Africa is making tremendous strides towards developing and transforming its sectors to build a bright future. However, we need to empower the youth’s aspirations by providing a platform and meaningful resources to transform Africa. Africa’s youth are burning with a desire to change the status quo and are spearheading efforts that not only reflect their talent and ingenuity, but also show that they deeply understand their own problems and know how to address them with homegrown initiatives. Young people in Africa need to realize their vision and to lead Africa forward. A quality education is the foundation and the essence of their future.
I have been lucky enough to work closely with many of Africa’s brightest students. I wanted to share a story about three entrepreneurs who are technology masterminds that I know will make an impact to our nation.
In 2010, young students Cerineu Ginga, Helder Cabonde, and Juvenal Lunguenda were all in their graduating year at ITEL High School (Angola National Institute of Telecommunications) studying Information Technology. As part of the school’s technology workshop, Juvenal came up with an idea to build software to assist blind and mute individuals with their communication needs. Juvenal teamed up with Cerinue and Helder and together they became consumed with the project – even skipping classes when necessary. Once a prototype was complete, the software tested successfully with a national school for the physically handicapped. At the end of the year, the school held a reveal of all projects developed through the technology workshop, and the software received outstanding recognition. Shortly after the software started receiving exposure in local newspapers and on radio and television.
Later that year, the team was invited to join an innovation competition with the Minister of Science and Technology named “The Creator and Inventors Workshop.” The project received the second best project award among 40 others that were showcased. As one of the tops spots, they received the opportunity to represent Angola in an International Workshop names iENA2010 in Nuremberg, Germany.
As the project continued receiving accolades in the press, awards and attention throughout the country, it became apparent that the team would need to identify investors in order to sustain their growth. They had a lot of interest from potential investors, but only ones who were chasing the money – none that they believed would make a real impact and had similar values.
Fortunately for me, it was around this time that I saw the students and their software on a TV news program. I was very impressed, not only with the technology itself, but with the young students’ enthusiasm, drive and abilities. I helped them secure a sponsorship from my old company Movicel Telecommunications and paid the rest of the bill out of my own pocket to send them abroad to study at the Beijing Institute of Technology. I saw nothing but great potential in these young gentleman and knew they would receive top-notch degrees at one of the most innovative institutions in the world and bring their education back to Africa.
As the first foreigner’s undergraduate students studying software engineering in Mandarian, the boys quickly excelled. During their studies, they developed a social network for foreigners in China named waigufriend. The app, which quickly gained recognition and had more than 5,000 users in less than 4 months, was shut down due to the Chinese Internet Policy, but nonetheless it was another example of the brilliancy that existed between these three Angolan students.
Cerineu Ginga, Helder Cabonde, and Juvenal Lunguenda all recently graduated from the Beijing Institute of Technology with honors in June 2016. Their dream has always been to contribute to the world in a global scale and help Africa be developed by its own products and technology. I am happy that I have been part of their journey and know that my investment in their education will help better my country and the African continent as a whole. I recently had a chance to sit down with them and talk with them about their journey thus far and their future plans.
When do you know information technology was something that interested you?
Since I was very young I was always fascinated with games. I used to play Super Mario a lot and I was always curious about how they made the game, the graphics and more. Years later I came to know that to build a game you need to be a game developer, which you need to have skills in software engineering and specialization in certain areas. Since then I became interested in technology and IT, especially programming and when I was going to high school I decided to enroll into information technology, and that’s where everything started. – Helder Cabonde
What was the most important lesson that you have learned throughout your journey?
The most important lesson I've learned is that no matter how difficult your life situation is now nothing can stop you from dreaming and doing what you like. I learned that being positive and having good energy will always attract good stuff into your life. Dream it and work on it. - Cerineu Ginga
Now that you have graduated from the Beijing Institute of Technology, what are you looking to do next?
Now that I have graduated from Beijing Institute of Technology the dream is still to conquer the world. I believe my team and I have a lot of good things to give to the world and I am ready for any kind of challenge. – Helder Cabonde
What is your ideal job?
A job where I can use technology to solve global challenges. - Juvenal Lunguenda
Do you believe Africa will become the next leader in innovation?
Yes, I do! Because I believe in Africa's potentials, with poverty Africans have been facing, has generated more opportunities to create for those who believe in their potentials, like thinking always ahead, thinking always of trying to do more, brings a state of mind in which nothing is impossible.
I learned that a positive state of mind is characterized by continuous growth and development, we have a saying that says: "Those who do not have a Dog, goes hunting with a Cat". - Cerineu Ginga
Zandre Campos is chairman and CEO of ABO Capital, an international investment firm that invests in companies in the healthcare, energy, transportation, hospitality, technology and real estate sectors throughout Africa. ABO’s mission is to create global value for developing countries in Africa, while contributing to their economic development.