Betelhem Dessie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Betelhem Dessie
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Betelhem giving a talk at Africa Science week in December 2018
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| Born | 1999 (age 25–26) Harar, Harari Region, Ethiopia
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| Nationality | Ethiopian |
| Occupation | Software developer |
Betelhem Dessie (born in 1999) is an amazing young Ethiopian who creates websites and apps for phones. She is the boss of a company called iCog- Anyone Can Code (ACC). Betelhem has invented many cool things. CNN even called her "the youngest pioneer" in Ethiopia's growing technology world!
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How Betelhem Started in Tech
Betelhem grew up in Harar, Ethiopia. Her journey into technology began when she was just nine years old. Her father was a big supporter of her dreams. She learned about computers by using his computer at his electronics shop.
Earning Money and Learning Skills
When Betelhem was nine, she wanted money for her birthday. Her father was busy and didn't have any to give her. So, Betelhem decided to work in his shop herself! She earned 1600 Ethiopian birr by helping customers with audio and video files.
This experience made her even more interested in computers. She got better at editing videos, fixing computers, and putting software on cell phones. By the time she was ten, Betelhem was teaching herself how to code using HTML. She even taught basic computer skills to her classmates at school!
Betelhem's Amazing Career
Because of her great work in her community, the government noticed Betelhem when she was very young. She was interviewed by many news groups. When she moved to Addis Ababa with her family, she got a job as a developer for the government. She worked for the Information Network Security Agency (INSA) from 2011 to 2012, when she was only twelve years old!
Teaching Kids to Code
Today, Betelhem Dessie is the founder and CEO of Anyone Can Code (ACC). This program works with iCog Labs, a company that studies Artificial Intelligence in Ethiopia. iCog-ACC teaches kids from six to thirteen years old about exciting topics. They learn about robotics, AI, and computer programming.
Solving Problems with Technology
Betelhem also works on a program called Solve IT at iCog Labs. She helps more than eighty young people use technology to find solutions for problems in their communities. She has also trained forty girls through a project called Girls Can Code, which is supported by the United States Embassy.
Betelhem believes it's important for girls to see women succeeding in technology. She says, "Unless you really are in the industry, there is no one to look up to in technology." One of her past projects was an app that helps map out irrigation projects in Ethiopia for the government.
In 2018, Betelhem was studying Software Engineering at Addis Ababa University. In 2019, Quartz Africa named her one of the young African innovators to watch.
