Journey into Tech
Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not a part of the steamroller, you’re part of the road.
2011 (the formative year)
2011 (the formative year)
Temiloluwa did not realize she was still a greenhorn in the world of technology. She was just that naive girl who was comfortable with typing and playing games on the desktop in her dad’s office when she visited until she was told there was more to typing and playing games on her desktop. All thanks to the group of people (SQI) who created awareness about computer programming after her pre-degree program at the university and during ICT training. Meeting with them allowed her to learn about computer programming. However, she was advised to learn basic computer skills because she was not skilled at using PowerPoint, Excel, and Access. Heeding the advice remains one of the best choices she made.
“When the going gets tough, the tough keep going.”
While learning basic computers at SQI, she started learning HTML and CSS on her mobile phone through the w3schools platform. She continued with C # in the coding school, after completing Microsoft Office User Specialist. She relied on other colleagues’ laptops to aid her in learning coding throughout her first few years. Along the way, her enthusiasm was thwarted by her inability to get a laptop. Her interest kept wavering, but that did not stop her from learning.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up." The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
She never gave up. She kept working hard and learning more until it became a lifestyle. She maximized the access she had to using people’s laptops to learn.
In 2016, a friend, Opetunde Adepoju, informed her about Django Lagos. The program was initiated to stimulate and build girls’ interest in web development. Opetunde enlightened her about the program because she participated in the one hosted in Lagos that year. It was during her conversation with Opetunde that she came to know about Python. That is one highlight of her journey into tech. She and Opetunde co-hosted the first Django program at Lautech with Obe Ruth.
Opetunde helped with sending emails and training those who showed up for the program while she was looking after the welfare of the attendees. Co-hosting the program helped her learn more about hosting tech events. At the time, she co-hosted a Django program with Opetunde. She wasn’t yet vast in the world of computer programs. Still, after organizing, she attended the second Django Girl Lagos event as an attendee and gained more knowledge during the program. Temilloluwa’s experience helped her organize the Django Girls program in eastern Nigeria. She was privileged to visit Anambra, Abia, and Delta states to train girls in building websites using HTML, CSS, and Django.
The joy she felt was the best as she peered through their faces to see how happy they were to build a career in technology. Being a trainer of Django girls made her realize her passion for teaching and influencing the next generation to create solutions to the world’s problems through technology.
She knows that most kids in this part of Africa do not have the opportunity to learn coding at a young age, as she herself faced the same problem at a young age and didn’t hear anything about coding until she got to university. Her passion for influencing the next generation in the field of technology has led her to initiate programs that can help kids learn computer programs. She started by working with youth corporations in 2017 to reach out to schools with the intention of training kids to be technologically inclined. Her passion led to the birth of Rubies Technologies. Her thirst for knowledge helped her navigate her purpose in tech for impact. She attended the Common Purpose UK leadership program, which happened first and was held at the University of Lagos.
Growth was a process laced with timely opportunities for her. Again, she was opportune to attend the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), a program initiated by President Obama. The program was hosted in Ghana, and the experience was fantastic. The lessons, relationships, leadership, and entrepreneurship skills from YALI helped her organise the Django girls in LAUTECH.
All of her experience was gathered during her undergraduate days. Her hunger for knowledge helped her combine schooling with acquiring digital skills. This experience made her rugged.
She moved to learn Android in 2017 as the opportunity came with Andela Learning Community (ALC) 1.0. Sharing the knowledge gained and projects worked on during ALC with Google representatives allowed her to become the GDG (Google Developers Group) lead for Ogbomoso. With a few friends’ help, she coordinated a big tech event in Ogbomoso. She has volunteered at GDG for over 5 years, building a community of tech lovers by recruiting and sourcing event sponsors.
It’s not that we use technology, we live technology.
She hosted a Women TechMakers (WTM) event in 2018 to celebrate International Women’s Day. This also led to her approval as a WTM ambassador.
She proceeded to NYSC after she graduated from school. After her redeployment to Oyo state, she was posted to serve at IITA. Again, she lost her interest in learning, as the environment she was working in did not stimulate her interest in progressing in learning her digital skills and focused more on engineering and maintenance. However, she was able to motivate people to learn computer programs around her, as her strength lies more in that. She became the treasurer for Python Nigeria during that period, where she raised over 3 million Naira through sponsorship and partnerships for Pycon Nigeria 2020, and explored transparency during her tenure as the treasurer. During that period, Rubies Technologies facilitated a program that involved going to schools to create awareness about computer programs and teaching them computer programs. Rubies Technologies has visited more than 30 schools. The school tour was entirely free. You may want to ask her what keeps her going. Her passion to build the next generation keeps me going.
Project Management
During the period of the pandemic, she got a job as an assistant project manager. She did not know any theory about project management except her experience in planning and organising events. She studied project management courses online, and her mentor, Lade, helped her realize how she could be a fantastic project manager. She is now the project manager/talent manager for the software company. She enjoys managing projects and leading a team. Being a project manager has helped her realize how much she likes organizing and spearheading projects that could bring about a positive change. She is a selfless, energetic, focused, and intelligent lady who keeps breaking the bias in the world of tech.