Technology is increasingly becoming the single most important catalyst to socio-economic development in Ghana. There are innovative technologies that are being introduced to improve and ensure the sustainable use of technology to enable poor people and marginalized communities to use the potential of information technology to transform their lives. With progress in mobile telephony, where the gap between rich and poor is narrowing rapidly, informational technology can have greatest developmental impact, such as in high-speed Internet access and broadband connectivity, the development of local information technology industries, and of applications.
The US State Department (Embassy) has been leveraging on its resources to harness this potential that will narrow existing inequalities. Last year , the State Dept sponsored Apps4Africa, Computer Mania and Robotics Inspired Science Education.
Apps4Africa
challenges
application developers to find innovative technological solutions to everyday
problems on issues ranging from transparency and governance to health and education.
Four Ghanaian innovators are finalist this year vying for $10,000USD and
advisory support.
Computer Mania brought together school
children and teachers a hands-on
activities related to mobile application development, water purification, food
engineering, and energy in three cities; Accra, Tamale, and Kumasi.
Robotics
Inspired Science Education, connects science theory with hands-on learning,
students and teachers explore best practices to strategize, design, build,
program and test robots to solve defined real world problems. Students gain
valuable team-building, presentation and communications skills, and have a whole
lot of fun while pursuing serious science. These workshops introduced
robotics kits, guidebooks and additional training suggestions in order to
inspire Ghanaian youth to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math
(STEM) education and careers.
Finally , in the area of Cybersecurity, Cybercrime & Internet Freedom , the US organized the West African Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Workshop earlier this week to provide the tools and information to evaluate and improve regional capacity to address cyber security challenges as mobile security, computer forensics, strengthening national laws, building emergency response teams and ensuring that comprehensive national cyber security plans promote internet freedom and respect for civil rights/civil liberties.
As well as supporting/promoting internet freedom
through the support for BlogCamp 2013 which seeks to encourage social
media enthusiasts to create content that can give a voice to every Ghanaian
regardless of religion, gender, political affiliation, etc.
With the help of all these projects Ghanaians are being encouraged to take up the study of science and the creation of applications that fits into our industry and solves societal issues.
