TechZara: the name is an amalgam between “Technology” and “Zara” which, in Malagasy, means “Sharing”. The goal of the association? To bring together young technology enthusiasts, specializing in the field of information, particularly development and programming.
Popularizing technology among young people, a goal
Founded in July 2017, TechZara now has 230 members and 7 leaders. Most of them are students in computer science, telecommunications or electronics. The association’s ambition is to promote and popularize Information Technology and communication among the youth of the Big Island.
“Our activities are focused on the exchange of skills, whether technical or technological.
Social networks such as Facebook are their main communication grounds. TechZara allows its members to exchange daily: advice, criticism, experience…
TechZara also organizes “Saturday Sharing” for its members. This includes a session from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., during which members can choose a topic that interests them, share something new, or conduct technology watch activities.
The officials sometimes organize videoconferences with Malagasy who work or study abroad. “We have on our side, programs or themes already planned for each Saturday. For example, last Saturday we talked about computer security, and for the next one, we will have the chance to be assisted by Mario Tsitoara from the Mozilla community in Mada to talk about its latest news!”
Free professional training for members
The association wishes to help young people orient themselves and keep up to date with the evolution of the technology field. To this end, the next event it is organizing is a free professional training for its members. This is an internship for students who meet the criteria and are ready to enter the job market.
“Regarding the training, it is a course dedicated to members wanting to move to the professional life. It is a 3-month training course in the field of web and mobile application development.”
The first edition will start in December for a period of 3 months. The beneficiaries will receive a certificate at the end of the training, during which they will be paid. They will then have a good chance of being hired by the association’s partners. This will not only be an internship, but also a first professional experience for the student members.
TechZara brings together a large number of young Malagasy. The latter are supervised by a leader, Julien Rajerison, an employee of the Ministry of Communication. The association wishes to emphasize the place of women in new technologies.
For example, not all TechZara members are men: “We have several boys in the community, but we do have girls. What inspires them all is computer science and that’s what drives them to become TechZara members. They want to share and discover a more open world. That’s why there are so many of us and why we are active.
