As the world marks Girls in ICT Day, the focus is often on access. Getting more girls online, into classrooms, and into the digital economy. In northern Kenya, that conversation is already moving forward.
Here, girls are not just learning how to use technology. They are using it to solve problems that shape their daily lives.
In Garissa County, 60 young women came together for the My First Tech Solution Hackathon, hosted by the Northern Innovation and Empowerment Hub under the Joint SDG Fund-supported Digital Platforms Kenya (DigiKen). Many had completed secondary school but had little or no prior exposure to digital tools.
Three days later, they were building solutions.
Working in teams, participants identified challenges in their communities and began designing practical, tech-enabled responses. Water shortages, limited access to finance, and gender-based violence were not abstract issues. They were lived realities, and the starting point for innovation.
For 20-year-old Isnino Salad, the experience marked a turning point.
“The hackathon helped me build confidence and realize the importance of believing in my abilities. Our project focused on addressing water shortages in the community.”
Another team developed She FUND, a digital platform designed to support women and girls in building financial independence through savings and financial literacy.
For 19-year-old Fardowsa Amir Murkiaji, the idea felt within reach for the first time.
“She FUND showed me that even the smallest coins I save today can become the foundation of my future wealth. This hackathon made me believe it is truly possible.”
The hackathon also created space for leadership.
Participants stepped into roles that addressed critical social issues, including gender-based violence.
“I served as a Gender-Based Violence prevention representative during the hackathon,” said 19-year-old Anzal Abdi.
“It was an empowering experience to speak out on such critical issues and contribute to building safer, more inclusive solutions.”
Behind these outcomes is sustained support.
Through DigiKen, participants received mentorship from experts across UN agencies and implementing partners, including the African Centre for Technology Studies and the Green and Digital Innovation Hub. This guidance helped turn early ideas into tangible solutions, while building confidence and expanding what participants believed was possible.
The results go beyond individual projects. They point to a broader shift.
These young women are contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals, from gender equality and clean water to decent work and innovation. More importantly, they are helping shape what digital transformation looks like when it includes those often left out.
Talent exists everywhere. Opportunity does not.
Closing that gap is essential to achieving the SDGs.
As global discussions continue on scaling youth-led solutions, the experience in Garissa shows what can happen when access, mentorship, and opportunity come together.
In Garissa, these young women are not just part of the digital future. They are shaping it.
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds, and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
