Microsoft Philanthropies last week announced grants for over 100 non profit organisations In 55 countries including I Choose Life Africa (ICL) and The African Centre for Women, Information & Communications Technology (ACWICT) in Kenya. The grants were part of the $75 million commitment made by the company to increase access to computer science education around the world through Microsoft YouthSpark as announced by the Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella last year.
Microsoft is partnering with these nonprofits by providing cash grants, content and other resources they need to bring computational thinking and problem solving to young people in local communities. These skills will help them succeed in today’s tech fueled economy.
The grant that made to ACWICT will provide opportunities for 4,200 youth to learn computer science skills. The underserved youth will be introduced to computer science through in-person trainings on introduction to computer systems, hardware and software components, computer applications, programming and coding. Following the training, the young people participating in the program will be connected to internships and continued learning opportunities to advance their technical knowledge and skills.
Constantine Obuya, Executive Director of ACWICT had this to say, “The future of the ICT sector is exciting. Coding (whether mobile or web-based) has become an essential skill across the world, simply because computer science is a fundamental skill for all 21st century careers. Through our partnership with Microsoft we are looking to create a community of coders who can provide sustainable technology-driven solutions to some of challenges that Kenya is experiencing in its service delivery processes.”
I Choose Life – Africa is focused on increasing employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for youth with a special focus on providing digital, technology and computer science skills. To address the skills shortage within the vocational sector and provide youth with the skills they need to succeed, this program will provide youth with on-the-job trainings combined with digital literacy and computer science skills, including app development, coding workshops, and web design. 12,000 youth will be reached through this program.
Mike Mutungi, the CEO of I Choose Life – Africa (ICL) had this to say, “the decision by Microsoft as a corporation to support programs such as Chuo2Kazi (Swahili for School to Work) and partner with local organizations to build the capacity of young people in readiness for employment and entrepreneurship is praiseworthy. The plight of unemployment for the youth is a ticking time bomb for Kenya. The financial and technical resources granted to I Choose Life – Africa by Microsoft under the Youth Spark Program will go a long way in changing the lives of many young people in marginalized communities for good by giving them lifelong skills.”
Public data available in Kenya underscores the need for greater access to computer science education. According to data from Bellwether research only 19% of Kenyan students between 15 & 16 years’ old report doing computer programming in or out of school and only 4% of University Students Graduate with 4-year University Degrees in Computer Science. As such the grants provided by Microsoft are truly praise worthy.