4 Guyanese set for International Hackathon competition

Apr 26, 2022 News

– were winners of the GTT-backed Innovation Challenge 2022

Kaieteur News – A group from the University of Guyana, including both past and current students, are on their way to represent Guyana at the first 5G for Change Hackathon, presented by Verizon in the USA.
GTT in a release noted that the young men, who are the winners of the recently concluded GTT backed Innovation Challenge 2022, hosted by the Office of the Prime Minister, are thrilled to be presenting a useful green solution to the world.

Senior Manager, PR and Corporate Communications, Jasmin Harris (centre) with members for team Frameperfect (l-r) Malik Williams, Andrew Garnett, Jun Leung, Shomari Williams.

GTT said it is elated to support the team’s travels to New York, USA to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This sponsorship is in keeping with the company’s promise to strengthen the community and innovate for all in Guyana.
The initial stage saw over 150 international teams apply, according to Malik Williams, one of the local team members. He beamed that his team of developers were among the five finalists chosen to present their solution for change.
“The role GTT and the University of Guyana have played in our success in becoming finalists in this competition is immense,” Malik said.
His other team members are current UG student, Jun Leung and UG alumni Shomari Williams and Andrew Garnett.
The challenge aims to build real-life solutions to major issues plaguing the world. The winning team will walk away with a Webby Award – akin to an Academy Award for technology innovations, and USD$50,000.
The Webby Awards’ website says it has a long history of recognising change-makers and companies that have used the Internet to have an impact on the world, from the inventors of the Internet to founders of Black Lives Matter and Greta Thunberg, among many others.

At its core, the solution being presented by the developers will see the reshaping of Guyana’s efforts to maintain its forests, using technology, and help weed out illegal forest activities to promote more sustainable ecosystems in Guyana.

Malik made special mention of his lecturers at UG, who he said gave them the confidence to take on significant challenges and the ability to approach them systematically and the technical skills required to design feasible solutions.

“GTT has continuously contributed to initiatives in Guyana that give us the ability and confidence to express our ideas…and our lecturers at the Department of Computer Science have always encouraged us to think of solutions to global issues — especially in our research projects,” said Malik.
He further explained that youth involvement in competitions like these show the tremendous abilities of Guyanese youth and their awareness of local, regional and global issues.
Jasmin Harris, Senior Manager PR and Corporate Communications at GTT, extended the company’s best wishes to the team and added that the company stands ready to support young Guyanese minds and encourage innovation.
“GTT is interested in creating an environment for bright minds to thrive and be a part of Guyana’s development through innovation. We will continue to support initiatives like these, which strive to engender change. Best wishes to the team on their journey!” Harris noted.

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