Ghanaian student Selasi Ama Domi-Kuwornu won Ms. Geek Africa 2023 at a contest held in Zimbabwe. Domi-Kuwornu, a final-year student at the University of Cape Coast, won the competition with her project “Kasa-Cash,” an offline system that enables people without access to financial services to manage their finances without third-party assistance. She was awarded a certificate, a laptop, a smartphone, and a cash prize of $5,000. In addition, digital transformation company Ascend Digital promised her an extra $1,000 and a job opportunity in Accra. Domi-Kuwornu will also be sponsored by GITEX Africa to participate in the GITEX Africa Digital Summit in Marrakech, Morocco, from May 31 to June 2, 2023.
Ms. Geek Ghana Competition
The Ms. Geek Africa competition seeks to change young girls’ attitudes towards the adoption of ICT and equip them with digital skills, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls. The competition aims to highlight the role of females in the tech sector and offer young girls an opportunity to showcase their talents. The Ministry encourages all technology and telecommunications companies to partner with them to provide prizes not just to the top three finalists but to all the top ten finalists to encourage, inspire and motivate them to continue innovating.
The Ms. Geek Africa competition aims to empower girls in the field of ICT and promote innovation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The competition is open to females between the ages of 13 and 25 to submit a technology-based solution aimed at solving basic challenges faced in Ghana and Africa. The competition encourages 15% of girls and women in Ghana to pursue careers in STEM fields within five years. It also aims to promote innovation among 20% of Ghanaian girls in STEM annually.
Domi-Kuwornu’s Winning Project Domi-Kuwornu’s winning project, Kasa-Cash, is an innovative solution to help illiterate and underserved communities perform financial services without third-party assistance. This offline system allows people to easily manage their finances by accessing financial services without an internet connection.
Selasi Ama Domi-Kuwornu’s win at the Ms. Geek Africa Competition 2023 highlights the important role of technology in addressing challenges unique to Africa.
