Miss Geek: Meet the Girls Driving Rwanda's Tech Revolution, A KT Press Report

    KIGALI, RWANDA, April 15, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Rwanda is known to be home to some of the most beautiful women in the world. And, the search for the finest girl to crown "Miss Rwanda" is one of the most intense beauty contests there is.

With a wide spectrum of qualities displayed by contestants, judges are always confronted with the decision to choose the winner.

However, organizers discovered there is more to the Rwandan girls than their beauty; tech-savvyness.

In 2014, the 'Miss Geek' pageant contest was introduced. The Criteria? Brain power !

Last year, the contest was held in Kigali City, during Women's Day.

As contestants walked onto the stage, there was a moment of silence. With immense curiosity, the crowd impatiently waited for the next move.

Facing the audience, a contestant went berserk; pitching a complex tech-business idea.

One of the organizers, Vanessa Umutoni, a software developer at Pivot Access, an ICT company and a member of the 'Girls in ICT' organisation, says the primary qualification for Miss Geek is to have a project with a unique technology aspect.

At the contest, girls identify a problem affecting their community and provide a technology-based solution.

Miss Geek contest has breaken the stereotypes that science is for men, says Umutoni. The thousands of Rwandan girls are now inspired into the tech world.

With her "Mobile Cow App", 21-year old Nancy Sibo, an app developer, was crowned the first ever Miss Geek.

Now 200 farmers use Sibo's app to monitor their cows' gestation period and milk productivity.

This year, girls will present affordable social learning platforms to bridge the education gap in Rwanda by transfering knowledge, both online and offline.

The winner will receive Rwf2 million ($2800), a trip to an international tech conference, a tablet surface, a laptop and and internship.

An event that started with no sponsorship, is now supported by Rwanda's First Lady, Jeannette Kagame under her charity, Imbuto Foundation, the UNDP Women, among others.

Unlike the Miss Rwanda contest earlier this year that was characterised by angelic-looking girls, with many failing in critical thinking, Miss Geek contest is anticipated to unlock Rwanda's hidden tech-beauties.

Read the full article at: http://ktpress.rw/?p=1490

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