Funds search so more can ‘catch wave’
When Aucklander Sam Lucas set out on that rite of passage, the Kiwi OE, he chose a different path than the normal trek to London.
Lucas qualified as a top student in engineering and sciences five years ago and headed off in search of adventure and purpose, which would see him arrive in Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa and often recorded in the bottom five of the poorest countries in the world.
As he met and mingled with many people, travelling on any available transport, he was struck by what he called the ‘‘incredible waste of talent’’ – highly intelligent youngsters, in particular, with little or no scope in what largely remains a land of self-sustaining agriculture.
It soon struck him that if he brought his own skills and talent to them, they could skip the industrial age and go directly into a global digital world.
He brought his idea to his and his sister’s St Johns Rotary Club, and asked for help.
By then Auckland University had recognised him as one of their ‘‘Top 40 under 40’’ – a prestigious group of achievers.
His club mobilised others across New Zealand and collectively gained the support of Rotary International for the project.
US dollars go a long way in rural Madagascar, which has outstanding internet. With the support of the Malagasy Government’s educational authority, Lucas selected about 50 top students in late 2018 to be the first intake for ‘‘Onja’’ to be recruited, educated and put to work, programming. Onja means wave.
Students are housed and fed for the three years, during which they learn English and then a range of programming.
‘‘The primary challenge was to teach them ‘Advanced English’ to enable communicating confidently with individuals in First World companies,’’ says Lucas.
‘‘Our local teachers and volunteers accomplished this in just one year.
These youngsters are so motivated to achieve. Next came learning the necessary skills to become effective and efficient software developers.
‘‘Again a massive task, but again successfully accomplished.
‘‘The third year was to polish and secure work from around the world.’’
Supporters were attracted by the concept that graduates, of which there now are more than 20, were committed to help fund the next wave and so on.
Currently, graduates are working for many international and local start-ups, NGOS and established organisations – sadly, none from New Zealand, to date.
Part of Lucas’ return to Auckland, for the first time in two years is to establish a ‘‘Growth Team’’, which will be primarily responsible for securing the necessary funds to ensure Onja can continue to operate and expand to meet the growth goals of 200 graduates a year in the immediate future ‘‘now that we have ironed out the bugs and proved it can be done’’.
And to motivate local enterprises to ‘‘Catch the Wave’’.