{In less than a week, Rwanda will be celebrating the third Ms. Geek competition expected on Saturday April 30th, 2016 in Camp Kigali. It is more than just a celebration of girls’ ingenuity. It is a moment to showcase that today’s girls and the future women of the nation are capable of developing innovative solutions to problems they encounter in their day-to-day lives.}
Girls in ICT Rwanda, the organizer of Ms. Geek competition, are a volunteering group of women who are passionate about ICT. The organization comprises of women of different ages and backgrounds, all with a background in various technologies related fields. Girls in ICT Rwanda are part of a global movement aimed at encouraging and empowering girls to engage in the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Rwanda will join the rest of the world to celebrate International Girls in ICT day that’s celebrated every last Thursday of the month of April with Ms. Geek event.
The competition is open to girls in high school, TVET, and university. The girls are required to submit applications presenting a creative and innovative solution that uses technology to resolve a problem they witness in their community. Girls in ICT Rwanda received over 130 applications this year, with solutions ranging from healthcare to agriculture. Out of the 130 applications, 5 were selected to compete during the finale of Ms. Geek 2016, which will be held on April 30th2016, 3:30 pm at Camp Kigali.
The top 5 projects are selected based on their novelty as well as feasibility. This year’s top 5 solutions are summarized below.
1.IV Drip Alert System by Ange UWAMBAJIMANA from Tumba Technical College: a system that will help nurses to monitor patient’s level of IV Fluid in the bag by use of sensors. A notification is sent to the nurse once the Fluid has reached on a low level; hence one nurse can easily monitor several patients’ bags.
2.Mt Dr (Meet the Doctor) by Faridah UMUTONI from Akilah Institute for Women: a mobile app that allows patients with mild diseases to contact doctors online. The platform is linked to your health Insurance hence a simple consultation and prescription can be done online without lining up at the hospital.
3.Hello Job! By Samantha MANYWA from Gashora Girls Academy: a USSD application that provides a platform that links employers and service providers. This solution targets TVET Jobs such as electricians, plumbers, repairmen etc. the type of jobs you might not find on other platforms such as LinkedIn.
4.Easy Parking by Lisa Kirezi from Gashora Girls Academy: a mobile app and USSD applications that simplify the payment of parking tickets. You can pay for your packing ticket anytime using your mobile phone or online payment systems.
5.Ivomerere System by Rosine MWISENEZA from Kepler Kigali University: an automatic irrigation system that enables farmers to irrigate their fields without the need for labor. The system uses sensors to detect the wetness or dryness of the soil and then triggers the irrigation system to start or close.
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