“Africa + Tech = Love?” Why I decided to learn Software Engineering.
Over the course of human existence technology has impacted our lives in one way or the other. Technology has become an inevitable part of our lives given that it can be tailored to fit our needs. Living in a country that birthed the likes of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates has impacted my world view on a large scale and reinforced the cosmic role technology plays in our everyday lives. However, having a connection to Ghana where my family hails from has also been an eye opener to what the lack of technological advancement can bring about.
I visited with my family in 2018 and during my stay there, my cousin announced to me that she had started a business and needed a website and an app. She asked me if there were any of my friends in the States who could provide these services for her. I proceeded to ask her if she could not find any software engineers in Ghana. During this conversation, she informed me that there are software engineers in Ghana, however due to the lack of funding it was hard to get into contact with them I was extremely shocked at this revelation.
Upon my arrival back home, I pondered over what I had been told but quickly fell into my routine of undergraduate work and familial duties. I was reminded of this conversation when I watched a documentary that delved into the lives of software engineers and there, I decided to try learning a few things with JavaScript. I quickly realized my Love for complex problem solving and the ability to be disciplined about something I was passionate about, where I would not be able to get up from my computer until I had successfully debugged the code. This brought about a moment of realization for me after years of trying to find my niche. The ability to solve complex problems in software engineering was my niche.
However, my motivation did not stop there, I continually pondered about what I could do for my motherland and the best thing was to grow my skills in technology and software engineering as a whole so that I can someday return and mentor people who have the passion for technology and computer science. Moreover, being in this program with likeminded individuals has changed my outlook on the fact that software engineering is indeed surmountable. I know that with dedication and hard work, I will reach my goals.
