Meet the Children Shaping Togo’s Digital Future

The Summer Camp at Lomé Digital School is giving young Togolese children a head start in coding, robotics, and artificial intelligence. With an ambition to form the innovators of tomorrow, the camp is already producing remarkable results.

From Robots to Coding

At just 14, Winner Koudjra is already manipulating motors, gears, and electronic circuits with precision. As part of a group of children participating in the Summer Camp, she’s learning the basics of robotics by building her first prototype.

‘I’m making a robotic hand composed of pincers and a motor brain. Since the start of activities, I’ve learned about technology’s place in today’s world and the components of a robotic hand or technological objects,’ Winner shared.

More Than Just Coding

But robotics is just the beginning. After a few hours, Winner switches gears – literally – to focus on coding. ‘We’re working on modifying a web page to create an artificial intelligence. Thanks to what I’m learning here, I’d like to be able to create my own website,’ she said.

Breaking Down Barriers

The school aims to reduce the gap between boys and girls in tech. According to UNESCO, women make up only 35% of STEM graduates worldwide and 26% of professionals in data science and AI. To address this, the program focuses on parity and scholarships for children from modest families.

‘Our goal is to expose girls to these tools early on, so tomorrow we won’t have to worry about quotas in tech,’ said Got’liebe Bataba, Lomé Digital School director.

A Brighter Future

The camp’s ambition goes beyond teaching digital skills: it’s preparing the next generation of African tech creators. With initiatives like this, Togo is taking a significant step towards bridging the digital divide and fostering innovation across the continent.