Women of Softcom

IWD 2022

About

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Joyce Odemena

How would you describe the work you do at Softcom? And what are you most proud of?

I am currently in the position of Lead, Engineering at Eyowo. I am a Backend Engineer. My day to day work involves lots of meetings these days, but generally, it revolves around writing code to build features, squash bugs or optimise and stabilise the Eyowo systems; aligning with and organising the Engineering team with regards the product and growth; also interfacing with support, finance, admin, and other third parties.

 

I would say my work at Softcom/Eyowo is impactful, and this ties into what I would say are my proudest moments at Eyowo – which are all the times people use Eyowo and it solves a problem they face.

What does choosing to challenge mean personally for you?

For me, this is now more simplified. It wasn’t always though. I grew up feeling like I didn’t always have my own opinions. It may sound a bit weird but it’s true. Most times, I could relate to several perspectives but couldn’t contribute because I hated conflict in the first place, so I avoided it – sweet Chidi, the Gemini. I still hate it.

 

Growing older, I reached a point where I had to become conscious of what I really like as a person and also what I want from life and from myself on a daily basis. Also, to think way less of what people thought about me.

 

So choosing to challenge simply means asking myself if I really align with whichever situation I find myself in; be it how I dress to go out, what influences my style, how a person addresses me at work, timelines being set at work, personal relationships, Nigerians being killed by the people meant to protect them, and so on. Consciously asking myself what my stance is and how it makes me feel. Do I align with the situation, accept and let it go or challenge it?

What would access and inclusion look like for you in the Africa Softcom is trying to build?
Access and inclusion for me basically mean that no matter who you are, how much money you have in your bank account (be it a physical or digital bank, if at all), or where you’re from, you can get resources to train your mind, grow your money, and ultimately not be limited by your environment.
How did you get into the tech environment?
I studied Computer Science at the university and that was when I actually became conscious of the tech environment. I found out about programming, software, and how it all works, and I actively started learning about them. I later got an internship with Konga to work on Kongapay as a Software Engineer Intern.
What do you do for fun?

I hang out with friends – we talk about life, music, love, going on adventures, etc. I listen to music, dance, watch movies, anime, YouTube. Very basic stuff.

Tell us two truths about yourself and one lie.

– I love taking pictures of things around me and myself.

– I don’t like the smell of incense.

– I have seven plant babies and a cat.