By Standard Digital Reporter
NAIROBI, KENYA: Cisco hosted a dedicated CSR initiative designed to help boost the future outlook of young women throughout Kenya, in leverage of the International Girls’ in ICT Day. With a focus on equipping female students with Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) skills, Cisco is imparting vocational training to prepare them to become members of the global 21st century workforce.
21 female students from secondary schools and universities were invited to spend the day with Cisco Kenyan leaders at Cisco offices in Nairobi, to gain an understanding of the opportunities the ICT sector holds for their future and a deeper insight into professional fields and courses of study that may be overlooked when choosing a career.
“Mentoring and training programs aimed at young talented ladies in Kenya are going to be vital to help our young workforce of the future to adapt and secure career opportunities in the global 21st century workforce. The country’s growing youth population needs to be equipped with the right skills to help them thrive in this ever changing world,” said Hital Muraj, Cisco Corporate Affairs Manager E. Africa,
“Our goal is to provide talented young women with a sense of how technology can help to widen their opportunities as well as open a window to the world and give them the chance to be inspired by role models who are already enjoying career success. This way, they will feel more comfortable with technology as a means to advance their career prospects. Our activities around the annual Girls in ICT Days, for example, aim to provide a platform for young female students to learn, create bonds, as well as network and share best practices,” Hital concluded.
The International Girls’ in ICT Day is an initiative supported by ITU to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of information and communication technologies (ICTs), and is celebrated on the 4th Thursday in April every year.
Now in its 3rd year, Cisco has been participating in this initiative of the International Girls in ICT days from the very beginning. Other sessions were delivered via Cisco TelePresence by female leaders at Cisco who shared their background and experiences and discussed how they developed their careers to reach leadership positions. The ladies girls also had the opportunity to test their skills, ask questions, network and get to know Cisco employees in person.
