborah Leticia a change champion who gave an inspirational testimony on her experience on living with HIV.
Young people learnt different ways on how supplicated electronics come into existence, how to use robots among others.