My projects

Key Challenges

• Financial Barriers: School fees ($38/term/pupil) made traditional computer-labs ($8,000+) and dedicated ICT teachers unfeasible.

• Geographic Constraints: Located 50+ km from urban tech hubs, limiting access to resources and expertise.

• Cultural Resistance: Parental skepticism toward "non-traditional" education priorities.

• Equity Concerns: Risk of exclusivity if structured as a paid club, leaving most students behind.

Execution Strategy

• Partnership & Cost Optimization

  • Negotiated a highly subsidized partnership ($5/student/term) with a tech firm providing:

    • Mobile laptop lab + Wi-Fi (eliminating capital expenditure).

    • External ICT instructors (avoiding payroll expansion).

  • Pilot Testing: Ran a 2023 demo to prove student engagement, securing full-term rollout in 2024.

• Operational Innovation

  • Timetable Restructuring: Consolidated all coding lessons into one day/week to minimize partner travel costs.

  • Collaborative Scaling: Partnered with a larger school in the Ward to increase economies of scale, making the program viable for providers.

• Stakeholder Management

  • Parental Engagement & Resistance Mitigation

    • Strategy: Coordinated a hands-on coding session for parents (90% mothers), facilitated by my team and led by a female instructor. Parents built basic HTML pages, demystifying tech through direct experience.

    • Cultural Insight: The instructor’s expertise—and gender—defied local expectations (“Female tech teachers are still rare enough to surprise communities,” per post-workshop feedback).

    Result: Transformed skepticism into advocacy, with parents becoming vocal supporters of the program.

Outcomes & Impact

• Inclusivity: 100% student access (vs. exclusive club model), aligning with "no child left behind" ethos.

• Gender Equity: Equal enthusiasm and participation from boys and girls—with female instructors unintentionally challenging stereotypes (“A rarity that shifted perceptions,” per instructor feedback)

• Engagement: Students embraced coding with exceptional aptitude ("like fish to water"), exceeding parental expectations.

• Sustainability: Program ran successfully throughout 2024, establishing a repeatable model for rural tech education.

• Community Ripple Effect: Paved the way for broader STEM culture in the Ward, challenging generational poverty and gender norms.

Project Success Factors

• Resourcefulness: Turned constraints into leverage points (e.g., mobile labs, shared partnerships).

• Agile Piloting: Used demo phase to validate demand and refine implementation.

• Strategic Collaboration: Aligned incentives across schools and providers to share costs/benefits.

PM Skills Demonstrated

✔ Stakeholder Alignment (parents, partners, schools)
✔ Budget Innovation (OPEX vs. CAPEX approach)
✔ Risk Mitigation (pilot testing, phased rollout)
✔ Change Management (shifting perceptions on tech education)
✔ Scalability Design (replicable model for rural contexts)

Key Challenges (Problem Statement)

• Safety Hazard: Large, unstable concrete stones made the courtyard unsafe for children, increasing injury risks.

• Poor Drainage: Low-lying topography and impermeable black cotton clay soil caused persistent waterlogging, creating health risks.

• Budget Constraints: No allocated school funds; required alternative financing and cost-optimized execution.

Project Execution & Strategy

1. Stakeholder & Resource Mobilization

   • Secured external funding via loans to ensure project continuity.

   • Engaged a local engineering firm to provide cost-effective solutions while creating employment opportunities for community youth (local capacity building).

2. Phased Implementation (Agile Approach)

   • Phase 1:

     • Grading & Base Layer: Added murram overlay to stabilize the surface while retaining existing concrete as a sub-layer for water runoff.

     • Slope Correction: Adjusted courtyard gradient to direct water away from the center, integrating drainage pathways.

     • Cost Innovation: Substituted traditional soil compaction (road roller) with a weighted double-cab truck for equivalent compaction at reduced cost.

   • Phase 2:

     • Surface Enhancement: Applied fine concrete topping for dust control, improved safety, and aesthetic appeal.

     • Community Engagement: Hired local labor, including a parent of former students, reinforcing social ROI.

3. Risk & Constraint Management

   • Budget Control: Prioritized phased execution to align with cash flow limitations.

   • Technical Adaptation: Partnered with engineers to tailor solutions (e.g., repurposing existing materials, low-cost compaction).

   • Sustainability: Ensured drainage design accounted for soil permeability, preventing future waterlogging.

Outcomes & Impact

• Safety: Eliminated tripping hazards and stagnant water, reducing injury/health risks.

• Cost Efficiency: Delivered a 50%+ cost savings vs. traditional methods through innovative engineering and local partnerships.

• Community Value: Fostered local employment and strengthened school-community ties.

Project Success Factors

• Resourcefulness: Leveraged loans, local expertise, and adaptive techniques to overcome funding gaps.

• Stakeholder Alignment: Balanced school needs, engineer recommendations, and community benefits.

• Scalability: Modular, phased approach allowed progress despite financial constraints.

PM Skills Demonstrated

✔ Budget & Procurement Management
✔ Risk Mitigation & Problem-Solving
✔ Stakeholder Engagement & Local Empowerment
✔ Adaptive Planning (Phased Delivery)