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In addition to Griffin Insurance, Abass and her team have another company called Lami that sells the same technology that Griffin Insurance uses so that other businesses can use it to create their own digital insurance products.

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When Mariatu Sesay realized she was pregnant at 14, one thing scared her more than the social isolation she felt in the classroom: Sierra Leonean law banned her from attending school at all because she was expecting.

A keen student, Sesay continued to show up anyway and begged her teachers to let her stay, even as other children mocked her swelling belly.

Moved by Sesay’s resolve, the school principal, Eric Conteh, defied the law, risking his career and becoming an unwitting figurehead in the fight against a rule that rights groups say is outdated and stigmatizes teenage pregnancy.

“They would call me names, laugh at me and try to tear at my uniform,” Sesay told Reuters, holding her now nine-month-old baby girl, Nadia, in her arms.

“Whenever I showed up everyone would provoke me, but I love education so I summed up the courage to keep going.”

Sesay, with her parents’ consent, agreed to be identified for this story in order to draw attention to the law.

The school, whose name Reuters is withholding at principal Conteh’s request, is the only one in Sierra Leone known to be allowing a pregnant girl to continue to attend classes, but pressure against the law is mounting.

Women’s rights group Equality Now filed a challenge to Sierra Leone’s ban last year before the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) court in Nigeria.

The court heard arguments last month and is expected to rule in November.

The government says allowing pregnant girls to attend regular schools would tire them out, expose them to ridicule and encourage others to get pregnant. It has created part-time centers where they can study.

Since taking office last year, President Julius Maada Bio has expanded primary school access. His wife, Fatima Jabbie-Bio, is an advocate for new legal protections against sexual violence. But they have not moved to lift the ban on pregnant students.

The education ministry did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

Conteh said a regional education official visited the school when Sesay was late in her pregnancy but was so impressed by her success that he chose not to report her.

“There is no reason that a child should be denied her basic human rights just because she’s pregnant,” said Conteh. “Any pregnant girl who wants to learn is welcome at our school.”

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Conteh could in theory be fired from his job by the education authorities for allowing a pregnant girl to continue studying.

 

Credit: REUTERS

A pre-teen developed an impressive robot to help with one of life’s most tedious tasks.

Many people put off folding their clothes after washing and drying. While you were piling your garments in your closet, 12-year-old Fathia Abdullahi developed a robot with the ability to fold clothes.

“This is the t-shirt folder,” the young Nigerian told Reuters. “I made it because there are too much clothes to fold on Saturdays and Sundays when you wash a lot.”

When someone places a shirt in the middle of the surface, it is folded by the four grey beams on each side. The machine is a prototype, according to India Times, but it already folds t-shirts perfect.

Abdullahi started coding when she was 11 years old and aspires to be a food scientist. Coding is a passion for the young techie.

“When I grow up, I will love to be a food scientist,” she told BBC last month. “I would be able to use this coding to build so many things that would help me.”

Abdullahi’s peer, Oluwatobiloba Nsikakabasi Owolola, is also dabbling in robotics.

“This is the robot grabber,” he said. “I programmed it to identify the object, grab it and take it to another position.”

Owolola started coding when he was only 10 years old and wants to learn everything about it.

“I found Lego robotics interesting,” he said. “I wanted to do it all though.”

Like Abdullahi, he truly enjoys it.

“I love coding, that is why I want to be a robotic engineer,” Owolola declared.

Credit: blavity.com

Ariyike Moyinoluwa Oluwaseun is an 8-year old Nigerian photographer who was featured in Reuters News. She won the award for ‘Arts and Creative Personality of 2018’.

Reuters reports:

“A young photographer won ‘Arts and Creative Personality of the Year 2018’ at the Nigerian Child Summit Awards and she’s just 8 years old”

Ariyike started her career at the age of 5, and she inspires young creatives with her passion for photography as she says in an interview:

“When I grow up, I don’t want to be an Engineer or Doctor, I just want to be a photographer. I won’t like anyone stop me from what I’m doing”

Her parents who are also photographers help her in editing the pictures that she takes, and they are in full support of her ambition.

For the full interview, watch the video below:

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Meet Ariyike Oluwaseun, the 8-year-old Nigerian photographer who is making her mark in the world of photography

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