Rhodes student rewarded with Google scholarship
A GOOGLE search by a Rhodes University computer boffin for funding to research the use of mobile phone technology to assist people to engage with the government has scooped a scholarship from the search engine giant.
Although Malawi-born Rachel Sibande is one of 40 students around the world to be awarded the Google Anita Borg scholarship, she is the only person from a South African university to have cracked the nod.
Her research focuses on the use of mobile technology for people to engage with elected leaders, the government and civil society to foster participatory community development.
“The motivation to engage in this research stems from the need to enhance citizen participation, transparency and accountability in the design and implementation of community development projects.
“I intend to develop a platform through which citizens can engage with elected leaders, local government and civil society using technology, in particular mobile phones.”
Only four scholarships were awarded to students on the African continent with the rest coming from the Middle East and Europe.
The 29-year-old PhD student did most of her studies in Malawi before being accepted into Rhodes University late last year, but was unable to secure funding as applications for financial help had already closed.
Undeterred, the married mother of three dug deep into her own pocket to fund her studies this year before coming across the Google scholarship. “I was scouting for funding opportunities online when I stumbled upon this opportunity.”
The Google Anita Borg scholarships are awarded annually to women studying computer science and engineering at universities around the world.
Sibande said the scholarship was named after renowned computer science scholar Anita Borg, who believed technology impacted people all over the world – economically, politically and socially.
Borg, who died in 2003 aged 54, is described as a “technology rebel with a cause”.
Currently in Malawi after spending five days at the Google London office on a scholars retreat, Sibande said she had been accepted after completing a rigorous online application into her academic background, research interests and expertise in computer science.
“I was required to demonstrate a passion for community engagement, leadership and the drive to enhance women participation in computer science and technology.
“I was absolutely delighted, for a technology enthusiast like me, becoming a Google Scholar is living my dream.”
Sibande’s decision to study further at Rhodes came about after she was invited to speak at the annual Highway Africa media conference last year on her experiences using mobile technology during the Malawi elections that enabled people to SMS information as it became available.
“It was at this meeting that I took interest in Professor Hannah Thinyane’s incredible work on citizen engagement platforms to monitor water service delivery and promote accountability [in Grahamstown].
“I realised we had similar interests centred around use of technology for citizen engagement,” Sibande said.