dyton mupawaenda
Latwell Nyangu-Youth Interactive Correspondent
Young excellent software engineers are often referred to as the future of the tech industry.
These individuals possess a unique combination of technical skills, creativity, and a passion for innovation that sets them apart from their peers.
They are highly sought after by companies and organisations looking to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving world of technology.
Such a story is aptly summarised in a case of two young Zimbabwean software engineers who won the Cybertech Africa Security and Blockchain Hackathon competition in Rwanda after developing a computer application that detects cancers with their ground-breaking Al cancer diagnosis system.
The pair loves technology and their innovation is all about problem solving.
The duo was top after outshining 120 other competitors from different countries, earning themselves a whooping first prize with US$ 5,000 cash.
Collins Jimu and Zvikomborero Claire Duri developed Cancer360, which is a system for cancer diagnosis.
Apart from her love of technology, Zvikomborero is into cakes and gifts.
“I have a business of cakes and gifts. So during the day, I focus on software engineering and at night I bake cakes and package gifts.
“I started baking during lockdown when I had a lot of free time and decided to learn a new skill,” she said.
Asked if she was born a technophile, she said:
“I started my tech journey in 2018 when I started university. Before that, I was just there hoping to find something that excites me. I have been glued to the tech industry since then.”
Recently, they won big in Rwanda.
“I feel so elated and happy and so proud I got to represent my community well.
“We expect to start deploying the system in hospitals so we can save lives.”
Asked to comment on the number of engineers, she said:
“Most females might think it’s a challenging field, I thought so too before I started. But it’s really interesting and I advise most females to venture into this because there are endless opportunities
“To build this, it costs around US$35k for its first deployment, to access it and it will be charged on a per scam basis.
“We are looking forward to getting funding to get the system rolling and approval to start using it in local clinics.
“My advice to other young people, is we hold so much power within us and it’s up to us to unleash it.”
Collins said he was born interested in technology.
“I was born in love with technology from an early age, as early as primary school.
“Back then I would be fascinated by how computers, popular apps like Facebook worked, and websites like 2go.
“I had the zeal that one day I want to build something like this.”
“I felt inspired, motivated, and appreciated when we won in Rwanda. It gives me the energy to keep on addressing problems in our community using innovation
“We are now expecting to finish what’s left as soon as possible.
“We also plan to raise funding and have our system approved by the Ministry of Health organizations in Zimbabwe and other African countries.”
Collins said the machine can cost a lot.
“To develop, it costs a lot because of resources like computational power which artificial intelligence requires. But when we deploy it we aim to have screening free and available to all citizens at affordable rates as little as ten USD per scan.
“My advice to other fellow Zimbabweans is that the sky’s the limit. Let’s look for problems in our societies that we can give solutions to,” said Collins.
Online Reporter