By Hajaratu Kalokoh
The telecommunications operator Africell has concluded its codding bootcamp for pupils in primary, secondary and tertiary schools.
The bootcamp which commenced on August 5 and lasted for two weeks, catered for a total of 180 pupils, 60 each from the three categories.
Officials of Africell explained that the bootcamp was meant to serve as a foundation to build from as participants could go home without tutors and begin to add to what they have started learning.
Joe Abass Bangura, Cooperate Affairs Officer of Africell, noted during the certification ceremony over the weekend that the bootcamp was meant to be super practical, not just theory. He said it was their ability to apply what they have learnt, how fast they move ahead and how fast they apply what they have learnt that was the basis.
“You could easily see, if you give instruction to seven people and by the time you come back one person is already ahead of them, then you know that that person has high level of comprehension and application skills, and it is easy to say who is the best among them," Bangura told Politico in an interview.
According to Bangura, the bootcamp would be a continuous process, although they couldn’t tell when it will happen the next time.
"We want to sustain it but also scale it [up], for it to happen not just in Freetown but in other places in the country,” he added.
Codding basically means literacy in the digital age. It involves a process of using computer programming language to get a computer behave how you want it to.
Codding helps pupils to design, create and express themselves with digital technologies. Experts say learning to code at an early age helps build a solid foundation.
Lead Tutor and Curriculum Developer of Geek Express, Ahmad El-Amin, who was present at the certification ceremony, explained the different apps they taught the kids during the bootcamp.
"Working with Africell, this initiative opened doors. For example, there are some pupils that had never used a computer but in two weeks they have learned how to create apps and learned how to use computer," he said.
Mamie Dolly Sillah, a 10-year participant from the Lebanese International School, who was awarded as best pupil in the primary school category, said that the experience was really fun and helpful to all children especially the younger ones who will get to learn about coding at early age of life.
Sillah said she had never known anything about coding.
“I now know the speak and translate app, snap and draw app, tick tattoo app, the squeeze app and the creation of website,” she said.
© 2019 politico Online
