10-year-oldMalawiwhizkidimpressesFacebookfounderwithhismobileappByEdwinNyirongo
ThestoriesofPanashe,Walter,DanielandThandieandtheirachievementsattheFacebookF8ConferenceinSiliconValleyis[an]inspirationtootheryoungandbuddingsoftwaredevelopersandMalawiyouthingeneral.
MalawianPresidentPeterMutharika
Ten-year-oldPanasheJere,asixthgraderinMalawi’scapitalcityLilongwe,seemsnodifferentfromotherboysofhisage.Slightandquiet,hebordersonbeingshy.Butsethimamonghistools-computers,softwareandsmartphones-andhebecomesawhizkidwhocancreatenewmobileapplications.
TelekomsNetworkMalawi(TNM),oneofMalawi’smobilenetworkoperators,recentlyorganizedaTNMSmartChallengeInformationandCommunicationTechnology(ICT)Competitiontoprovidethestudentcommunityaplatformwheretheycouldshowcasetheirinnovationinmobileapplication.
TheyoungPanasheheardaboutthecompetitionanddecidedtotryhisluck.Becauseofhisage,noonetookhimseriouslybutheignoredthenaysayersandfocusedonthetaskathand.
“Itwasnotaneasydecisiontomakebecausecompetitions,especiallythosethatinvolveICT,arenormallyenteredbyolderpeople.ButsinceIwasdeterminedtohaveatry,Ijoinedin,”hetoldChinAfrica.
Perseverancepaysoff
Hisdeterminationpaidoff.PanashewonintheSmartKidcategoryinMarchwiththeapphehaddeveloped,calledTalkToMe.
“Thisappconvertswrittentextintowords.Inotherwords,itspeakswhatapersonhastyped,”heexplained.Thevoicefromthetextallowschildrentohavesomeonetheycantalkto-avirtualcompanion.
Threeuniversitystudents-MalawianDanielMvaloandThandieMagasa,alongwithWalterMoyo,aUgandanstudentcurrentlyworkinginMalawi,developedahealthserviceappcalledMartenitachtowinintheSmartStudentcategory.Allthreeare22.
Theirappgivespregnancyandcontraceptiveinformation.Itprovidesweeklyupdates,informingusersthestageofpregnancytheyarein.Italsoestimatesdeliverydatesandanswersquestionswomenhaveduringpregnancy.
InApril,TNMflewthefourwinnerstotheworld’stechnologynervecenter,SiliconValleyintheUnitedStates,wheretheyspent10daysvisitingvariousinstitutions.TheyalsohadtheopportunitytomeetFacebookfounderMarkZuckerbergattheFacebookF8ConferenceinSanFrancisco.
ZuckerbergwasfullofpraisefortheMalawiangroup,especiallyPanashe.
“ThisguystartedwritingcodesearlierthanIdid,”animpressedZuckerbergwroteonhisFacebookpage,postingapictureofhimmeetingabeamingPanashe.
Magasadescribedthetourasaninspirationtoyoungdevelopers.
“Myexperienceiseducationalandinspiring.Thisisalifechangerandalifetimeachievement,”shesaid.“Visitinginformationtechnologyhubsissomethingweneveranticipatedinourwildestimaginations.”
TheteamtouredtheheadquartersofFacebook,GoogleandAppleaswellasStanfordUniversityandattendedtheFacebookconference.
Facebookusedits2016conferenceasalaunchpadforproductsdevelopedbyAfricancoders,seekingtohavethemuseitasaglobalmarketingtool.
Justaboy
DespitePanashe’sinformationtechnologyaccomplishments,hisfather,ChimwemweJere,remainscautious.Jeresaidasmuchasheisimpressedwithhisson,hethinksPanasheshouldfirstconcentrateonschool.
“Honestly,IwassurprisedwithhisachievementbecauseIneverthoughtabout[somethinglikethis].ButIbelievethatforhimtoachievewhateverhewants,heneedstogetaneducation,”Jereadded.
Tomakesuretheboy’sloveforcomputersdoesnotaffecthisschoolwork,thefatherhasmadeastrictschedule.
Theyoungsterisallowedonlyanhouronhishomecomputerandanotherhourtowatchtelevisionandrelax.
“Butafterthat,itisallschool.Iamhappythatheisreligiouslyfollowingtheroutine,”Jeresaid.
Askedwhathissonwantstodoinfuture,Jeresaid,“Hewillhavetomakeadecision[himself]becauseIdonotwanttoimposesomethingonhim.ButIseeatechnicalpersonwholikesIT.”
Presidentialsalute
MalawiPresidentPeterMutharika,whoisalsoaUNPopulationFundGlobalChampionfortheYouth,hascongratulatedthefour.InamessagepostedonhisFacebookpage,Mutharikasaidtheirachievementsareaninspirationtoyoungpeopleandurgedotheryoungsterstobeinnovative.
“TheFirstLadyandIwouldliketocongratulatetheyoungMalawianswhorecentlymadeheadlinesfortheirinnovations.ThestoriesofPanashe,Walter,DanielandThandieandtheirachievementsattheFacebookF8ConferenceinSiliconValleyis[an]inspirationtootheryoungandbuddingsoftwaredevelopersandMalawiyouthingeneral,”hesaid.CA
africaReport
Coders’Cradle
Malawi’sfirsttechnologyinnovationhubmHub,basedinLilongwe,isaplacewheretechnologyenthusiastscometomeet,brainstormandcollaborateonvariousissues,beittechnologicalorbusiness-related.
mHubassistantdeveloperNobleHarasaidtherearetwotypesofmembers:startupsandnormalmembers.
“Startupsareupandcomingbusinesspersonswhodon’thaveofficestoworkfromandweprovidethemwiththatspace.Normalmembersarestudents,technologyenthusiastsorpeoplewithjobswhowantspacetheycanworkfrom,”Harasaid.
mHubCommunityManagerVincentKumwendasaidthehubisalsoaplacewherepeoplewithideascomeformentoring.HementionedthreechallengesmHubhelpstosolve:“Thefirstislackofemployment.Ifthesepeoplearehelpedtodeveloptheirideas,theycancreateemploymentforthemselvesandothers.Secondly,thecountrylackshome-grownsolutionsbecausemostoftheappsused,likeinaccountingandpayrollsystems,areforeign.mHubhelpspeopletodevelopsolutionstoproblemsinthecountry.
“Thirdly,itprovidesspaceforyoungpeopletofeelathomeandworkontheirideas.Itprovidesresourcessuchascomputers,Internetandspacewhichtheyusewithoutinterruption,”hesaid.
mHubassistanttechnicalmanagerDanielMvalosaidtheplacealsotrainschildrentodevelopmobileapps.
“ItiscalledKids’CodingClubwherewehavesessionstotrainkidsinbasicprogrammingskills.Thisisdonetwiceaweek,onTuesdaysandThursdaysafterschool.PanasheJereisoneofthosekidswhocomehereregularlytolearn,”Mvalosaid.