Kenyan students participating in the Seeds for Future program by Huawei Kenya recently underwent a one-week immersion into digital technology skills during an ICT study tour in Shanghai, China. At the 2024 Leadership Employability Advancement Possibility (LEAP) Summit held on Friday, Danton Kipkirui from Moi University and Sylvia Jebet were recognized for their exceptional performance in digital content creation.
The talent program, which admits students from various countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, aims to equip them with digital skills to innovate and create technological solutions for their communities. During the LEAP Summit, Huawei also honored Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Higher Education, Dr. Beatrice Muganda, for her contributions to the academic field.
Digital development plan
In 2022, Huawei unveiled the LEAP framework to guide digital talent development in Sub-Saharan Africa. As of June 2024, over 18,000 Africans have benefited from the program, which includes skilling civil servants, ICT professionals, teachers, students, and practitioners in small and medium-sized enterprises.
Under the LEAP framework, Huawei trains its partners in digital power and cloud ecosystems, hosts training and incubation sessions for teachers, and organizes job fairs. The company has trained individuals from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and other African countries. Huawei’s Sub-Saharan Africa Executive, Gao Xiang, announced that the company aims to skill 150,000 people in the next three years.
During a panel discussion at the LEAP summit, Principal Secretary Beatrice Muganda called for a holistic approach to digital upskilling, emphasizing that technology companies should pursue more partnerships with governments to encourage collaborative solutions.
“This will happen if you involve more of our experts, researchers, lecturers. Beyond focusing on students, lecturers also need to be engaged. If you can expand partnerships with other fields, we shall have everyone on board,” stated Muganda.
On her part, Dr.Amina Zawede, Uganda’s Chief Technology Officer called for supporting development of infrastructure to harness technological opportunities.
The DigiTruck initiative
Access to technological infrastructure and ICT skills has been a challenge for many rural communities in Kenya, where essential resources like power and network connectivity are often limited. To address this issue, Huawei launched the DigiTruck Initiative, converting shipping containers into mobile classrooms where remote communities can acquire ICT skills.
The DigiTrucks have been deployed to remote areas across Kenya and Uganda, and plans are underway for similar tours in Tanzania and Nigeria. Recently, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr. Korir Singoei presided over the graduation ceremony of over 200 DigiTruck trainees in Trans Nzoia County this week.
