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Regina Honu

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Regina Honu
Born
Regina Fremah Agyare

Accra, Ghana
NationalityGhanaian
EducationHoly Child High School
Ashesi University
Occupation(s)Social entrepreneur, software developer
Years active2012–present
Known forFounding the Soronko Academy
Awards2017 Buffett Award for Emerging Global Leaders
Women of Courage Award for Technology
HonoursBBC 100 Women of 2017
WebsiteOfficial website

Regina Honu (née Agyare), is a Ghanaian social entrepreneur, software developer and founder of Soronko Solutions, a software development company in Ghana.[1][2] She opened Soronko Academy, the first coding and human-centered design school for children and young adults in West Africa.[3][4] Honu has received multiple awards, including being named by CNN as one of the 12 inspirational women who rock STEM. She was also named as one of the six women making an impact in Tech in Africa and one of the ten female entrepreneurs to watch in emerging economies.[5]

She has received attention with features on platforms such as CNN African Voices,[6] BBC,[7] Deutsche Welle,[8] Aljazeera[9] as well as the Impatient Optimist blog by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In an interview with CNN's African Start-Up, she is described as a Ghanaian tech guru who wants to develop the next generation of women in technology.[10]

Honu's story was also published in Sheryl Sandberg's book Lean In.[11] She was named as the 2016 Vlisco Brand Ambassador.[12]

Early life and education

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Born Regina Fremah Agyare, she attended Holy Child High School, Cape Coast, for her secondary education. She is an alumna of Ashesi University and a member of the 2005 class.[13][14]

Career

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Soronko Academy

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Honu teaching girls to code and create technology

Regina Honu set up the Soronko Foundation in 2012, which brought about the Soronko Academy in 2017, to train children and young adults in coding, IT skills, human-centered design in Ghana, West Africa.[15][3][16] The academy was started to help young people especially women and equip them in technical and soft skills necessary to help them in the society and bridge the gender gap in technology.[17][18] It is the first coding and Human-centered design school for children and young adults in West Africa.[3][5][19] By 2021, the programme is estimated to have trained more than 20,000 women and girls.[20]

Tech Needs Girls

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Honu started the Tech Needs Girls Ghana movement, which aims to train and educate more Ghanaian girls into studying technology-related courses. The movement is noted for teaching girls how to code.[21][22]

She runs the Soronko Academy, the first coding and human-centered design school in West Africa, in association with the Tech Needs Girls programme, which has trained more than 3,500 girls in Ghana and Burkina Faso.[23]

Partnership

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As part of World Autism Day 2018, Honu partnered with Autism Ambassadors of Ghana for an autism awareness session.[24] The session helped to create awareness about autism and introduced an Autism Aid App that enable families of children living with autism to access information from experts on how to take care of these kids.[24]

Personal life

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She married in November 2015 and is now known as Regina Honu.[25]

Awards and achievements

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Honu at the launch of Rama
  • She recently won the 2017 Buffett Award for Emerging Global Leaders from Northwestern University.[33]
  • She was honoured as one of Coca-Cola 60 Young achievers with an outstanding performance in Technology[34]
  • She was then awarded the Big Six award from Coca-Cola Ghana for her incredible contribution in Technology.[34]
  • She won the 2016 Startup Entrepreneur of the year and her organization won the Social Enterprise Startup of the Year in the 2016 Ghana StartUp Awards.[35]
  • She also won the JCI Ghana Outstanding Young Person award for scientific and technological advancement.[36]
  • Her organization was nominated for the editor's choice award in the Women in IT award in the UK[37]
  • She was a finalist for the ITU African Digital Woman of the Year.[38]
  • She was awarded a Women of Courage Award for Technology[39]
  • She is on the project advisory board of the UN Committee for the Rights of a Child, helping to update the Convention for the Rights of the Child for a Digital Age[39][40]
  • Tech Needs Girls was honoured in the 2014 Ghana CSR Diary Awards.[41]
  • 100 Women of the year 2017 by the BBC

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Tech entrepreneur Regina Agyare". CNN. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  2. ^ "Glitz top 100 inspirational women – Page 100 – Glitz Africa Magazine". Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Mphahlele, Thabo (8 February 2017). "Regina Honu, Soronko Solutions CEO". Biznes Africa. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Regina Agyare Chief Executive Officer, Soronko Solutions". SWIFT. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Soronko Solutions CEO Regina Honu thriving as Vlisco's 2016 Ambassador". Citifm Online. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Breaking down barriers for women in tech". CNN. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  7. ^ "Meeting Obama- Ghanaian entrepreneur speaks to BBCNewsday". SoundCloud. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  8. ^ Isaac, Kaledzi. "Tech Needs Girls: equipping Ghanaian girls". DW. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  9. ^ "Fighting sexism in science and tech". The Stream. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  10. ^ "Breaking down barriers for women in tech". CNN. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  11. ^ "Regina Agyare". Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  12. ^ "Vlisco Ghana Unveils Ambassador 2016". Vlisco Women's Month. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  13. ^ "CNN features Ashesi alumna, Regina Agyare '05 on 'African Start-Up'". iSpacegh. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  14. ^ "Alumna Regina Honu '05 speaks on overcoming failure and creating impact – Ashesi University Foundation". Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  15. ^ "How Soronko Foundation championed women empowerment through Tech Needs Girls". 24 November 2018. Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  16. ^ "A Message from Soronko Academy – Grimme Lab" (in German). 28 March 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  17. ^ "Soronko Academy partners Rotary Club of Accra & Limburgerhof/Vorderpfalz for girls coding project - MyJoyOnline.com". Myjoyonline. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  18. ^ "Soronko Academy trains 50 women in digital skills - MyJoyOnline.com". MyJoyonline. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  19. ^ "Soronko Academy partners MasterCard Foundation to launch Digital Skills Assessment Tools - MyJoyOnline.com". MyJoyonline. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  20. ^ "Quartz Africa Innovators 2021: Female innovators lead the way". Quartz. Yahoo. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  21. ^ "iSpace Spotlight – Regina Agyare". Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  22. ^ "iSpace Spotlight – Regina Agyare | The iSpace Foundation". ispacegh. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  23. ^ "Bridging the Gender Digital Divide in Africa". Master Card Foundation. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  24. ^ a b "Soronko Academy partners Autism Ambassadors ahead of Autism App launch - MyJoyOnline.com". Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  25. ^ Olapoju, Kolapo (26 December 2015). "Regina Honu: I ended 2015 marrying the love of my life (30 days of Gratitude) - YNaija". YNaija. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  26. ^ "Ashoka Innovators for the Public". Ashoka. Ashoka. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  27. ^ "Get to Know Regina". newvoicesfellows. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  28. ^ "Meet the Fellows: Regina Agyare". yali state gov. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  29. ^ "Regina Agyare". Globalshapers. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  30. ^ "Celebrating Girls and ICT: The Great Equalizer in Global Development". Vital Voices. 5 February 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  31. ^ Simeone, Jennifer (5 September 2013). "How to Teach Technology to Girls: Advice from Ghana". msmagazine. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  32. ^ "Current Change Leaders / Alumni". Africa Reach for Change.
  33. ^ "Buffett undergraduate affiliates select Regina Agyare Honu as the 2017 Buffett Award winner". Buffett Northwestern. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  34. ^ a b Karikari, Kwaku Boakye. "Youth, major resource for government's transformational agenda – Minister". Gold Street Business. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  35. ^ Kwawu, Daryl. "Echohouse Ghana Limited is Startup of the Year". myjoyonline. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  36. ^ Jotie, N. Sule. "JCI TEN OUTSTANDING YOUNG PERSONS AWARDS-MOTIVATING EXCELLENCE". Government of Ghana. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  37. ^ Rossi, Ben. "Women in IT Awards 2016 finalists revealed". Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  38. ^ Girl, Ronin. "The Ada Awards - Digital Woman of the Year". Digital Woman Award. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  39. ^ a b "Young Legends of Inspiration- Regina Agyare". Ghana Talks Business. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  40. ^ "Network". Digitally Connected. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  41. ^ "Ghana CSR Diary & Awards 2014: Leading Socially-Responsible Companies Awarded". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
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