Sandrine Sangwa is an Information Systems student at Akilah.

Akilah’s Diploma in Information Systems enables students to use their tech and programming skills to create real-life solutions in society and their communities.

Sandrine Sangwa, who will graduate from Akilah’s Information Systems program this year, developed a mobile app that helps people with hearing and speaking disabilities communicate via their phones.

Sandrine is a full-time student at Akliah, but she’s been very busy outside her studies lately. Using her tech skills and entrepreneurial mindset, she wowed judges at several innovation and social entrepreneurship competitions for youth, securing her a cash prize and a spot in a global youth innovation conference later this year.

Real-Life Innovations

As is often the case with the most impactful innovations, the inspiration for Sadrine’s app came from her own life experience.

“I was inspired by my friend who lost her hearing in an accident when she was five years old. Recently, her mother fell in their house and needed help. But because my friend couldn’t call anyone for help, nobody came to help her, and her mother died from the fall. That’s when I decided to use my skills to come up with a solution,” Sandrine explains.

Sandrine’s mobile application helps people with speech and hearing disabilities connect with others through phone calls. The application converts voice into text for people who cannot hear and text into voice for those who cannot speak.

“This is where I can make a difference. I have the skills to make mobile apps that can improve others’ lives, so this is what I focus on. As a student, it’s such an important learning experience for us to practice what we learn in the classroom out in real life. It challenges us, makes us stronger, and makes us believe that we can make a difference as girls in tech,” Sandrine says.

Sandrine, second from left, received Rwf 300,000 at the Gera Ku Ntego Social Enterprise Competition.

A Winning Idea

In February, Sandrine pitched her idea at the Gera Ku Ntego Social Enterprise Competition. The contest, organized by the youth empowerment organization Digital Opportunity Trust Rwanda, rewarded innovative ideas that would create lasting social impact. She won third place in her district and a cash prize of Rfw 300,000. She’ll use the prize money to turn her prototype into a finished product. She plans to launch the app in July.

Sandrine also had the opportunity to present her innovation during the national Gera Ku Ntego Social Enterprise Competition on March 17. Sandrine was selected from hundreds of participants to attend a global youth innovation conference in Kigali in May. There, she’ll have the opportunity to pitch her app to innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors from all over the world.

Sandrine impressed the judges at the competitions by playing up her strengths and unique position: not only is she a girl in tech, but she is also using her skills to support people living with disabilities.

“They told me it’s rare in Rwanda to see young people — and especially young women — using tech to improve the lives of disabled people. They believe that this has the potential to have a big impact on people’s lives,” Sandrine says.

With her accomplishments, Sandrine hopes to inspire other girls to use their skills to develop innovative solutions that will benefit their community.

“I’m hoping that when girls see me pitching and winning, it will open the door for other girls to find the courage to create their own projects. As girls, we have strong ideas, but we are often limited by fear and shyness. I want to show them that we can all be leaders within our field.”