MTN Ghana has hosted the second edition of the Tɛkyerɛma Pa Hackathon and AI Summit at the University of Ghana Great Hall, bringing together young innovators to develop digital solutions that support Ghanaian languages and make technology more accessible to persons with disabilities.
The event, organised in collaboration with the University of Ghana’s Human-Computer Interaction Lab, seeks to promote the use of Ghanaian languages in technology while ensuring that persons with disabilities can also access and benefit from digital services.
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Tɛkyerɛma Pa, an Akan phrase meaning “Good Tongue”, builds on the success of its first edition held last year, which focused on developing solutions for people with disability. This year’s edition has expanded its focus to include financial inclusion, accessibility and digital services.
Organisers say participants were taken through three months of training, mentorship and coaching to help them develop practical solutions to everyday challenges. The program also brought together students from different fields with more than 550 individuals benefiting from mentorship and coaching.
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According to the organisers, the initiative has attracted over 2,500 applicants, with 30 mentors supporting the programme. Mentors included Professor Augustina Naanu, Mr Timothy Owusu and Dr Sarah Djani, who guided participants throughout the development process.
Speaking at the event, Kwame Manu, Senior Manager for Digital Analytics at MTN Ghana, highlighted how the solutions could make mobile phone services easier for persons with disabilities, particularly those with hearing and visual impairments.
“Someone who is blind can simply speak to his phone and ask it to buy airtime of any amount. Once the system recognises his voice, it can carry out the request. This makes it possible for people who cannot see their screens to use their phones with greater ease,” he said.
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He explained that the initiative is intended to support Ghanaian innovators in developing solutions that address real-life challenges and make digital services accessible to more people. He added that MTN’s support for the program would help extend these opportunities to people across the country.
Five finalist teams presented their solutions at the grand finale, competing for the top prizes of GH₵70,000, GH₵20,000 and GH₵10,000 for first, second and third places respectively.
