My name is Brenda Sitawa, a Kenyan citizen with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and Information Technology (BMIT) from Kabarak University Kenya.
Over my undergraduate degree, I acquired skills in networking, database management, distributed systems and programming. I also have certification from CISCO (CCNA Routing and switching) and I am keen to acquire advanced skills in MATLAB and SPSS.
I was born, raised and schooled in rural western Kenya with little exposure to technology beyond radio. I first saw a computer in 2007 in joining High School. Even then, the school had less than 5 computers reserved for the library, school principal and the accountant. During orientation, we had been warned and threatened with punishment for any damage to the computers. My way to stay out of trouble was to avoid computers altogether. The scarcity of computers and almost mythical stories I had heard about computers aroused my interest nonetheless. By the time I was in my final year, I had made up my mind to pursue a computer-related course. At the time, my intrigue was only on the device and had no clue how it worked.
Unfortunately, my parents strongly advised on a business-related course while I wanted a computer-related area. In the end, it was a compromise - my parents' wishes and my desire. With the benefit of hindsight now, I think the fusion of business and information technology helped widen my appreciation of the role of technology in development and human life. Today, technology influences almost every sphere of life:-industry, transport, education, medicine, sports, and agriculture among others.
My undergraduate degree has somehow fulfilled my childhood desire, opened my eyes and left me with the thirst to assist my society access and benefit from technology like the developed countries.
Notwithstanding the advancements made in technology and the role it plays, my country and particularly rural areas continues to lag behind. The gap in information technology is a major obstacle that prevents the maximum use of technological advancements so as to be on par with the rest of the world.
For instance, recently the Government introduced e-learning in primary schools has been distributing laptops to children joining school. The nobility of the project is laudable but its implementation has been a nightmare for lack of corresponding teacher training and relevant programmes to achieve the curriculum goals. The same can be said of agriculture where despite technological advancements, majority of the farmers in rural areas are unable to benefit from the lack of relevant programs and applications to improve farming. It is for these reasons that I seek further knowledge to equip me with sufficient skills in the area of information technology that I can in return apply to help the society grow.
Upon successful completion of the course, I intend to return to my country and share my knowledge either through teaching or being involved in community-based projects related to or that are dependent on information technology.