Nurturing the Next Generation of Innovators
It was a great honour to be invited by Oasis Mathare to join the panel of judges at this year’s Oasis Mathare Code Club Hackathon 2026. The event brought together learners from different Code Clubs for a day of coding, creativity, teamwork, problem-solving, and celebration of young minds and their innovative ideas.
I enjoyed listening to the learners present their ideas and demonstrate their innovations. It was particularly inspiring to see schools from Mathare and its surrounding areas participate, showcasing what young people can achieve when given the opportunity to explore technology, think critically, and develop solutions to real-world challenges.
Our role as judges was to listen, evaluate the projects, and provide constructive feedback, with outstanding innovations recognised and awarded. Beyond the competition, however, the experience reinforced an important lesson: we need to introduce coding, computers, and technology to learners early in life and make these opportunities accessible to every child, regardless of their background.
During a recent interview with Youth and Urbanism, I was asked what education means to me. Beyond the conventional understanding of education and its outcomes, particularly its connection to employment, my philosophy is simple: education is life.
Education encompasses everything we know, everything we are yet to discover, and the experiences that shape how we understand and interact with the world. In this journey, innovation should take centre stage, enabling learners to move beyond acquiring knowledge to applying it in practical, meaningful ways.
At Oasis Mathare, I was particularly impressed by how the pupils approached problem-solving through technology. From developing educational games to exploring solutions that could help save lives during emergencies, their ideas demonstrated the power of combining creativity, knowledge, and technology to address everyday challenges.
Ultimately, our responsibility is to nurture a generation that does not merely consume digital content but also understands technology, uses it responsibly, and develops the confidence and skills to create. We need to raise smart technology users who can become content creators, innovators, and problem-solvers.
Congratulations to all the participating learners, schools, and everyone at Oasis Mathare who made the event possible. Initiatives like this play an important role in bridging the digital divide, particularly at the community level, where access to technology, digital skills, and learning opportunities can remain limited.
Children and young people have tremendous potential to learn, adapt, experiment, and innovate. When given the right opportunities, tools, guidance, and support, they can develop solutions that shape their communities and influence the future, regardless of where they come from.
The future is not just about teaching children how to use technology; it is about empowering them to use it to create, innovate, and solve problems.
Do More. Be More. Be Different.
