Update:  DotConnectAfrica at a High Level Discussion on Africa at the EurAfrican Forum in Portugal; Global IG Policy - ITU; Miss.Africa App Developers  graduate, Award Ceremony, Kenya 
 
  Press Release  
14th November2016:
 
Thought Leadership: Bekele Shares Key Issues and Challenges on Africa's Innovation ad IT industry with Portugal Leadership
14th October 2016, Cascais Portuga" Sophia Bekele, Founder of DCA Group, was invited to Portugal to give a high level talk on IT and Innovation, organized under the High Patronage of the President of Portuguese Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and moderated by the distinguished José Manuel Durão Barroso, EurAfrican Forum Chairman. Former President of the European Commission and former Prime Minister of Portugal, convened at the Historic National Palácio in Cascais, Portugal.
   
The forum was focused on discussing the key issues and challenges relating to Africa's development and Europe's role on this endeavour, showcase the huge investment opportunities in Africa for European investors and corporations and explore joint opportunities for business economic growth and social and human development.

EurAfrican Delegation 
Africa is primed to be one of the great economic success stories of this century. Incomes are rising. Investments in infrastructure and technology are accelerating growth across a range of industries.

It is also the continent with the youngest population. The current trend indicates that this figure will double by 2045, according to the 2012 African Economic Outlook report. Women are the often regarded as the economic engine of Africa, and their impact is accelerating. 

Sophia Bekele on Africa's IT and innovation Panel at the EurAfrican Forum moderated
José Manuel Durão Barroso-EurAfrican Forum Chairman

Ms. Bekele who is listed as African Women to Watch, one of top two leading ladies in Africa's ICT sector in 2013 by Bloomberg TV and a champion for bridging the digital divide was on the panel to discuss IT and Innovation. In her keynote she emphasized that

"Regarding technology and innovation, Africa is heavily focused on the apps economy, a gravitation towards mobile, cloud computing and internet of things (IOT). This is helped by the fact that women and youth are getting to be part of this innovation because of the work that organizations like DCA Trust is doing locally. As regards broadband in Africa, it is not so much the lack of connectivity but the quality of connectivity which needs to be improved."

Cascais where the meeting was held is a cosmopolitan coastal suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal where DCA Group also visited.

 
The ATU's sponsored Tunis "Africa Proposal" is the same as Uncle AUC's Dakar "Africa Agenda", proposed to circumvent global ICANN policy, and should be rejected!   Read full article on CircleID
 
Our Impact Initiatives: Miss.Africa Seed Fund App Developers Graduate. Award Ceremony at eMobilis.
 
Th e EurAfrica Forum also coincided with completion of
Bekele in Nairobi giving awards to Miss.africa eMobilis trained women mobile app developers.
a successful 3 month training of the Twenty Five (25) women selected from over three hundred applicants who benefited directly from the receiving training fund.
 
Ms. Bekele Presents the Miss.Africa Trophy to Mr. Ken Mwenda

Bekele also presented the Miss.Africa Trophy award to eMobilis Founder Mr. Ken Mwenda for his efforts and collaborations in making the Miss.Africa program a success.


Ms. Bekele with Miss.Africa Trophy









eMobilis was selected DCA Trust's partner to deliver relevant, 21st century software development skills for bright young women in Kenya having emerged as the grand prize winner of the inaugural Miss.Africa Pan-African seed fund.

Mobile App presentation by miss.africa trainees

Ms. Bekele was invited to give the Awards.  Speaking at the App presentation and award giving ceremony event, Bekele congratulated the women who had completed the training and encouraged them to polish their apps. The students presented prototype mobile apps ranging from safety and crime prevention, health, education, fashion and child safety. The top 3 app developers also received mobile devices as prizes

 
More pictorials can be found at our gallery 
 
About DotConnectAfrica Group
DotConnectAfrica Group makes up an integrative model of various Internet-centered digital products and services encompassing Domain Registry services, that handles Internet TLD registry and DNS businesses; new media and multimedia services as well as mobile applications along with an integrated digital social media platforms and an education platform under DCA Academy, that is managed by the organization.

The group is managed by DCA Trust, an independent, non-profit and non-partisan organization that is based in Port Louis, Mauritius (Reg.ID CT8710DCA90) with its registry operations located in Nairobi, Kenya. Its main charitable objects are: (a) for the advancement of education in information technology to the African society; and (b) in connection with (a) to provide the African society with a continental Internet domain name to have access to Internet services for the people of Africa as a purpose beneficial to the public in general. 
Press Contact: Thomas Kamanzi, Newsletter Editor tkamanzi@dotconnectafrica.org
         DCA Group:  www.dotconnectafrica.org