Mobile Web Ghana and Ispace Foundation, over the weekend climaxed the “Unlocking women in technology project”, at the Ispace facility in Labone, Accra.
The project which equipped ladies with Coding and entrepreneur skills, came to a successful conclusion with an investor pitch to get into Unlocking Women and Technology Accelerator. Participants, comprising only ladies, were trained in computer programing, technology tools for business and tasked to develop web portals relevant to their line of businesses and areas of interest. An all-female panel of judges was selected to give feedback on their pitch presentation and also score them according to how relevant their businesses are to the Ghanaian economy.
Judges comprised: Tracy Kyei of Samsung Electronic West Africa, Nana Akosua Hanson of Yfm and Ama Aboagye of USAID. Participants were given some few minutes to pitch their innovative businesses to the judges and answer questions raised by the panel of judges.
“A project like this is very relevant to our part of the world because it targets women, who are a huge emerging market these days and manufacturers who have realised the purchasing power of women have tailored specific products to suit them,” said Tracy Kyei. She went on to commend the organizers for their innovation and encouraged them to make subsequent editions bigger. “There are many ways of empowering women, however this project is one of a kind, where women are pushed to their limits to think outside the box and come up with such brilliant ideas,” Tracy added.
During the pitch, participants presented web businesses/ apps that improved doing business in Ghana and providing easier access for consumers, for instance Apps that can help users find prescription drugs at near-by pharmacies, ones that connected people with financial distress to Philanthropists and donors. The project was a 12-week intensive program at Mobile Web Ghana aimed at helping participants secure either funding for their ideas or gain an entry in the UWAT acceleration program.
After the pitch, Founder of Ispace Ghana, Kwesi Josiah Eyison said, “In this competition no one is a winner; everyone will win something”. He continued by giving the benefits for the participants. “Some of you would get full funding and mentorship to implement your ideas whiles others would benefit from the mentorship program, so everyone is a winner,”Mr. Eyison added. Finally he commended the Director of Mobile Web Ghana, Madam Florence Toffa and her entire team for facilitating the 12-week mentorship program for the ladies.
Winners of the pitch will be announced in January, 2017. Mobile Web Ghana and Ispace launched the “Unlocking women in technology project in August, 2016”. The project was aimed at training women in technology, to improve their education and enhance business efficiencies.
Source: www.viasat1.com.gh
