The 2023 Africa Code Week comes up this October. During this period, we focus on providing access and improving the circumstances towards developing more creative and innovative coding talents. Part of the activities towards this year’s code week will include question and answer sessions with notable personalities and influencers who will help highlight the value of coding in addressing various challenges in Africa.  

In an increasingly interconnected world, coding has emerged as a powerful tool for driving impact and addressing serious societal challenges. The Executive Secretary of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and official Africa Code Week Patron, Albert Nsengiyumva,  believes strongly that coding and software development skills are key to addressing Africa’s numerous socio-economic challenges. 

This is more so in health, education, and agriculture where various technology solutions are helping improve the delivery of healthcare, access to teaching and learning, improving farming output and productivity, especially among vulnerable and under-served persons and communities. Aspiring coders must now know that their skills can help in transforming Africa’s future.  

According to Albert, coding is making a profound impact on healthcare. Through coding, developers create mobile platforms and applications that help to provide greater access to healthcare services and improve diagnostics. These solutions have the potential to save lives and improve the overall health outcomes of marginalised and underserved communities. Better access to healthcare would be an absolute game-changer in Africa—and as aspiring developers—you have the power to make that possible. 

Albert believes that coding is redefining the educational sector and the future of work as it equips students with critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital literacy skills that ensure they can thrive in the digital economy. By investing in coding education, we are nurturing a generation of African innovators who will drive sustainable change. The number of jobs that require coding is growing exponentially because most services and products are being digitised. It is the language of machines and the universal language of the future. Most employees will be required to work in a virtual environment. Someone has to provide the tools to ensure that the environment is seamless and effective. 

But can coders help to ensure that less people go hungry? Albert believes this is absolutely possible! According to him, there are solutions that are reducing the barriers towards getting food from the farm to the dining table. Technologies like the internet of things (IoT) devices and data analytics empower farmers with real-time insights to optimise their farming practices. This also has the potential to assist farmers in reducing waste, while improving crop yields. This not only boosts agricultural productivity but also contributes to food security in Africa—ensuring that food is cheap and accessible and that fewer people are hungry.  

The foregoing evidences how coding can transform Africa, and together, we can drive meaningful change and create a brighter future for all. If you feel inspired, then join us to develop more creative and innovative coding talents, including aspiring developers. Together, we can make a huge impact in people's lives and drive sustainable development. We hope to inspire you to use your coding superpowers to improve the lives of current citizens as well as citizens of the future.

Last week we celebrated World Creativity and Innovation Day, which is observed annually on 21 April. Launched by the United Nations, the aim is to encourage the world to embrace innovation to harness the economic potential of nations. This could be through job creation as well as expanding opportunities for everyone, including women and youth.

Innovation can provide solutions to some of the most pressing problems, such as poverty eradication and the elimination of hunger. At Africa Code Week (ACW), we recognise that through creativity and innovation, we can ensure African Youth and teachers are equipped for the jobs of the 21st century.

"This is why ACW encourages creativity and innovation through technology,” explains Olajide Ademola Ajayi, ACW’s Global Coordinator. “Africa’s Technology industry is estimated to be worth $4.77 billion and is expected to double in growth by 2030 with the youth population driving this trend.”

The proof is in the pudding: ACW results speak for themselves

“The ACW programme was born, to improve the digital skills of Africa’s youth and teachers while empowering them to use creativity and innovation to solve some of the content’s most pressing issues. Since our launch in 2015, SAP, UNESCO, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), and Irish Aid, we are proud to have empowered over 14 million students and teachers from 48 countries with digital skills on our quest to make sure no one is left behind in the evolution of technology and its benefits,” highlights Claire Gillissen-Duval, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility EMEA MEE at SAP and co-founder of ACW.

“Innovation and creativity is really what shines through in our AfriCAN Code Challenge,” says Gillissen-Duval. “We get to see young people between the ages of 8 and 16 from all over the continent come up with solutions that could solve local community issues.”

For example, she adds that in 2022, they are tasked with developing a multiplayer game that proposes a sustainable solution for protecting life. “The submitted projects were phenomenal and a true reflection of the talent and creative thinking behind African youth. We are proud to see this creativity and innovation over the years and can’t wait to see what will come to fruition in the future.”

The power of partnerships bears fruit

Did you know that there are approximately 300 million young people in Africa, and ACW’s goal is to empower every one of them with digital skills?

“In order to reach more young people, ACW has been working with various African governments to make digital skills accessible to young people from underserved and underrepresented communities. And for the next two years, we will be taking this partnership into the next step and handing over the ACW curriculum to African governments to include it in their school curricula,” says Sunil Geness, Director of Government Affairs at SAP Africa.

“Not only will this equate to economic growth and better employment opportunities, but it will enable an inclusive and diverse tech industry in the continent, which on its own could boost creativity through the diversity of thought and ideas,” Geness concludes.

For the third consecutive year, Africa Code Week’s AfriCAN Code Challenge (ACC) continues to grow in popularity and reach. The winner of this year’s ACC 2022 edition was handed to the Ravinalo Project developed by Henintsoa, Warren and Shekinah from Madagascar.

“From start to finish, this has been one of the most exciting editions of ACC. The youth of Africa have yet again proven their talents and strong 21st century skillset with creative and conceptual games delivered,” says Olajide Ademola Ajayi, SAP ACW Global Coordinator.

AfriCAN Youth rise for the coding challenge

The AfriCAN Code Challenge is a coding contest that spans across Africa, inviting all-young individuals from different walks of life from 8 - 16 year to develop a game using the Scratch programming language.

This year’s competition saw thousands of entries from more than 30 countries spanning as far as South Africa and Ethiopia. In September 2020, SAP Africa Code Week launched the challenge with support from partners such as UNESCO, Irish Aid, and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA).

Over the years, the competition has evolved into an annual event that celebrates the creativity and technological skills of African youth. For the 2022 challenge, youths were called upon to develop a multiplayer game that proposes a sustainable solution for protecting life. Thereafter, they were asked to create and share a 3-minute YouTube video that details how their game works, the coding techniques used, and how it aligns with the theme and evaluation standards.

The winners of the AfriCAN Code Challenge were selected by a distinguished panel consisting of Africa Code Week delegates, SAP employees, and STEM education specialists.

This year’s Top 3 winners:

First place: Madagascar - Ravinalo by Henintsoa, Warren, and Shekinah
Second place: Mauritius - Mission Reboot by Nikhil, Mithil, Seeya, Grace, and Kesha
Third place: Nigeria - Chase 'N' Recycle by Team Techlite

Followed by:

4. Sao Tome & Principe - Saving the World
5. Morocco - Golden Planet
6. Ethiopia - Mission Re
7. Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's Heros
8. South Africa - Eco World
9. Cameroon - Reboisons Notre Terre
10. Gabon - Ntoutoume Evan

Beyond AfriCAN Code Challenge

Research shows that the digital participation could assist in driving the economic growth and development of Africa. This suggests that increased investment in digital infrastructure and skills could have a significant impact on the continent's economic development.

Claire Gillissen-Duval, Senior director of EMEA and MEE Corporate Social Responsibility and Co-founder of Africa Code Week at SAP says, “ACW is currently in a transition period where we will be transferring the ACW curriculum to the ministries of Education to assist in the integration of coding into school curricula. Once they introduce coding into schools, we look forward to seeing sustainable growth in the number of participants in the AfriCAN Code Challenge as ministries will have a wider reach and access to more young people.”

For more information about SAP Africa Code Week and the AfriCAN Code Challenge, or how you can get involved, visit www.africacodeweek.org or connect and follow on social media @AfricaCodeWeek.

ACW’s Women Empowerment Program - Empowering Female Teachers to Lead Africa's Digital Revolution

Back by popular demand, Semester 2 of Africa Code Week's Women Empowerment Program (WEP) officially kicked off this October. This Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program equips African female teachers and educators in Computer Science and STEM with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully teach, inspire, mentor, and prepare girls for tomorrow’s tech workplace. The WEP thereby supports ACW’s ambitious plans to transform the continent’s education system by including digital literacy in national curricula – in line with the work of UN SDGs 4, 5 and 17.

Female teachers’ role has never been greater.

Research suggests that female teachers increase girls’ test scores and their likelihood of staying in school. Beyond academics, female teachers can also heighten girls’ aspirations and lower their likelihood of being subject to violence. The WEP was first launched in 2019 by SAP, UNESCO, Irish Aid, the Moroccan Ministry of National Education, and Camden education as a joint response to bridge the digital gender gap and related pressing issues across Africa. The program actively supports female teachers on their leadership and mentoring journey while providing a safe learning platform for them to explore current barriers to girls’ education. They also develop innovative ideas to overcome these barriers, honing a wide array of tools and skills along the way - from Design Thinking and storytelling all the way to animation and digital tools.

Taking place over six weeks with live interpretation in English and French, the ACW WEP workshops also involve global advocates for girls,  policymakers, scholars, pedagogues, and change-makers from organizations such as SAP, UNESCO, DCU, Global Partnership for Education, Innovation Academy and many more. These expert speakers unpack multiple ways to transform learning through virtual and digital tools. Two weeks ago, the program welcomed Vanessa Sinden, an award-winning film producer from the Cape Town based Triggerfish animation studios, for one inspiring ‘Storytelling and animation in the classroom workshop.

Innovation in Education : tackling Africa's unemployment challenges

Recent studies also show that animation strengthens learning and makes the teaching–learning process fun. Educating students through moving motion pictures and drawings can significantly enhance their performance, reducing failure and other challenges such as the high dropout rate. The introduction of animation in learning could also trigger interest and passion for animation early in a pupil’s life, stimulating it as a viable career opportunity across Africa. As a result, this could potentially curb the continent’s high unemployment rate, with the African animation market growing by around 7% during 2015-2020 and is expected to boom post the COVID-19 pandemic.

WEP 2022 Semester 2 participants presented their team projects on Girls' Health Education and well-being supporting SDGs 3, 4 & 5at the November 10th graduation ceremony,  in front of the WEP Alumnae and a high-level panel with:

• Claire Gillissen-Duval, CSR EMEA Senior Director and Co-founder of ACW at SAP.
• Ilham Laaziz, GENIE Program Director, Ministry of National Education, Morocco.
• Carol Hannon, Development Specialist, Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland.
• Jackline Oluoch-Aridi Director of the Nairobi Global Centre, Notre Dame International, University of Notre Dame.

After graduation, the WEP journey continues as each participant is invited to grow further through a structured leadership and upskilling pathway, from first-time participant all the way to program co-moderator. With over 450 alumnae from 40 countries, the WEP continues to strengthen and support ACW’s mission of reaching all corners of Africa, ensuring that no child is left behind in the digital era.

To learn more about Africa Code Week and the Women Empowerment Program, visit www.africacodeweek.org or read WEP’s latest news on LinkedIn.

Jokkolabs: 8 hubs for digital innovation in West Africa

Did you know that Jokkolabs is a pioneer in open innovation, digital transformation and social entrepreneurship in Africa, and works to structure an ecosystem where collaborative dynamics bring about change? Its vision is to create a digital innovation ecosystem, leading to new ways of collaborating, experimenting and creating with the aim of achieving shared prosperity. There are 8 Jokkolabs hubs located in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Gambia, Senegal, Cameroon, France, and Burkina Faso.

Since 2018, Jokkolabs Executive Director, Fatim, has served as Africa Code Week (ACW)’s Francophone Africa coordinator, helping to build capacity in communities to expand digital education across the continent and equip young people with the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century. We sat down with her to discuss her ACW experience.

Could you please outline the role Jokkolabs plays in the Africa Code Week initiative?

Jokkolabs is the implementation partner for ACW in francophone Africa, coordinating the actions of the ACW ambassadors in Ivory Coast, Gambia, Togo, Benin, Senegal, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger and the Republic of the Congo. We are proud to be involved in supporting youth on their coding journey.

What is your favourite part of ACW?

I would say that it is the impact on young people at an early age and having the opportunity to empower teachers. This we achieve through the provision of continent-wide coding workshops to children between the ages of 8 and 16, as well as via our Train-the-Trainer (TTT) sessions where we upskill teachers.

How is ACW helping to prepare children across the continent for the future?

It helps their creativity. For instance, with the AfriCAN Code Challenge which is a pan-African coding competition that forms part of ACW, children are tasked with coding a game using the Scratch programming language to help address societal issues. This is a more efficient way for kids to educate themselves and society. ACW also gives them the opportunity to become producers and not only consumers. It enables them to develop a very critical mindset and helps pave the way for their futures.

In what ways have you had to adapt due to the impact of COVID-19?

Thanks to the support of the SAP team and its partners, we were able to deliver online sessions which also provided a new perspective on the way we deliver training. Although the infrastructural challenges remain, we are still confident that they will fade away going forward as online learning is the future of education.

What are you looking forward to the most about ACW 2022?

I am hoping for greater ownership of the program by local authorities who can introduce coding to the school curriculum. Coding is crucial for young people as this helps them develop problem-solving abilities, improves creativity, and enhances performance in reading, maths, and science. Plus, it equips them for a world transformed by technology.

 Albert Nsengiyumva from the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) shares his thoughts on the past two years of Africa Code Week and the role digital skills play in preparing African youth for the future

What do you love about Africa Code Week?

I love how the program is free to learners and teachers across Africa and that it offers them an opportunity to enhance their digital skills. Coding and computational thinking are so important for Africa’s youth. Without them, young people won’t be ready for the jobs of the future in which humans will work alongside machines through artificial intelligence. One of the other things I love about Africa Code Week is its focus improving digital education for girls.

What role does ADEA play?

The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) partnered with Africa Code Week in 2020, joining UNESCO and Irish Aid to provide the expertise and government relations. As the Executive Secretary of ADEA and official ACW Patron, I see our role as fighting for quality, inclusive education in Africa that is relevant to the needs of business and industry in the 21st century.

How is Africa Code Week helping prepare children across the continent for the future?

Because Africa has the youngest population in the world, it’s important that we give African youth a ladder to climb their way out of poverty. In my view, this can only be done through education and through events like Africa Code Week which provide young people with valuable coding skills. Coding is a language and if young people are fluent in it, they will be better prepared for the digital world.

In what ways has Africa Code Week had to adapt due to the impact of COVID-19?

In 2020, Africa Code Week pivoted from in-person events to holding most events online. Surprisingly, these virtual events had a much greater reach and were able to be enjoyed by students and teachers in many more African countries. For instance, in 2020 we successfully reached 1.5 million youth, of which nearly half were girls. Over 10,500 workshops were held across 43 countries and 21,000 teachers participated in Train-the-Trainer sessions. This is a real accomplishment and something to be proud of.

Looking ahead, what are your plans for Africa Code Week?

Our goals remain the same: to empower young Africans with digital literacy skills. How we do it may change, as evidenced by the evolution to virtual training sessions due to the global pandemic and the launch of the smartphone app in 2020. What I would really like to see are more African governments pledging to offer coding as part of their national school curriculum. So far, through the efforts of Africa Code Week, nine countries have already done so. I’d like to see a whole lot more!

Albert Nsengiyumva is the Executive Secretary of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa, one of the key partners for Africa Code Week, along with SAP, UNESCO, and Irish Aid. 

Back by popular demand, our Africa Code Week Women Empowerment Program continues to grow in acclaim and success. Since 2019, this unique Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program has been equipping African female educators with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully teach, inspire and prepare girls for tomorrow’s tech workplace.

Our aim is to close the digital gender gap and help ensure that everyone plays a role in shaping Africa’s future in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. To do this, we bring together teachers to foster an educational, collaborative, and innovative environment that supports the Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Research captures evidence of panellists sharing digital expertise, and Research provides evidence of the use of the event / workshop methodology and group work to support educators address ‘health, community, education, technology and policy’ barriers to girls education, with educators using the program as a platform to amplify their stories and experiences.

Improving digital skills one teacher at a time

During COVID-19, teachers around the world had to adapt to new circumstances and technology. But most teachers in Africa found that technology was the biggest barrier they faced when it came to teaching their students online. This is because before COVID, many African teachers had received little or no technology training. As a result, they had to adapt and innovate to support learners, parents and caregivers so that learning could continue, despite the uncertainty caused by the virus.

At Africa Code Week, we seek to ensure that the advantages of the global digital economy are available to all, and female teachers are the gateway to this. Our program improves their digital skills, which is vital especially as digital learning is here to stay. This, in turn, will support female teachers to ensure that their students get the education they need to take on 21st century jobs. For instance, WEP participants are applying digital skills and using the design thinking process to create projects that respond to SDG 3, 4 and 5 challenges.

A strong progression model

Research also revealed that the ACW WEP provides an accessible online context for female educators to continue in their professional development during a period of significant educational change, and uncertainty, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. In other words, we are making waves and we are not slowing down. Following the 2021 program, 295 graduates are now part of our community of female leaders across 38 African countries.

To keep the momentum, the first seven-week series of 2022 kicked-off in February, bringing together 70+ African women teachers and leaders to share best teaching practices, learn new skills, and create an ongoing community of practice. The program also provides high-level professional development for participants in the areas of leadership, communications, digital skills, design thinking, global citizenship, and resilience. This season, participants leveraged the WEP methodology and group work to address the ‘health, community, education, technology and policy’ barriers to girls’ education’ while learning how to amplify their stories and experiences.

Lastly, from participant to country host, the ACW WEP offers a progression model that provides a structured leadership pathway for every participating teacher.

Building female leadership in African education

Our acclaimed WEP panel discussions provide a platform for intelligent discussion and open debate. Global advocates for girls, policy makers, scholars, change makers: this season brought together high-level experts from SAP, Irish Aid, the Global Partnership for Education, the Moroccan Ministry of National Education, Deloitte, and Maynooth University.

Equally famous is the WEP Teachers’ Corner, where the most inspiring stories can be heard from heroes working wonders on the field: female teachers who inspire generations of girls to become more than they thought they would be. This year again, their voices were heard on social media and they even got to take part in a short-story-telling challenge for International Women’s Day.

We look forward to elevating the role of women in digital education, innovation, and mentorship in Africa this year and beyond!

March 10th Ceremony: Expert Panelists Claire Gillissen-Duval (SAP), Carol Hannon (Irish Aid), Ilham Laaziz & Amal Hassoun (Moroccan Ministry of Education) with WEP 2022 Co-Moderators (Vickie Nxumalo, Hafida Essardi, Nadine Ferris-France and Hala Ali).

ENDS

Returning for the second year, the Africa Code Week AfriCAN Code Challenge presents their top 10 winners with Devansh and Darshika from Mauritius as the Pan-African competition winners!

An annual celebration of coding throughout Africa

The AfriCAN Code Challenge is a pan-African coding competition where youth aged 8 - 16 were tasked with coding a game using the Scratch programming language to address the theme that was determined by the Africa Code Week team. This competition was launched by SAP Africa Code Week and partners UNESCO, Irish Aid and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) in September 2020, and since then has become an annual celebration of youth and innovation in Africa.

The rationale for chosing this year’s superheroe theme was to allow children to unleash their creativity and express themselves freely on issues they feel are important to them. Davide Storti, Coordinator of the YouthMobile Initiative at UNESCO, says: “The post-pandemic education recovery starts with allowing our children to regain confidence and hope, and with us adults reopening spaces, although virtual, for them to access their fullest potential."

To take part in the AfriCAN Code Challenge, youth were able to enter alone or in teams of up to five people, and entries featured a three-minute YouTube video showcasing how their game works and why it should be considered a winning entry. The unique initiative and entry mechanism called upon the children’s ability to design a project that would solve a community-issue, code it, and communicate it.

The winners of the AfriCAN Code Challenge 2021

During the opening rounds of the challenge, participation reached across 40 countries and featured 102 project video clips, only the top three entries from 36 countries made it into the continental final, followed by 20 countries in the final judging stage.

Selected by a high-level jury comprising key Africa Code Week delegates and STEM education experts, the top three winners of the AfriCAN Code Challenge are:

The top 3

First place: Mauritius – Super Recyclers, by Devansh and Darshika
Second place: Nigeria – The Carbon Man, by SUPER GAMERS
Third place: Ethiopia – Kids Academy, by Natnael Kedir

Followed by:

4: Niger - Rayuwa
5: Sao Tome & Principe - Helper intrigue
6: Tunisia - Le toucher du bonheur
7: Capo Verde - Change the World with US
8: Morocco – Super hero
9: Seychelles - The Prodigies
10: Madagascar - Pensons civisme

The 2021 edition of the AfriCAN Code Challenge was quite unique, as for the first time, hearing-impaired students participated in the competition proving once again that coding is the language of inclusivity and creativity.

Irish Minister of State for overseas development aid and diaspora Colm Brophy T.D, who attended the Rwanda AfriCAN Code Challenge national awards ceremony says, “Africa Code Week unlocks the potential in young people who otherwise may not have considered building their digital skills”

Claire Gillissen-Duval, Director of EMEA Corporate Social Responsibility and Co-founder of Africa Code Week at SAP adds, “The  return of the AfriCAN Code Challenge was awaited by our incredible SAP volunteers who took part in the first line of jury. The presence of hearing-impaired students demonstrates the power of inclusivity that resides in digital literacy, in its capacity to build bridges and connect children of an entire continent, regardless of gender, age or ability.”

For more information about SAP Africa Code Week and the AfriCAN Code Challenge, visit www.africacodeweek.org

Calling all coding enthusiasts: did you know that more children in Africa are likely to have access to a smart phone than a computer? Here’s five reasons to download the Africa Code Week app and put those 21st century skills to practice!

Boost digital skills

The ACW app allows you to progress your skillset according to your ability and level. Available in 4 languages (English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic) with more than 30 coding lessons based on MIT’s Scratch, the app is accessible for all to improve their digital knowledge.

Prepare for 21st century jobs

Every future job will at some stage require digital skills! You may dream of becoming a lawyer or a doctor one day, but whatever profession you choose, digital skills are imperative. For example, if you become a surgeon, you’ll likely rely on computer systems to perform intricate procedures and monitor the well-being of your patients. If you become a lawyer, artificial intelligence (AI) may help you understand previous cases in order to build your own strategy when you defend your client in court. The clock is ticking!

Teachers can be inspired too

If you’re a teacher, the ACW app will help you prepare your own coding lessons. Many teachers feel daunted by coding and may not understand it. The app not only helps to get ahead and grasp the basics of coding, but teachers can also explain the subject with more confidence.

Teachers can upskill themselves

In learning how to code and how to teach coding, teachers will be able to prepare their students for the future, as well as future-proof their own careers. Rather than feeling threatened, teachers can embrace new technology and the creative possibilities that it holds for their students.

Join a community of like-minded people across Africa

The wonderful thing about technology is how it can transcend borders and unite people. One of the niftiest benefits of the app is how it can find and reach similar people and interest groups who share the same passion for coding. Who knows, you could even collaborate on an interactive game that will be the next winner at the AfriCAN Code Challenge!

The Africa Code Week smartphone app is designed to make teaching and learning material about coding accessible to everyone. Available on the Google Play Store, it is easy to use for both teachers and students. Let the code (and fun), begin!

Returning for a second edition, the AfriCAN Code Challenge is a pan-African coding competition where youth aged 8 to 16 were tasked with coding a game using the Scratch programming language to show how they would change the world with their superpowers. Youth were able to enter alone or in teams of up to five people, tapping into a wide range of essential skills from problem-solving and coding all the way to teamwork and communications. Each entry had to include a three-minute YouTube video showing how the game works and why it should win.

In total, 40 countries participated, with over 100 project videos submitted. The top three entries from 36 countries made it into the continental final, with 20 projects making it to the final judging stage!

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De retour pour la deuxième édition, l'AfriCAN Code Challenge est un concours de codage pour les jeunes de 8 à 16 ans. Leur mission : programmer un jeu en utilisant le langage de programmation Scratch sur le thème : « Change le monde avec tes super pouvoirs ! » Les jeunes pouvaient participer seuls ou en équipes de cinq personnes maximums, en faisant appel à un large éventail de compétences essentielles - de la résolution de problèmes à la programmation en passant par le travail d'équipe et la communication. Chaque participation devait inclure une vidéo YouTube de trois minutes montrant le fonctionnement du jeu.

Au total, 40 pays ont participé, et plus de 100 vidéos de projets ont été soumises. Les trois meilleurs projets de 36 pays ont été retenus pour la finale continentale : sur ces 36 projets, 20 projets ont été retenus pour la dernière phase!

Here are the 20 projects that made it through to the final round / Voici les 20 projets finalistes :

Ivory Coast:  Mégaménage
Niger:  Rayuwa
Gabon:  Stop Déchet
Djibouti: Ecole Excellence
Madagascar: Pensons civisme
Tunisia: Le toucher du bonheur
Nigeria: The Carbon Man
The Gambia: Quiz Game
Rwanda: Master Jump Game
Uganda: Save Planet Earth Project
Ethiopia: Kids Academy
Mauritius: Super Recyclers
South Africa: Eco friendly game
Zimbabwe: Recycle it
Sudan: Saving Children
Seychelles: The Prodigies
Capo Verde : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_i1RC73Cmk 
Sao Tome & Principe: Helper intrigue
Morocco: Super Hero 
Libya: https://youtu.be/9sYZNsYEjFs

Despite the dual challenges of low internet penetration and a switch to virtual teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers in Ghana have embraced the opportunity to learn 21st century digital teaching skills during this year’s Africa Code Week Train-the-Trainer campaign.

Ghana's population growth: a challenge and an opportunity

Ghana has a fast-growing population that more than doubled from 14.2 million people in 1989 to 28.8 million people in 2017. Nearly 39% of the population is under the age of 15, a demographic dividend that the Ghanaian government aims to harness through improved education opportunities for all its youth.

Speaking at the launch of last year’s Train-the-Trainer activities in Ghana, Minister of Education, Hon. Dr. Yaw Adutwum, said: “Coding is not just a skill. It’s a different way of teaching and a different way of learning that puts the student at the centre of the learning process.”

More than 39 000 teachers in 37 countries were mobilised during the 2019 Africa Code Week. This year, with both a virtual and a hybrid format due to the impact of the pandemic, Africa Code Week is taking place in all African countries, including a month-long series of virtual coding sessions that took place across the continent from October until December.

Teachers embrace digital learning opportunity

Francis Ahene-Affoh, SVP at the DreamOval Foundation, says there was a high level of interest in the Train-the-Trainer sessions this year despite the challenging conditions of the pandemic.

A survey conducted by the DreamOval Foundation of participating teachers revealed many would choose to continue with online learning in future. “While the majority of participants at this year’s Train-the-Trainer sessions were from the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions, this year’s virtual learning model also enabled teachers from every part of Ghana to participate,” says Ahene-Affoh. "We believe this indicates a need for virtual teaching to continue even when the pandemic subsides, as the travel to attend training sessions in person can be an obstacle to teachers' participation.”

Internet connectivity continues to be a challenge in Ghana, and few teachers have access to laptops. “Despite not having resources, more than half of teachers surveyed joined the sessions via their mobile phones. This level of commitment and passion for teaching and digital skills development is hugely encouraging as we work to prepare the country’s youth for participation in the digital economy,” says Ahene-Affoh.

Mobilising youth in continent-wide coding challenge

A recent addition to Africa Code Week activities is the AfriCanCode Challenge, a continent-wide coding challenge calling on youth aged 8 to 16 to compete in a competition. The competition was launched in September last year in partnership with SAP, UNESCO YouthMobile and Irish Aid.

According to Mustapha Diyaol Haqq, Africa Code Week’s 2019-2020 youth ambassador in Ghana, interest in the AfriCanCode Challenge has been high among Ghanaian youth. “Despite low levels of internet penetration in Ghana, young aspiring coders from across the country have taken up the challenge. Through teamwork, problem-solving and newly-developed coding skills, youth are putting forward their vision for what the future of education holds for the continent."

Cathy Smith, Managing Director at SAP Africa, says:

About SAP

SAP’s strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world’s transaction revenue touches an SAP® system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers’ businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want – without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve people’s lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com.