250 youth to benefit from Africa Code Week

Oct 21, 2016

The initiative is also being implemented with help of Makerere University, Women in Technology Uganda, Resilient Africa Network and HiveCOLAB.

About 250 Ugandan youth are to benefit from the ongoing training in digital literacy during this year's Africa Code Week. The youth are part of the 150,000 youth from 30 African countries.

The week which is organized by SAP, the world's largest enterprise application software company, aims to foster digital literacy and equip the continent's rising generation of young people with job relevant skills.

The initiative is also being implemented with help of Makerere University, Women in Technology Uganda, Resilient Africa Network and HiveCOLAB.

Speaking during the launch of the program in Kampala, the Irish Ambassador Donal Cronin said literacy should go beyond just knowing how to read and write.

"It is beyond digital literacy, knowing how to use computers. Basic literacy for the next generation should be about coding," Cronin said.

He said Africa Code Week is a marvelous initiative and as an embassy they are excited to support the participation by Uganda this year.

"The initiative will ignite further empowerment of young people and help give them skills they need to thrive in the digital age," Cronin said.

He said through this initiative Uganda has the power to put millions of young Uganda people on the path to successful careers and development.

"Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world, where the average age is 14 and so Africa Code week will ignite empowerment of the young people," Cronin said.

He said beneficiaries from Uganda include students from both primary and secondary schools across Kampala.

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