In a remarkable effort earlier this year, LLM student Chidinma Kalu successfully raised £364.12 through a series of fundraising activities at Warwick Law School, driven by a strong desire to empower women in Nigeria.

These funds have recently been put to good use, supporting the training of five out of 20 women participating in the Women in IT Bootcamp at the University of Uyo in Nigeria, which took place from 12 April to June 19 2023.

The Women in IT Bootcamp, led by the GirlLEAD Project, sought to bridge the digital gender divide within the realm of information technology. The bootcamp’s core mission was to provide training to female undergraduates and recent graduates residing in Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria, with a primary focus on developing essential skills in product design and software engineering, aligning them with today's industry demands.

From a pool of 148 applicants, the 20 chosen participants stood out by showcasing a genuine passion for information technology in their applications and a strong commitment to utilising their acquired skills for the betterment of their communities.

Chidinma has stated:

I anticipate that the Women in IT Bootcamp will be an excellent starting point for participants in their product design careers. I am confident the participants will use the skills gained from the bootcamp to train other young girls in their communities. I believe that participants will serve as role models to the younger generation towards fulfilling their dreams in the technology and digital sector.

I express my gratitude to Dr Sharifah Sekalala, Director of EDI and my lecturer Dr Serena Natile, with whom I first shared my plan, for their constant support in ensuring the effective execution of the fundraising activity. I would also like to thank Sara Hiorns, the Warwick Law School for supporting with the planning, publicity and all organisational costs for the fundraising. I deeply appreciate my student volunteer team Anjolaoluwa Okunoren, Ruth Innocent, Ayokunle Adeniyi, Merveille Musau, Willabelle Iribhogbe, Grace Okoroafor, Jesse Adegoke, Adesayo Sunmoni, Muhammad Nur Idrisa, Amy Jaiteh and Olakunle Adetola for their ideas and support. Finally, I thank the staff of the Warwick Law School, my course mates and the over 70 persons who participated and donated to the fundraising.

Well done to Chidinma and all the other staff and students involved in fundraising.