Tamale: The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) has completed a two-week digital skills training for 30 female teachers in the Northern Region. The initiative aims to advance gender equality and empower women through digital skills development, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goal five.
According to Ghana News Agency, the training was conducted in collaboration with the International Telecommunications Union, HP, Cisco, and NORAD. Participants were educated in digital awareness, the use of computers and digital devices, introduction to cybersecurity, data presentation in Microsoft Excel, as well as introductory courses in artificial intelligence, scratch programming, and python programming.
Upon completion of the program, participants were awarded certificates, laptops, and various souvenirs to aid their roles as digital ambassadors in their communities and enhance ICT education in basic schools within unserved and underserved regions.
Ms. Francisca Adjei, Director of Corporate Affairs at GIFEC, highlighted the organization's commitment to digital transformation and gender equality during the closing ceremony at the Community Information Centre in Sagnarigu near Tamale. She encouraged the beneficiaries to act as digital ambassadors to help bridge the gender digital divide in their communities.
Alhaji Yahaya Zakaria Osman, Director of Operations at GIFEC, expressed optimism that the training would equip participants to engage with peers, students, and community members, fostering an ICT-literate society and advancing the government's digital economy and inclusion goals.
Samira Sabe Musah, an English Language and ICT Teacher from Sang Girls Model Junior High School in the Mion District, praised the training, noting that it provided her with valuable knowledge to enhance her teaching. Despite lacking an ICT background, she began teaching the subject after her school's ICT teacher was transferred, and she described the training as an eye-opener.
Similarly, Mavis Osei, a teacher from the Sagnarigu Municipality, commended the program, stating that it boosted her confidence in teaching ICT. She plans to educate traders on cybersecurity to ensure safe online transactions.
