The all-girls team from Ghana came in second place among the six teams competing in the Huawei ICT Competition regional finals in South Africa.
Esther Aboagyewaa Abankwa, Martha Esinam Kekele Demanya, and Gladys Obuobi, final year students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, came in second place with their AI project "WaterBits" – An Artificial Intelligence-Based Water Quality Predictor, which automatically classifies the quality of water and determines its safety for drinking.
Gladys Obuobi, the team lead for their project "WaterBits," stated that according to figures from a United Nations (UN) study, over 1.5 million people living in rural areas die each year from polluted water-related ailments, therefore their Artificial Intelligence. Professor Jerry John Kponyo, the Dean of KNUST's Quality Assurance and Planning Unit, complimented the girls for reaching the global finals and representing their university well. He promised them unwavering support from KNUST in their efforts to make Ghana proud in the Global finals. He also urged the team to have faith in themselves and work harder in order to win the grand prize.
"Your idea has the potential to influence a lot of lives in rural communities," he remarked, adding that this should be his incentive. He praised Huawei for providing the Huawei Seeds for the Future Women in Tech Initiative, which allows women to explore their potential and prove themselves. Mrs. Jenny Zhou, Huawei Ghana's Director of Public and Government Affairs, praised the women for being the first female team to reach the world finals. She urged them to put in more effort in order to get Ghana to the global finals.
"Coming this far indicates that you are quite capable and that you can perform even better if you put in more effort." Personally, I'm delighted you're projecting Ghana as the only team competing in the global championships with female athletes. I feel you have made many valuable connections as a result of this program, and this will help to determine your career path." She stated her case.
Prof. Lidia Arthur Brito, UNESCO's Regional Director for Southern Africa, praised Huawei for helping to develop the region's capability.