This archive report was first published on 23 June 2020.
Microsoft's Africa Development Centre (ADC) has launched a hackathon to promote innovation among university students in Kenya, with the goal of empowering students to develop impactful solutions to Africa's and the world's challenges.
The initiative, called Game of Learners (GOL), is a 5-week virtual hackathon that will bring together students from across the country to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems.
According to Jack Ngare, the ADC Managing Director, the program's objective is to empower Microsoft Student Partners (MSPs) to develop leadership skills by teaching learners technical skills in a fun competition while building awareness to all undergrad students.
"The original plan for GOL was to be conducted on campus at one of our partner universities. However, due to the pandemic we pivoted to a completely virtual experience which removed geographic limitations and has actually provided us with an opportunity to reach more students across the region," Ngare said.
The hackathon will be judged based on weekly sprint submissions, final project submissions, and Twitter voting, with the winning team receiving a range of prizes, including 1-year Azure credits, 1-year LinkedIn Learning vouchers, and a digital certificate and badge.
Microsoft has operated on the continent for more than 28 years, building partnerships to bridge the gaps in infrastructure, connectivity, and capability to accelerate innovation.
Through the ADC, Microsoft is enabling digital transformation, bridging gaps in infrastructure, connectivity and capability while creating a sustained societal impact on the African continent.
