Impact Stories from Professional Development Policy Area

Fellow earns hydropower assessor accreditation

Fellow(s): Asligul (Mavluda) Mamadatoeva (Tajikistan, 2017)

Country: Tajikistan

Cohort: 2017

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development

Fellow earns hydropower assessor accreditation

Fellow Asligul (Mavluda) Mamadatoeva (Tajikistan, 2017) recently announced her completion of the Accredited Assessor training organized by the Hydropower Sustainability Training Academy based in London. Asligul works as a Senior Environmental and Social Officer at Pamir Energy Company (PE), where she has held a leadership role in the yearslong process of securing the Sebzor hydropower project as the first project of its kind to be certified by the Hydropower Sustainability Standard, as announced on March 22, 2023. In her areas of expertise, Asligul held direct responsibility for 10 out of 12 topics assessed by the International Hydropower Association.

Report Date...: 06/19/2023

will travel to U.S. for whirlwind visit to NASA and more

Fellow(s): Dania Maraqah (Palestinian Territories, 2022)

Country: Palestinian Territories

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow mentors winning high school team in Tech-Talent 2023, will travel to U.S. for whirlwind visit to NASA and more

Fellow and physics teacher Dania Maraqah (Palestinian Territories, 2022) recently mentored a winning team in the Tech-Talent 2023 Grand Finale, a science and entrepreneurship competition for high school students in Gaza and the West Bank. As the supervising teacher, Dania and her team, along with 11 other teams selected from hundreds of students, have won the opportunity to experience a 10-day trip to the U.S. to visit NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the University of South Florida College of Marine Sciences and the Imagineers at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. The Tech-Talent program, created by Al-Nayzak (the Meteor Foundation), offers the opportunity for Palestinian high school students to innovate and present unique STEM projects intended for real-world applications. The U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs partners with the Meteor Foundation to help sponsor this event. “As an alumna of TechWomen 2022 Fall,” Dania shared in a recent post, “I am truly grateful for the profound impact the TechWomen program has had on my life, inspiring me to step up and become a mentor for a team of incredible girls in the tech-talent contest.”

Report Date...: 06/12/2023

Fellow featured in article on Technovation Girls’ success

Fellow(s): Maral Hudaybergenova (Turkmenistan, 2018)

Country: Turkmenistan

Cohort: 2018

Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Fellow featured in article on Technovation Girls’ success

Fellow Maral Hudaybergenova (Turkmenistan, 2018) was featured in a recent article for her role in the success of Technovation Girls Turkmenistan as their Regional Ambassador. The story covers the program’s second year in the country, during which participants engaged in 12 weeks of training and project development that included market research, application buildout and video production. The Regional Pitch Day, held at Ashgabat International School, was attended by U.S. Ambassador Matthew Klimow and resulted in four teams, double over the year prior, being selected for the world finals. Finalists, to be announced June 30, will attend the World Summit in Silicon Valley this October. “Technovation is not just a competition,” Maral shared. “There are no winners and losers. All participants are part of a global community of like-minded people striving to change the world for the better.”

Report Date...: 06/12/2023

Fellow moderates panel at AviaDev Africa Conference

Fellow(s): Refilwe Ledwaba (South Africa, 2019)

Country: South Africa

Cohort: 2019

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Professional Development

Fellow moderates panel at AviaDev Africa Conference

Fellow Refilwe Ledwaba (South Africa, 2019) recently moderated a panel discussion, “Designing a sustainable route development plan: How to attract and retain airlines in Africa” during the 2023 AviaDev Africa conference in Nairobi, Kenya this June. Refilwe is the first black female helicopter pilot from South Africa and the founder of the Girls Fly Program Africa (GFPA), an immersive STEAM development initiative focused on aviation, space technology, mentorship and career-building skills for high school girls. The AviaDev Africa conference convenes aviation professionals, policymakers and industry leaders involved in African aviation to discuss and develop solutions to industry challenges through speaking events, panel discussions, workshops and the exhibition of aviation products and services.

Report Date...: 06/12/2023

Mentor-conceived Climate Smart Women Energy Leaders program launches at Berkeley National Lab

Fellow(s): Mentor Reshma Singh

Country:

Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development

Mentor-conceived Climate Smart Women Energy Leaders program launches at Berkeley National Lab

Mentor Reshma Singh recently took part in the formal launch of the Climate Smart Women Energy Leaders program (CS-WEL) as part of the Net Zero World (NZW) Initiative. Hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where Reshma works as a Senior Advisor and Program Director, the new initiative serves to empower women leaders in the energy sector from partner countries through intensive training, peer learning and ongoing coaching and mentoring. The launch included leaders from seven countries, including India, for which Reshma serves as the Country Co-Coordinator for the NZW. The NZW initiative was launched in 2021 by DOE Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, with the aim of transitioning to net zero energy systems across multiple sectors, including transportation, industry, buildings, carbon capture and geologic storage, energy storage and the power grid. Berkeley Lab contributes leadership and technical expertise in the recently established NZW Action Center, which is part of a network that promotes global net zero emission energy systems that are inclusive, equitable and resilient.

Report Date...: 06/05/2023

Fellow(s): Sebay Momoh (Sierra Leone, 2018)

Country: Sierra Leone

Cohort: 2018

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development

Sebay spoke on behalf of Sierra Leone’s oil and gas sector during the Country Showcase at the Africa Energies Summit this May.

Fellow spoke at the Africa Energies Summit in London, GB this May, where she shared the stage with the heads of petroleum agencies from The Gambia, Liberia and Senegal. During the Country Showcase, she addressed the current investment prospects in the oil & gas industry of Sierra Leone, highlighting favorable fiscal terms that make the market competitive, the transparent legal and regulatory frameworks that support it, and the abundance of data available across the Sierre Leone basin. “These and much more are reasons why Sierra Leone is a great nation for energy investment,” she shared in a recent post. Sebay is a petroleum engineer at the Petroleum Directorate Sierra Leone, the regulating authority for all upstream oil and gas activities in Sierra Leone. The Africa Energies Summit curates stakeholder insights on the continent’s role in global energy.

Report Date...: 06/05/2023

Fellow speaks at Africa Energies Summit in London

Fellow(s): Sondos Samara (Jordan, 2018)

Country: Jordan

Cohort: 2018

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow speaks at Africa Energies Summit in London

Fellow Sondos Samara (Jordan, 2018) recently met with U.S. First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, during a USAID event organized with the U.S. Embassy of Jordan in Amman. Sondos Samara was one of four women entrepreneurs currently receiving USAID Business Growth Activity (BGA) support who were invited to the event, where they had the opportunity to discuss their businesses and the contributions that they are making to their sectors. The USAID BGA is a five-year project implemented by Financial Markets International that provides technical and financial support to qualifying small and medium enterprises in Jordan. Sondos is a quality manager at the Environmental Laboratory for Microbiological and Chemical Analysis in Jordan and the founder of Sanadyme, a medtech social entrepreneurship startup.

Report Date...: 06/05/2023

Fellow co-hosts groundbreaking IT mega expo in Pakistan

Fellow(s): Ayesha Hammad Zaman (Pakistan, 2022)

Country: Pakistan

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow co-hosts groundbreaking IT mega expo in Pakistan

Skills Todo, a company owned and operated by fellow Ayesha Hammad Zaman (Pakistan, 2022), successfully hosted Skills Gala & Talent Hunt 2023, a first-of-its-kind IT and Training ecosystem mega expo that took place on May 27 and 28 in Lahore, Pakistan. The event united tech stakeholders from all sectors under the shared goal of retaining tech talent in Pakistan while also contributing to the export of IT from Pakistan to the world. With nearly 20,000 attendees, the expo brought together software companies, government entities, training companies and academic institutions with tech freelancers and professionals. “We have fresh graduates and those with strong experience who tend to spend two to three years working in Pakistan before brain draining out of the country, as well as freelancers and under skilled professionals not equipped to participate in the full-time workforce,” Ayesha explained during a recent call. “With both Skills Todo and the Pakistani government working to fill these skills gaps and keep talent in the country, it made sense for us to join forces.” Ayesha has also recently announced a freshly-inked partnership with UAE-based Trainocate, which has granted Skills Todo exclusive licensing in Pakistan, starting this year with the distribution of 5,000 Microsoft training certificates. Skills Todo has similarly partnered with Google to disburse 500 Google Professional Certifications scholarships, at a value of 200 to 500 USD each, in her country.

Report Date...: 05/29/2023

Fellow presents findings at petroleum symposium

Fellow(s): Imene Ferhat (Algeria, 2022)

Country: Algeria

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Professional Development

Fellow presents findings at petroleum symposium

Fellow Imene Ferhat (Algeria, 2022), recently presented her research on enhancing petroleum production security at a high-profile, private petroleum symposium. “The petroleum industry plays a pivotal role in meeting global energy demands,” Imene explained in a recent correspondence. “However, ensuring the security of petroleum production processes is essential to safeguard infrastructure, prevent environmental disasters and maintain a stable energy supply chain. My research focused on identifying vulnerabilities and proposing effective measures to enhance security in petroleum production facilities.” The petroleum symposium served as a platform for industry experts, researchers and academics to come together and share insights, advancements and best practices in the field. The event featured presentations, panel discussions and networking opportunities.

Report Date...: 05/29/2023

Fellow recognized among 100 Technologists to Watch

Fellow(s): Ouafa Benterki (Algeria, 2012)

Country: Algeria

Cohort: 2012

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow recognized among 100 Technologists to Watch

Fellow Ouafa Benterki (Algeria, 2012) has recently been recognized as one of 100 Technologists to Watch by Women Who Code. Ouafa is the CEO & Founder of MTY Intelligent Software, the first women-led Algerian tech startup specializing in artificial intelligence and natural language processing. She is also an expert advisor at the Arab international Investor Forum and the first Arab/African woman named Microsoft Regional Director, a title that Microsoft annually awards to 100 top IT professionals in the world. She has been selected in the blockchain, front end, data science and software category of this award. Women Who Code aims to elevate diverse leaders in technology by acknowledging their groundbreaking contributions to the industry. “By recognizing 100 Technologists to Watch,” the organization notes, “this list aims to inspire the next generation of diverse leaders and promote gender equality in the industry, thus contributing to a more inclusive field.”

Report Date...: 05/15/2023

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