Providing functional skills to young girls, thus improving their quality of life
I first heard about Abisoye when she was a nominee of the
CNN Heroes program. A lot of Nigerians on my timeline, where soliciting for fellow Nigerians to vote for her so that she could win that honorable position with CNN. Although she ended up not winning, she was one of the top ten honorees, and won a place in my heart, when I learned about the work she does through her foundation:Pearls Africa.
Image Courtesy of Abisoye's Instagram
When I discover people like this, my heart is usually drawn to them, because the non-profit/charitable industry, is something I am interested in. The industry shows that not all hope is lost, there are still people out there who care for humanity around them. Pearls Africa, founded by Abisoye, is an organization that is committed to providing functional skills to young girls, to improve their quality of life.
They believe in using technology as a tool to empower these young ladies, so they can be able to thrive in an industry that is dominated by men. Abisoye left a high profile job, to dedicate herself to this cause. As a result, Girls Coding was birth out of her desire to empower young girls through technology. The young girls, who come from impoverished areas around Nigeria, IDP camps, and orphanages, are taught how to code.
They do not just code for the fun of it; they code with a purpose, the CNN honoree reveals. The program which is for girls ages 10-17, offers training in robotics, coding, leadership skills, public speaking, confidence, and self-esteem, which they believe will lead to economic independence. Their program has expanded from Lagos to other parts of Nigeria. The young ladies are now coders, thinkers, and problem solvers.
Image Courtesy of Pearlsafrica.org
The girls also want to give back to their communities, by creating apps and websites like Hope Baskets, which bridges the gap between the rich and the poor. They connect with people who want to declutter their homes and give away food items, clothing, books and so on. They pick up these items and give them to those who need them. Another young lady in the program, helped create an app, called Makoko fresh, connecting fishermen directly to consumers, who want to buy fresh fish.
‘Whatever you did, for one the least of these, you did it for me.’ Jesus
These young girls are already thinking outside the box. So we can tell that the organization is empowering them through the skills, they learn about. They also visit tech companies and are placed with them for internship opportunities. Abisoye’s dream is for the gap, in the tech world, to be bridged between males and females. She wants equal opportunities for everyone.
The vision of Pearls Africa Foundation is: dedication to reduce and eliminate violence, abuse, rape, gender inequality, human trafficking, and poverty, among young girls and women, which is usually prevalent in underserved communities.
Let us join forces with organizations like Pearls Africa Foundation, and support a great cause. To learn more about them and how you can be a part of the organization, visit pearlsafrica.org. Congratulations to Abisoye and her team, for gaining recognition for the amazing work that they are doing through their foundation.
Do you have anyone doing extraordinary work in your community? Would you like for them to be featured on Let’s Talk Nation? Leave your comments below, or email us at info@letstalknationblog.com. Do you want to make a difference? Start serving in whatever area God has called you to serve. For more articles like this, visit the Spotlight segment of this website. Remember to like, share, and subscribe, never to miss an update on LTN.
About The Author: Evi Idoghor is a Christian, writer, content creator on letstalknationblog.com, and a graduate of chemical engineering from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Consumed by her love for writing and desire to effect change, she launched her online platform
Let’s Talk Nation, to tap into her creativity and start meaningful conversations that would make a difference around the world.