ACW Archives - 51风流Africa News Center News & Information About SAP Wed, 27 Sep 2023 19:45:44 +0000 en-ZA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Conquering Africa鈥檚 Digital Divide: 51风流Africa Code Week Empowers 2.6 million Youth in 2022 /africa/2023/03/conquering-africas-digital-divide-sap-africa-code-week-empowers-2-6-million-youth-in-2022/ Fri, 24 Mar 2023 07:19:04 +0000 /africa/?p=144372 An estimated 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills in 2030, according to a听谤别辫辞谤迟听by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). One programme supporting...

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An estimated 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills in 2030, according to a听by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). One programme supporting young Africans to take advantage of these opportunities is the continent鈥檚 biggest youth digital skills initiative, (ACW) which actively engaged +2,6 million participants in 2022, by equipping them with 21st-century skills.

鈥淪ince ACW鈥檚 launch in 2015, , , and share a common goal to empower young people with the digital skills set they need today to ensure they are prepared for the workforce of tomorrow,鈥 comments Claire Gillissen-Duval, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility EMEA and MEE at SAP.

She says that through 37 121 workshops held across the continent, she is thrilled to report that more than 48% of participants were female, with an additional 9,900 youth with special needs. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 digital world is continually evolving and changing through the rapid adoption of technology, this is widening Africa鈥檚 digital divide with even more marginalized and underserved communities getting left behind.鈥

Collaboration is key to powering digital learning

Partnerships are at the core of the 51风流ACW model. In 2022, Morocco has led the continent鈥檚 conversation around equipping young people with digital skills, followed by Nigeria and Cameroon. 鈥淭his year, we saw 1,4 million participants from Morocco, 100听000 in Nigeria, and in Cameroon, we had 897听000,鈥 says Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, UNESCO鈥檚 Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information. 鈥淥ne of the reasons behind the major success of ACW in those countries, and especially in Morocco, has been partnering with the governments and particularly, with the Ministries of Education.

To illustrate this, Ilham Laaziz, Director of the at the Moroccan Ministry of National Education, Early Education, and Athletics, highlights that the Moroccan government has deployed several initiatives to integrate digital skills in schools. 鈥淛oining forces with the private sector has proven to result in a powerful synergy. Beyond launching a generation of future coders, we seek to develop the algorithmic mindset that will enable them to acquire logical reasoning skills and problem solving skills they need to lead successful careers and contribute to the development of our country 鈥 and our continent.鈥

Coding Africa鈥檚 school curricula

Over the past seven years, close to 14 million students and teachers from 48 countries have been empowered with digital skills through ACW. 2023 will now see the coding program shift into second phase by accelerating this process even further to ensure greater impact and reach.

鈥淭here are approximately 300 million[i] young people in Africa, and our goal is to empower each and every one of them with digital skills,鈥 says Emmanuel Raptopoulos, President of SAP鈥檚 EMEA South region, which includes Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. 鈥淎 vision like ours requires all stakeholders to work together and collaborate for the betterment of the continent and its future leaders. This is why the ACW curriculum will be handed to governments to support them in introducing coding into school curricula.鈥

Commencing the two-year action plan, ACW hosted a three-day event in Morocco in Rabat which was attended by various government officials and education representatives from ten African countries. The gathering marked the start of a two-year transition period, where governments will play an even greater role in fostering the adoption of coding by running the ACW program as part of their curricula.

鈥淭his was the start of a bigger vision which calls for governments to play a bigger role in encouraging the use of coding in schools by implementing the ACW program into their curricula,鈥 says Julius Fomboh, Inspector General of Pedagogy in charge of Computer Science Education in the Ministry of secondary Education in Cameroon, and member of the ACW transition taskforce. 鈥淚n order for the continent to successfully equip young people with the skills required for the future, all stakeholders need to come together and unite.鈥

Gillissen-Duval concludes, 鈥淭o date, nine African countries have officially adopted coding as a mandatory subject in public education[ii]. This number must grow to level the playing field and ensure every African child, youth and teacher has the opportunity to reach their potential and contribute to their community. By investing in digital education, African nations choose to create a better future for their citizens and equip them with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing 21st century world.鈥

[i]

[ii]

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ACW Announces 2022 AfriCAN Code Challenge Winners /africa/2023/03/acw-announces-2022-african-code-challenge-winners/ Mon, 06 Mar 2023 07:13:49 +0000 /africa/?p=144314 For the third consecutive year, Africa Code Week鈥檚 AfriCAN Code Challenge (ACC) continues to grow in popularity and reach. The winner of this year鈥檚 ACC...

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

鈥淔rom 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,鈥 says Olajide Ademola Ajayi, 51风流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 programming language.

This year鈥檚 competition saw thousands of entries from more than 30 countries spanning as far as South Africa and Ethiopia. In September 2020, launched the challenge with support from partners such as ,听, and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa ().

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, 51风流employees, and STEM education specialists.

This year鈥檚 Top 3 winners:

  1. First place: Madagascar – by Henintsoa, Warren, and Shekinah
  2. Second place: Mauritius – by Nikhil, Mithil, Seeya, Grace, and Kesha
  3. Third place: Nigeria – by Team Techlite

Followed by:

  1. Sao Tome & Principe –
  2. Morocco –
  3. Ethiopia –
  4. Zimbabwe –
  5. South Africa –
  6. Cameroon –
  7. Gabon –


Beyond AfriCAN Code Challenge

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 MEE Corporate Social Responsibility and Co-founder of Africa Code Week at SAP, says 鈥淎CW 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 of education will have a wider reach and access to more听young听people.鈥

For more information about 51风流Africa Code Week and the AfriCAN Code Challenge, or how you can get involved, visit听www.africacodeweek.org or connect and follow on social media @AfricaCodeWeek.

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Digital Literacy Program Upskills 1.8m Young Learners /africa/2022/05/digital-literacy-program-upskills-1-8m-young-learners/ Wed, 18 May 2022 07:16:55 +0000 /africa/?p=143425 The 2021 edition of 51风流Africa Code Week (ACW) saw more than 1.8m young people between the ages of 8 – 16 equipped with 21st...

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The 2021 edition of ) saw more than 1.8m young people between the ages of 8 – 16 equipped with 21st century learning and coding skills via 41,000 workshops held across the continent. Since 2020, there has been a 23% increase in youths trained, bringing the total number of youngsters and teachers empowered to a staggering 10 million.

Cracking the gender inequality code

From the time of ACW鈥檚 launch in 2015, SAP, and key global partners such as and , have been on a mission to introduce coding听 to youth and teachers, one community at a time. But with only 28% of women pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers, Africa is well below the global average[i]. Year on year, ACW ambitiously aims to increase the participation of women and girls in this field. During the 2021 edition, more than 48% of the participants were girls, while a further 7,848 were young people with special needs. Olajide Ademola Ajayi, ACW Global Coordinator at SAP, says, 鈥淚n today鈥檚 turbulent post-pandemic digital boom, we need to ensure that no one gets left behind.鈥

Adding to this, Dr Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information at UNESCO, says, 鈥淣oting the extent to which digital skills are increasingly needed to understand and participate in today鈥檚 knowledge societies, it is particularly important that we address the gender disparity in STEM careers, especially as these are often described as the jobs of the future, driving innovation, social wellbeing, inclusive growth and sustainable development.鈥

To further inspire and prepare girls for tomorrow鈥檚 workplace, ACW recently hosted the fourth annual , a unique Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program that equips African female educators with the competencies and knowledge they need to successfully teach. The aim of the Program is to close the digital gender gap and help ensure that everyone plays a role in shaping Africa鈥檚 future in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Teaching the teachers

In addition to the youth trained, the ACW program also upskilled +20,000 teachers during 2021 via its Train-the-Trainer (TTT) sessions. These sessions are a multiplier and enabler for digital know-how to become a core pillar of basic education in each participating country. 鈥淎frica has an abundance of potential, but the skills gap in this area is holding us back. With Africa鈥檚 rising youth unemployment, education is the key to creating a talent pool ready to take on 21st-century jobs and will ultimately help leapfrog the continent forward. It is Africa鈥檚 time to shine,鈥 says ADEA Executive Secretary and ACW Patron, Albert Nsengiyumva.

Morocco leads in learning

For the fifth year in a row, Morocco successfully empowered the highest number of youths with 1,5 million gaining coding capabilities 鈥 a 9% increase from the previous year! Additionally, more than half of the teachers who received training, 11,000, came from Morocco. In fact, 4% of the entire Moroccan population participated in ACW. Ilham Laaziz, Director of the GENIE program at the Moroccan Ministry of Education and Vocational Training shares, 鈥淲hen ACW was first launched in 2015, only 20 teachers were trained live by 51风流volunteers, yet more than seven million Moroccan youth were introduced to coding over the six editions of the program. We are thrilled that the 2021 edition was such a success, not only for Morocco but for the entire continent! ACW is a powerful platform to propel teachers and students into the digital century.”

Saving society with coding

A highlight of the 2021 edition was the second annual AfriCAN Code Challenge – a pan-African coding competition where young people are tasked with coding a game using the Scratch programming language to help address societal issues. This year, participants were asked how they would save the world with their superpowers, and the winning superheroes were Devansh and Darshika from Mauritius with their Super Recyclers game.

The competition was launched in 2020 in partnership with SAP, UNESCO, Irish Aid, ADEA and and has since become an annual celebration of youth and innovation in Africa.

鈥淚t is only through the power of partnerships that we can help unlock the digital potential of millions more young Africans and empower them to become the leaders of tomorrow鈥檚 digital economies,鈥 concludes Irish Minister for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Colm Brophy.

 

For further information or to find out how to get involved in this year鈥檚 Africa Code Week initiative, visit .

[i] https://en.unesco.org/news/international-day-women-and-girls-science-addressing-and-transforming-gender-gap

 

About SAP

SAP鈥檚 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鈥檚 transaction revenue touches an SAP庐 system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers鈥 businesses into intelligent enterprises. 51风流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 鈥 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, 51风流helps the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives. For more information, visit

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Ghana Teachers Embrace Digital Learning /africa/2021/09/ghana-teachers-embrace-digital-learning/ Fri, 17 Sep 2021 07:19:40 +0000 /africa/?p=142770 Switch to all-virtual model enables teachers from all 16 regions to take part in Train-the-Trainer sessions Survey reveals teachers wish to continue virtual model even...

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  • Switch to all-virtual model enables teachers from all 16 regions to take part in Train-the-Trainer sessions
  • Survey reveals teachers wish to continue virtual model even after pandemic subsides
  • AfriCanCode Challenge mobilises youth enthusiasm for digital skills
  • ACCRA, Ghana 鈥 14 September 2021 鈥 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鈥檚 Africa Code Week Train-the-Trainer campaign.

    Ghana has from 14.2 million people in 1989 to 28.8 million people in 2017. , 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鈥檚 Train-the-Trainer activities in Ghana, Minister of Education, Hon. Dr. Yaw Adutwum, said: 鈥淐oding is not just a skill. It鈥檚 a different way of teaching and a different way of learning that puts the student at the centre of the learning process.鈥

    More than 39 000 teachers in 37 countries were mobilised during the 2019 Africa Code Week. This year, with an all-virtual 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. 鈥淲e had to switch to an all-virtual teaching model supported by 51风流master trainers from around the world, as well as our network of local partners. Teachers from all regions in Ghana registered and participated on the virtual training. Teachers from as far as Fumbisi in the Builsa south in the Upper East region of Ghana. This is an opportunity for an inclusive training, ensuring every teachers irrespective of location benefits from the coding training. This year鈥檚 training targeted 800 teachers. In 2020 alone over two weeks, we trained 1080 teachers from across the country.”

    A survey conducted by the DreamOval Foundation of participating teachers revealed many would choose to continue with online learning in future. 鈥淲hile the majority of participants at this year鈥檚 Train-the-Trainer sessions were from the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions, this year鈥檚 virtual learning model also enabled teachers from every part of Ghana to participate,鈥 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.鈥

    Internet connectivity continues to be a challenge in Ghana, and few teachers have access to laptops. 鈥淒espite 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鈥檚 youth for participation in the digital economy,鈥 says Ahene-Affoh.

    Mobilising youth in continent-wide coding challenge

    A recent addition to Africa Code Week activities is the AfriCan Code 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鈥檚 2019-2020 youth ambassador in Ghana, interest in the AfriCanCode Challenge has been high among Ghanaian youth. 鈥淒espite 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 51风流Africa, says: 鈥淲hile the pandemic has upended the lives of learners and teachers across the continent and disrupted schooling, it has also created opportunities. The growing urgency to provide learning through digital channels is driving greater interest in digital skills among learners and teachers alike.听Teaching young kids to code is a gift that will endure for decades to come. If we harness our most precious resource 鈥 our abundance of youthful talent 鈥 Africa will go from strength to strength in 2021 and beyond.鈥

    For more information about Africa Code Week, please visit

     

    ENDS

     

    About SAP

    SAP鈥檚 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鈥檚 transaction revenue touches an SAP庐 system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers鈥 businesses into intelligent enterprises. 51风流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 鈥 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, 51风流helps the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives. For more information, visit

     

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    Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as 鈥渁nticipate,鈥 鈥渂elieve,鈥 鈥渆stimate,鈥 鈥渆xpect,鈥 鈥渇orecast,鈥 鈥渋ntend,鈥 鈥渕ay,鈥 鈥減lan,鈥 鈥減roject,鈥 鈥減redict,鈥 鈥渟hould鈥 and 鈥渨ill鈥 and similar expressions as they relate to 51风流are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. 51风流undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP’s future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including SAP’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.
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    Amid Conflict and a Pandemic, ACW Lights Spark of Digital Literacy in North Africa /africa/2021/09/amid-conflict-and-a-pandemic-acw-lights-spark-of-digital-literacy-in-north-africa/ Thu, 16 Sep 2021 08:24:33 +0000 /africa/?p=142768 Despite Covid-disruption, 51风流Africa Code Week hosts Train-the-Trainer sessions in Libya, Mauritania with educators showing strong interest in digital literacy Collaboration with Ministries of Education...

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  • Despite Covid-disruption, 51风流Africa Code Week hosts Train-the-Trainer sessions in Libya, Mauritania with educators showing strong interest in digital literacy

  • Collaboration with Ministries of Education aimed at building sustainable skills development capacity

  • TRIPOLI, Libya 鈥 15 September 2021 鈥 Two countries in the north of Africa affected by recent or ongoing conflict may be turning the corner on digital skills development for youth and teachers in 2021. Despite the challenges with internet access, lack of access to technology and ongoing conflict, interest in digital skills is high among learners and teachers alike in both Libya and Mauritania.

    Dorsaf Benna Chelly, 51风流Africa Code Week coordinator in North Africa, is upbeat about the interest shown by educators 鈥 including the Ministries of Education 鈥 in both countries. 鈥2020 was the first year that hosted Train-the-Trainer sessions in Libya and Mauritania and continues to grow in attendance and popularity. The goal is to equip teachers with skills and knowledge to support digital learning in the country, and to inspire a new generation of young Africans to build a better future using technology as an enabler. The response from educators in Libya and Mauritania shows healthy interest in digital literacy and skills development and point to a shift in how both countries are preparing their youth for the 21st century digital economy.鈥

    Building blocks of a brighter future for Libya鈥檚 youth

    Libya is in a state of civil war as rival factions seek control of the government. The World Food Programme estimates that .

    When the pandemic emerged in early 2020, it prompted school closures across Libya, . The Libyan government worked with local television stations to broadcast compulsory lessons for middle and secondary school children.

    The Libyan Ministry of Education to support digital teaching platforms, provide technical supplies such as tablets and computers, and improve internet connectivity.

    , only 22% of the population in Libya听had access to the internet in 2017.

    Dr Muna Naas, Africa Code Week coordinator for Libya and member of the Libyan Ministry of Education, says: 鈥淲ork is underway by the Libyan government to meet the long-term education requirements for youth and ensure every learning is equipped to take part in the global digital economy. As the main conduits of learning, teachers play an invaluable role in preparing our youth for a bright future. This makes the positive response from local educators to our first-ever Train-the-Trainer workshops all the more encouraging.鈥

    Last year a total of five Train-the-Trainer sessions were held in the country in September and October, with 67 teachers taking place. Twelve of the teachers were female.听In 2021 this figure is set to increase during the months of October to December.

    鈥淔or many of the teachers, this was their first contact with coding,鈥 says Benna Chelly. “We have also mobilised support among teachers for the AfriCAN Code Challenge, a relatively new initiative at this year鈥檚 Africa Code Week that seeks youth aged 8 to 16 to foster a wide range of essential skills, from coding to problem-solving and teamwork, and compete in a competition to help unleash their super powers through coding creativity.鈥

    Scaling teaching impact in Mauritania

    Despite constant government investment in the education sector, Mauritania has not yet achieved universal primary school enrolment. According to the World Bank, the country鈥檚 learning outcomes remain low, .

    In addition, 听according to 2017 data. This adds further听complications to the provision of digital learning in the country.

    According to Cheikh Konat茅, Member of the National Assembly of Education in Mauritania, improving the quality of education is critical to the country鈥檚 economic growth and human capital development efforts. 鈥淎s the gatekeepers on knowledge and learning, teachers are invaluable in helping us prepare our youth for the future. With the support of our public and private sector partners, hundreds of teachers participated in the first-ever Train-the-Trainer workshops in our country, and gained first-hand experience with new digital learning and teaching schools.鈥

    Benna Chelly points to the ongoing interest in ACW Train-the-Trainer sessions among educators in Mauritania. 鈥淎cross six session held virtually in September last year, a total of 214 teachers participated, gaining first-hand knowledge of basic coding and digital literacy skills which they can take back to their classrooms to empower local youth.”

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

    Hicham Iraqi Houssaini, Managing Director of 51风流Francophone Africa concludes 鈥淲hile the pandemic has upended the lives of learners and teachers across the continent and disrupted schooling, it has also created opportunities. The growing urgency to provide learning through digital channels is driving greater interest in digital skills among learners and teachers alike.听Teaching young kids to code is a gift that will endure for decades to come. If we harness our most precious resource 鈥 our abundance of youthful talent 鈥 Africa will go from strength to strength in 2021 and beyond.鈥

    For more information about Africa Code Week, please visit

     

    ENDS

    About Africa Code Week

    Since 2015, 51风流Africa Code Week (ACW) has been creating free opportunities for young Africans to learn coding skills and for teachers to be trained on digital learning curricula. Strong partnerships with the public, private and civil society sectors across听54 countries are driving sustainable impact by building teaching capacity and supporting the adoption of coding into national curricula in support of UN Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5 and 17. Join 51风流and partners by visiting听www.africacodeweek.org听to find out more.

    About SAP

    SAP鈥檚 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鈥檚 transaction revenue touches an SAP庐 system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers鈥 businesses into intelligent enterprises. 51风流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 鈥 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, 51风流helps the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives. For more information, visit

     

    # # #

    Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as 鈥渁nticipate,鈥 鈥渂elieve,鈥 鈥渆stimate,鈥 鈥渆xpect,鈥 鈥渇orecast,鈥 鈥渋ntend,鈥 鈥渕ay,鈥 鈥減lan,鈥 鈥減roject,鈥 鈥減redict,鈥 鈥渟hould鈥 and 鈥渨ill鈥 and similar expressions as they relate to 51风流are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. 51风流undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP’s future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including SAP’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.
    漏 2020 51风流SE. All rights reserved.
    51风流and other 51风流products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of 51风流SE in Germany and other countries. Please see for additional trademark information and notices.

    Note to editors:
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    New Innovations Help 51风流Africa Code Week Inspire Next Generation of African Coders /africa/2021/03/new-innovations-help-sap-africa-code-week-inspire-next-generation-of-african-coders/ Thu, 04 Mar 2021 06:00:42 +0000 /africa/?p=142017 51风流Africa Code Week, Africa’s biggest digital skills initiative, is celebrating a successful 2020 program that included a switch to all-virtual teaching, the launch of...

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    51风流Africa Code Week, Africa’s biggest digital skills initiative, is celebrating a successful 2020 program that included a switch to all-virtual teaching, the launch of a smartphone app, a continent-wide coding competition and a host of online Train-the-Trainer sessions aimed at empowering teachers with critical digital teaching skills.

    The 2020 programme had to contend with the impact of a global pandemic that forced the closure of schools across the continent and .

    Claudio Muruzabal, Regional President Europe Middle East Africa (EMEA) South at 51风流and Africa听Code Week Executive Sponsor, notes the programme鈥檚 impact on听enabling sustainable coding learning for youth across Africa. “In the face of immense challenges, ACW’s thriving ecosystem of partners, ambassadors, volunteers, teachers and students stepped up to ensure that girls and boys across the continent could learn the critical digital skills they need to build a better future. The programme鈥檚 impact on transforming digital learning at school level is further ensuring every African child has an opportunity to become an active contributor to the global digital economy.”

    The ACW vision is to encourage African governments to adopt coding in their national curricula. In a survey conducted in participating countries in 2020, nine African countries indicated that coding is a part of the national curriculum, and ten more indicated they are implementing plans to incorporate coding within their curricula. The survey also found that 87% of respondents agreed that the programme plays an influential role in advancing the adoption of coding curriculum.

    Continent-wide competition inspires youth innovation

    In a first for the programme, the launch of the continent-wide saw youth aged 8 to 16 compete individually or in teams to imagine the 鈥榝uture of education鈥 through a Scratch game and a two-minute video explaining why their concept should win. More than 1,800 youth from 40 African countries participated, with the top 3 winners 10-year old Soliyana Gizaw from Ethiopia, 15-year old Kayla Esterhuizen from South Africa and 16-year old Sara Benmessai from Algeria – all three of whom are girls – .

    Presenting awards to the recipients听 in Abuja, the Minister of State for Education, Federal Ministry of Education Nigeria, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba stated that the winners of AfriCAN Code Challenge have shown hard work, dedication and commitment.

    He revealed that the African Code challenge is aimed at providing support and inspiration to inter-disciplinary teams of 8 – 16 year-old students who are knowledgeable in coding, using Scratch, which inspires innovative and critical thinking in students to improve their digital literacy in Nigeria.

    He then commended the positive resolve of the Ministry to expand the Coding and Robotics programme to involve all 104 Federal Unity Colleges, adding that the Ministry has just concluded the coding and robotics training of trainers for all 104 colleges.

    Toward equitable access to digital learning

    After switching to an all-virtual format, ACW expanded its reach from 37 countries to all 54 countries on the African continent with support from partners including , and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (), who joined the programme for the first time in 2020.

    Albert Nsengiyumva, Executive Secretary at ADEA and official ACW Patron points to the growing need for greater teacher capacity to ensure equitable access to education opportunities for all Africa’s youth. “Seventy percent of countries in sub-Saharan Africa face a shortage of teachers, and many teachers still lack the basic tools and knowledge to effectively teach digital skills. The active support of 20 education ministries across Africa and the on-going efforts at enhancing teaching skills through Train-the-Trainer workshops are welcome developments as the continent prepares for a new era of growth and development.”

    To advance equitable access to technology learning and teaching for women and girls, the Women Empowerment Program (WEP) was established with the aim of building and nurturing female leadership in education across Africa. In 2020, the program, coordinated by the ACW implementing and founding partner, the Camden Education Trust (), moved online with a new continuing professional development focus that brought together 68 women from 31 countries.

    Building toward ongoing sustainable impact

    By 2025, , making mobile access to learning resources critical. The introduction of the first-ever ACW app has extended learning and teaching beyond the classroom, with dedicated coding resources available for free in English, French, Portuguese and Arabic on any Android device. Training material within the app was developed by programme partners, including , , and .

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, the 2020 edition of ACW engaged 1.5 million youth, of which nearly half (48%) were girls. More than 10,500 workshops were hosted across 43 countries, and 21,000 teachers were mobilised through virtual and in-person Train-the-Trainer sessions.

    Claire Gillissen-Duval, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for EMEA and Africa Code Week founder and Global Lead at SAP, says the changes introduced to the 2020 programme have layed a foundation for sustainable impact across the continent. 鈥淏y switching to virtual teaching, expanding access to teacher workshops, breaking into new territories and inspiring youth to develop their solutions to problems in their communities through the AfriCANCode Challenge, ACW is geared to continue playing a vital role in the future of Africa鈥檚 youth in a world forever changed by the pandemic.鈥

     

    For more information about Africa Code Week, visit

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