POLOKWANE – Pearl Sekwati’s passion is the driving force behind her mission to teach coding and robotics to young people in Limpopo.
Sekwati is an ICT facilitator and winner of the She Millionaire Business Summit Award for Women in Information and Technology 2022. She is also a Polokwane-based entrepreneur for Science, Technology, Engineering, Aviation and Mathematics (Steam) Ambassador Club.
The Steam Ambassador club was established in 2018 and operates as an aftercare programme with 26 learners who are assisted with their homework and assignments and get lessons on coding and robotics.
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Sekwati says Steam is about getting children around Polokwane interested in subjects such as mathematics and science which will make them key role players in esteemed careers.
“We go to exhibitions and educational tours in higher institutions of learning and boot camps where these children get exposed to different kinds of careers that are out there and with the hope that they will look forward to pursuing careers in them and most importantly get them ready for the fourth industrial revolution.”
Sekwati does not only transfer-coding skills to children, but also goes to rural areas around Polokwane teaching elders and early childhood practitioners how to code.
To make learning coding even better, Sekwati has self-published a book called Coding with Kganya which includes the basics of coding and she self-distributes the book to her learners. She uses books and games to transfer her coding skills.
“There are different career fields and competition opportunities that we engage learners in such as artificial intelligence so that they can grow up with knowledge and skills in many industries and decide if they want to venture into these fields.”
At the end of the programme, learners are awarded with a certificate of completion in each of the programmes they engage in.
