The Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Hon. Mrs Ursula Owusu Ekuful is in the Savannah Region for a five day working visit to assess and inspect the training processes of her Ministry’s ongoing girl’s in ICT program in the Region.
The Minister on the first day of her visit to the region on 5th May, 2023 paid a courtesy call on the King and Overlord of the Gonja kingdom Yagbonwura Soale Bii-Kunuto Jewu (I), where she briefed him on her mission in the region and to receive his blessings to enable her carry out her activities.
Hon. Ursula Owusu Ekaful later visited some training centers in the Municipality including the Cathedral Junior High School, St Anne’s Junior school ‘A’, Almanara E/A primary school and Busunu R/C Junior High school in the company of the Savannah regional Minister, Hon. Saeed Muhazu Jibril and the West Gonja Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Musah Karim Kusubari .
Addressing the media after touring the centers on the first day of her working visit to the region, Hon. Ursula indicated that the project has so far trained 100 teachers as trainers to be able to train some 1000 girls in all the Districts in the Savannah Region.
She disclosed further that the training of the girls in ICT project started with the students in the Savannah Region on 25th April, 2023 with the girls in the Damongo Municipality being the second batch of trainees in the region under the project which she wanted to come and witness for herself.
She explained further that, the second batch of trainees will be writing their exams on 6th May, 2023 to enable them select the best performing girls for awards and also mentioned that the best 100 girls who will be the top performers are to be awarded prizes including their personal laptops.
The Minister mentioned how impressed she was following the quality of training delivered and encouraged the girls to take the training seriously because every aspect of life now needs an expert in Information Technology, be it farming, teaching etc.
She also explained that, her visit has revealed that, Students under the project are able to create their own games, websites and word document which is an indication of an improvement in the training which is showing that they are achieving the theme of the year’s celebration which is “digital skills for life” which is celebrated globally to mark girls in ICT day.
The Minister of Communications and Digitalization further disclosed that, the reason for focusing on girls is to narrow the gender digital device as it is just a fewer girls that have computer skills.
As part of motivating and encouraging girls to go into ICT, the communications and digitalization Minister said, they will bring experts in ICT to speak to the students to improve their interest as part of their mentorship programme for the girls to be encourage to see the importance of ICT in the utilization in the world of work.
The Minister further stated that, seeing the enthusiasm on the faces of the girls and the expectations of the girls, they all came with the expectations to know more about ICT and she has no doubt that they have learnt more about ICT.
The program has components like Trainimg 100 Teachers across the Savannah Region, Training of 1,000 Girls in ICT from across the Savannah Region, a Mentorship session whereby women currently working in the ICT field share their personal and professional experiences with the Girls-in ICT, to encourage and guide them in their future careers and endeavours.
Source: nkilgifmonline.com
