Organisation, Leap Girl Africa, boosts girls’ ICT skills to improve careers.

Organisers told reporters that the goal is to improve the abilities of trainees to enable them brave through the challenging job market with its technological demands.

The training which ended in Yaounde yesterday was carried out by Leap Girl Africa in partnership with international non-profit development and humanitarian organisation, Plan International, which funded the two-month computer training program.

The training was under the theme: “Increasing Girls Access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics”.

During the program, the Leap Girl Africa Group and its technical partner, Prime Technology Academy, schooled the 30 girls on Microsoft Word, Excel and other computer-generated ICT tools.

The Executive Director of Leap Girl Africa, Ketcha Pertulla Ezigha, said they seek to reduce the high rate of computer illiteracy among young girls.

Ketcha, who has been fully engaged in women-development programs since 2016, said unlike boys, very few young girls have knowledge of ICT tools.

Citing the COVID-19 pandemic season, Ketcha said most female teachers spent time home watching TV because they could not use ICT tools to transmit knowledge.

The Leap Girl Africa Executive Director said the training will help the young girls improve their CVs and face the job market confidently.

“Most job opportunities now demand applicants to be able to know how to use the Microsoft Word, Excel and others. Without these skills, it means they are already automatically eliminated,” Ketcha emphasised. She reiterated that the project will be carried out annually.

Plan International pledges more support

Speaking at the event, the Youth Engagement Coordinator of Plan International Cameroon, Indira Banga, reassured Leap Girl Africa, that her organisation is committed to support the project.

The project, Banga disclosed, “was supported by the Youth Support Fund of Plan International which is aimed at supporting projects of young people especially youth-led organisations”.

She maintained that: “We will be working on creating a space for job opportunities for the trainees through our various partners as part of our sustainability plan”.

Trainees salute training

The trainees at the end of yesterday’s ceremony thanked the organisations for teaming up to boost their capacities.

One of them, Bebuehsi Nadage, a holder of a Bachelors’ Degree in Marketing from the University of Bamenda said: “This has inspired me a lot and I believe I will do so too for other girls. It will create opportunities for me”.

Another trainee, Penn Elodie, who holds a Master’s Degree in Public Law told The Guardian Post that she looks forward to putting the skills to use.

About the organisation

Leap Girl Africa was created in 2016. The organisation is focus on reducing gender inequality gap by advancing girls and women’s rights and education and providing them with life skills on how to improve their lives through education, social and economic empowerment.

The organisation has been preventing and responding to Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), improving girls’ access to Sexual Reproductive Health services and related items, and using technology to improve access to education.