Zahara Ntawuhiganira

Rwandan tech educator building Africa's first AI literacy platform for rural youth

Zahara Ntawuhiganira (b. 1995) is the founder of CodeRwanda, an AI education platform reaching 150,000 students across East Africa through mobile-friendly courses. Launching in 2021 after completing MIT's AI for Development program, her initiative provides free training in machine learning, robotics, and data science using locally relevant case studies like crop yield prediction and disease diagnosis. The platform's adaptive learning system adjusts content based on user progress, with 85% completion rates in regions with <2Mbps internet speeds.

Zahara's 2023 partnership with Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta University created Africa's first AI4Agri certification program. Her team's AI model for early banana wilt detection now helps 10,000+ farmers in Uganda and Burundi. Named one of Africa's 100 Most Influential Young Leaders (2024), she recently launched 'CodeGirls' scholarships targeting 20,000+ young women by 2026. Her upcoming initiative will integrate blockchain to verify certifications, creating pathways to tech jobs in Germany and Singapore. A 2024 documentary Code of Progress follows her team's work in post-conflict communities, highlighting how tech education transforms post-genocide Rwanda's youth.