With the International Day of Education around the corner, we are throwing more light on the digital skills that African women possess in technology. Here is another woman in Artificial Intelligence (AI);
Hi Delilah, thank you for joining us today
Hi Winnie, thank you for organizing this. I am happy to be here.
Briefly introduce yourself, please
My name is Rose Delilah Gesicho from Nairobi, Kenya. I am a Data Scientist and Technical Trainer, currently working at Moringa School. I am also the Data Science Community Coordinator at Zindi, where I empower ambassadors across Africa to grow their communities as contributors in the field of AI and build the AI ecosystem.
My other engagement is managing a learning team at Alliance4ai. Here I help create awareness of the importance of emerging technology to the future of work. I also use the same platform to upskill the youth in Africa with the knowledge needed to establish a career in Data Science.
We can say I am a gregarious individual who geeks out about data.
Walk us through your journey into technology and AI
During my childhood, I always wanted to be a Lawyer. This meant no Mathematics courses in my journey. To me, sciences were meant for males since they are hands-on. Although I enjoyed subjects about humanities, I didn’t want to challenge myself to be a learner. Things only started making sense to me when I joined the university to do technology.
My understanding of technology was all about climbing roofs to install wires. I, however, later learned that there was more than what meets the eye.
With this uncertainty while joining STEM, what were some of your most challenging times?
Along the way of being in a STEM field, I encountered challenges such as discrimination, exclusion from some tasks, and dismissal of ideas while contributing to this male-dominated industry.
How were you able to push past these barriers?
My motivation to move past this is what I want to accomplish. That is, growing the data science ecosystem in Africa and helping empower girls to realize their potential with no limit in the field of STEM.
What is your most prestigious moment of recognition?
I have been nominated as one of the 80 African women who are building the data science ecosystem in Africa. It was exciting to be recognized for something I am passionate about.
Who is Delilah outside work?
In my free time, I coordinate community events for DeepLearning.AI and WIML intending to equip individuals across Africa with skills needed for Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI.
I also love reading books and doing yoga to connect with nature. My other fun activity is visiting areas that are not crowded to soak in the fresh air.
What is your favourite quote?
What the mind can see the body can achieve ~ Anonymous.
How would you encourage a young African girl who is passionate about AI?
You can be who you want to be, all you need is passion, commitment, and confidence in yourself and your skills.
Thank you, Delilah, for gracing our session today. Please keep up the good work in AI. We need you more than you can imagine!
2 Responses
It’s a very inspirational story.
Thank you for the support, Samiiha!