A Douala-based tech startup, Giiyo Tech, is organising a holiday bootcamp for kids and teens to teach them cutting-age technologies that remain a distant dream for many African children.
As the world rapidly evolves technologically, Giiyo Tech wants to ensure Cameroonian children are part of the change.
From August 4 and 29, the bootcamp will train kids and teens on coding/programming, IoT (robotics), arts, games, and 3D design and printing, among other skills.
These technologies are crucial for Cameroon’s development, where tech usage is heavily dependent on the West.
Giiyo Tech hopes parents will seize this holiday opportunity to equip their children with these skills.
“I know as parents we worry about screen time and technology taking over our children’s lives. But the reality is, technology is already part of their world,” says Wepngong Maureen, CEO and founder of Giiyo Tech.
The startup is located beside the Domino supermarket at Ancienne Route in Bonaberi, Douala.
She believes that instead of letting children passively consume others’ creations, parents should empower them to become creators, innovators, and solvers of tomorrow’s problems.
Drawing inspiration from a recent encounter with a friend’s kid who loves playing video games but lacks the knowhow to create his own, Maureen says many parents are raising a generation of consumers rather than creators.
“Our kids can navigate TikTok with their eyes closed; they know every YouTube shortcut, and they can download and install any app, but ask them to create something, to build something, or to solve a real problem with their hands and minds—most of them are completely lost,” she stated.
While Cameroonian kids spend holidays perfecting their gaming skills and memorising dance challenges, kids in other parts of the world are learning to code, build robots, and design solutions to real-life problems.
Giiyo Tech believes time has come to change the narrative. Through the bootcamp she is organising, she hopes children will become producers and not dependents.
The founder of Giiyo Tech is fast evolving, especially with the advent of artificial intelligence, which basically does almost everything.
“Companies are looking for people who can adapt, create, and solve problems using technology, not just people who can use apps that others created,” she said.
“There’s something beautiful that happens when you put a computer in front of a child and teach them to code their first program, or when they design something on a computer and watch it come to life through a 3D printer.”
The holiday period, according to Maureen, is actually perfect for this kind of learning because their minds aren’t cluttered with homework and exam pressure.
“They can explore, experiment, make mistakes, and try again without the stress of grades. They can fall in love with learning again,” Maureen added.
“This bootcamp isn’t just about learning to code or use a 3D printer. It’s about giving our children the tools and confidence to shape their own future in a world that’s changing faster than ever before. It’s about ensuring that when opportunities come, our kids won’t just be qualified—they’ll be the ones creating those opportunities for others.”
