By Mamajah Jalloh
Freetown, Sierra Leone — In a significant boost to digital education, Metrocable and Zoodlabs have partnered to provide free and secure internet to 230 students participating in the Sierra Leone Grammar School (SLGS) STEM Holiday Club. The program, organized in collaboration with the Annie Walsh Old Girls Association (AWOGA) UK, culminated on Friday, August 23, 2024. Alongside internet access, the companies also supplied T-shirts, notepads, USB memory sticks, and managed media and publicity for the event.
The second annual SLGS STEM Holiday Club, held on the Grammar School campus in Murray Town, Freetown, ran from July 29 to August 23, 2024. The intensive four-week program offered hands-on training in coding, graphic design, multimedia, and entrepreneurship.
Salima Bah, Minister of Communications, Technology, and Innovation, commended the initiative, emphasizing its alignment with the government’s vision to turn Sierra Leone into an incubator hub for young innovators. “A young lady showed me a solution on how to enhance school selection criteria using technology. It’s clear that our country is ready for these advancements,” Minister Bah remarked.
She noted that people previously relied on paper-based systems and human judgment, but technological solutions like those showcased at the STEM Holiday Club could streamline decision-making processes significantly.
Agnes Jigba, Human Resource Associate at Zoodlabs, expressed her pride in supporting the event and witnessing the accomplishments of the students, particularly the young women involved. “We have made substantial investments in the digital communication and finance sectors because we understand the critical role human capital plays in national growth,” Jigba stated.
Jigba reiterated Zoodlabs’ commitment to Sierra Leone’s digital transformation and the development of ICT skills among students and young professionals. “Our contribution to the SLGS STEM program underscores our dedication to this cause,” she added.
Looking ahead, Jigba announced that the RASAB Group, Zoodlabs’ parent company, plans to launch more extensive and structured initiatives to build STEM skills among schoolchildren nationwide. She also pledged that Zoodlabs will continue to provide high-speed internet to schools, support school-based digital teaching and learning, and host boot camps and hackathons targeting students from schools and colleges.
“We will recruit the best and brightest for our corporate internship programs, offering pathways for personal growth and development in digital systems and technologies,” she affirmed.
Reverend Pinkney Wilhelm, Acting Principal of Grammar School, expressed deep gratitude to the sponsors for facilitating such an educational program. “Our students have learned valuable skills in coding, graphic design, multimedia, and entrepreneurship, thanks to this initiative,” he said.
This year’s program saw a significant increase in interest, with over 500 students from 69 schools applying. Ultimately, 230 students from 40 schools were selected, maintaining a balanced gender ratio of 53% female to 47% male.
