Impact Stories from Environmental Sustainability Policy Area

Fellow wins entrepreneurship grant at United Nations conference

Fellow(s): Patu Ndango Fen

Country: Cameroon

Cohort: 2017

Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

2017 fellow of Cameroon Patu Ndango Fen was awarded a $10,000 grant at this year’s Africa Youth Conference. The conference, sponsored by UN Women and supported by partners such as UNICEF and UNESCO, aims to create an avenue for young people to contribute to development of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Prior to the conference, Patu, a social entrepreneur and innovator, was selected as a finalist for the YAS Open Innovation Challenge, a combined initiative of the United Nations Development Programme and Accenture. At the conference, Patu and nine other entrepreneurs were announced as grant winners for their projects that directly support the fulfillment of the SDGs. Patu’s social enterprise, Closed-Loop System Ventures, specializes in waste management, transforming plant and animal waste into organic fertilizer that can be used in farming and aquaculture. With the grant, Patu plans to construct a warehouse and rent a large-capacity waste collection truck.
In addition to receiving her award, Patu participated on a panel at the conference centered around pitching, presenting and storytelling from a marketing and branding perspective.

Report Date...: 10/29/2018

Two fellows named to Kenya’s 40 under 40 list

Fellow(s): Topy Muga, Lucy Wanjiku-Mutinda

Country: Kenya

Cohort: 2016, 2017

Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth

Two TechWomen fellows were named Top 40 Under 40 in Kenya by Business Daily. Topy Muga (2017) and Lucy Mutinda (2016) are among entrepreneurs, academics, researchers, philanthropists and leaders in tech, all selected for the honor based on their influence and leadership in their respective fields.
Topy, the senior director of financial inclusion for Sub-Saharan Africa at Visa, was formerly the head of Airtel Money at Airtel Kenya. She is a mentor at Zawadi Africa Education Fund, and her team’s TechWomen action plan project, Project Digniti, was selected as a seed grant winner during TechWomen 2017. Lucy is the CEO and founder of Ecocycle, a company that provides zero-waste products and services. A product engineer by trade, Lucy turns sewage into clean water, installing water recycling machines in homes and hotels throughout Kenya and promoting water re-use and environmental conservation. Lucy’s action plan team was also awarded a seed grant for their impact project, One Desk One Child, during TechWomen 2016.
While in the TechWomen program, Topy was hosted at Big Commerce and Lucy was hosted at San Francisco Department of the Environment.

Report Date...: 9/24/18

Fellow named one of 20 young Nigerians to watch

Fellow(s): Olamide (Mide) Ayeni

Country: Nigeria

Cohort: 2017

Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth

Olamide (Mide) Ayeni, 2017 fellow of Nigeria, has been featured in 20 Young Nigerians to Watch in 2018 by Ripples Nigeria. The list celebrates young Nigerians who “have made a great positive impact on their environment and chosen field.” Mide was highlighted for her social enterprise organization, Pearl Recycling, which pays people to collect solid waste items such as plastic, car tires, wood, newspapers and other recyclables in order to turn them into furniture. Mide’s recycled creations include coffee tables, chairs, mirrors, flower vases and wall décor. She started this initiative in the hopes that it would mitigate the growing amount of waste in Lagos that is often dumped into the ocean or burned.

Ripples Nigeria is a multimedia online news platform based in Nigeria that reports on politics and the economy.

Report Date...: 4/23/2018

Destiny Connect Magazine

Fellow(s): Tiisetso Lephoto

Country: South Africa

Cohort: 2016

Policy Area(s): Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth

Dr. Tiisetso Lephoto, 2016 fellow of South Africa, was highlighted in Destiny Connect magazine in a feature covering South Africa’s dynamic new female scientists.

Tiisetso earned her Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology at the age of 26 from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. She is currently a post-doctoral researcher focusing on the impact of insect biocontrol agents on agricultural industries, particularly organic farming and effectively reducing the application of synthetic chemical insecticides on South African farms.

Report Date...: 12/4/2017

WiSTEM Conference Awards

Fellow(s): Charity Wanjiku

Country: Kenya

Cohort: 2017

Policy Area(s): Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth

Charity Wanjiku, 2017 Emerging Leader from Kenya, was honored at the 4th Annual Global Women in STEM (WiSTEM) Conference on September 11. The WiSTEM Conference Awards is an annual initiative to establish, recognize, honor and promote outstanding contributions women make to the scientific and technological communities that improve and evolve our society. Charity received the Exemplary Leader in a Management Position award for her work as Chief Operating Officer at Strauss Energy Ltd., where she integrates energy-generating technology into basic building materials. Jillian Scott, TechWomen Lead at IIE, attended the ceremony to accept the award on Charity’s behalf.

WiSTEM is an initiative of Menina Kaj Femme, a public charity founded by TechWomen mentor Meera Kaul to nurture the social, economic and intellectual potential of women.

Report Date...: 9/11/2017

Africa Alumni TIES Small Grants Competition

Fellow(s): Lydie Umubyeyi and Rita Mutabazi

Country: Rwanda

Cohort: 2013&2014

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Environmental Sustainability, Youth Engagement

Lydie Umubyeyi and Rita Mutabazi, 2014 and 2013 fellows of Rwanda, respectively, have received a grant from the Africa Alumni Thematic International Exchange Seminars (Alumni TIES) Small Grants Competition. Lydie and Rita received a grant for the Engaged Youth in Energy Conservation Project, which will address the issue of energy inefficiency in schools, focusing on five Rwandan technical schools. The project will support students to empower themselves to take the lead in finding solutions appropriate to their energy challenges, including through student-led energy audits and an energy efficiency competition.

Report Date...: 8/21/2017

Africa Alumni TIES Small Grants Competition

Fellow(s): Azizat Gbadegesin and Oluremi Hamid

Country: Nigeria

Cohort: 2016

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Environmental Sustainability, Youth Engagement

Azizat Gbadegesin and Oluremi Hamid, 2016 fellows of Nigeria, have received a grant from the Africa Alumni Thematic International Exchange Seminars (Alumni TIES) Small Grants Competition. Azizat and Oluremi are joined by two alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders program in launching Nigerian Energy Ambassadors, a project that will build a network of young energy ambassadors and entrepreneurs by creating awareness and sharing basic knowledge on energy efficiency, energy conservation and renewable energy.

Report Date...: 8/21/2017

Fellow(s): Joy Makumbe

Country: Zimbabwe

Cohort: 2015

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability

Joy Makumbe, 2015 fellow of Zimbabwe, discusses her startup challenges and the impact of TechWomen on her personal and professional life in an interview featured on She Leads Africa. SunPower hosted Joy for her mentorship, where she “realized that there was so much untapped potential in Zimbabwe for solar power on the domestic, industrial and agricultural fields,” Joy stated.

Report Date...: 6/12/2017

Fellow(s): 2016 Sierra Leonean Cohort

Country: Sierra Leone

Cohort: 2016

Policy Area(s): Environmental Sustainability, Youth Engagement

The 2016 Sierra Leonean cohort launched their action plan project at its first of three partner schools on April 7. The project, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Kids can do it Better (3Rs for Kids), received one of five 2016 TechWomen seed grants and aims to address poor waste management in Freetown. The goal is to establish solid waste management education programs to increase environmental awareness. In addition to providing recycling bins, 3Rs for Kids will provide educational materials, such as posters, photos and videos, about recycling. The cohort has partnered with two recycling companies, who will support the implementation of the project and give presentations about waste management and recycling.

Report Date...: 4/10/2017

Fellow(s): Gulnora Anvarova

Country: Tajikistan

Cohort: 2015

Policy Area(s): Environmental Sustainability

Report Date...: 3/20/2017