Remy Gakwaya
Remy is the founder and director of takenoLAB, an organization that teaches software development, entrepreneurship, and digital skills to underprivileged communities in Malawi and Africa. The idea behind the program is to equip poor communities with less or no opportunities for jobs and other vital opportunities, with skills that they can use on the online job markets starting with software development, Professional Translation, Copywriting and entrepreneurship. Through his leadership, takenoLAB has won two important awards in southern African, one is Best Edutech Startup 2019 and Best Social Impact Startup 2019 for the whole Malawi. Remy is a representative in Africa Refugee Led Network (ARN) for southern Africa. He was voted to the position in 2019 in Addis Ababa Ethiopia after attending an Africa Refugee Led Organization Network conference with more than 70 representatives of refugee led organizations in Africa. Through takenoLAB, Remy has recently partnered with the World Bank and the government of Malawi under the project called Digital Malawi. The project aims to equip people of Malawi with skills in digital literacy and computer skills. He also runs a program called Girl Smart Code where he focuses on empowering women and girls in computer programming skills, and entrepreneurship for the aim of closing the present gap of few girls in technology and entrepreneurship. "I would like to give many people who are less privileged an opportunity to learn and create different technologies and startups," he says. "I believe that the power of creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation within technology and business can be used to change people's lives regardless of the location and scarcity of resources that the individuals might be experiencing," he adds. Africa needs everyone to participate in making it great, and advanced in technology. Remy Believes that the underprivileged community should be in the forefront in changing and advancing in business and technology because they need it more than anyone. |