Impact Stories from Professional Growth Policy Area
Fellow speaks about TechWomen in television interview
Fellow(s): Salma Bekkouche
Country: Algeria
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth
This month, 2018 fellow Salma Bekkouche was invited to speak about her TechWomen experience in an interview on El Bilad TV, an Algiers-based television channel. In the interview (in Arabic), Salma, a social media blogger and recruiter, spoke about her experience spending five weeks in the San Francisco Bay Area and being mentored at Twitter. She also shared what exchange programs can offer women in Algeria, saying that through mentoring, coaching and witnessing the best practices of Silicon Valley companies, participants are able to access new opportunities and return home with a mission to empower women and girls.
Salma also spoke about president Abdelmajid Tebboune recognizing her as a young leader within Algeria who is actively contributing to the country’s progress: “It’s an honor for me to be recognized by the president of Algeria,” she said. “His supportive words on Twitter make me proud and more responsible to give back to my community and contribute positively in building my country.”
Report Date...: 3/16/20
2019 fellows of Pakistan hold first session for their initiative
Fellow(s): Asna Javed, Ayesha Mumtaz Kahn, Asmara Rahat, Farhat Yasmeen and Zeenat Anjum
Country: Pakistan
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
This week, 2019 fellows of Pakistan Asna Javed, Ayesha Mumtaz Kahn, Asmara Rahat, Farhat Yasmeen and Zeenat Anjum held the first educational session for their TechWomen seed-grant winning impact project, Bachaoo. With the tagline “Save Children, Save Pakistan,” Bachaoo has a mission to advocate for the rights and protection of children who are most vulnerable to sexual abuse.
Recently, the fellows established a partnership with Door of Awareness (DOA), a local non-profit that works with children ages three to 17 in underserved neighborhoods. DOA was enthusiastic about Bachaoo’s mission, and invited the team to organize an awareness session during their yearly Teachers Training Week. At the session, the fellows brought together 80 teachers for a day of knowledge-sharing on how to best advocate for children from impoverished backgrounds. “We were informed that children from these backgrounds need more attention with reference to good touch, bad touch and consent,” said Ayesha.
Later this month, Bachaoo plans to host another awareness session for 50 primary school children. The fellows are also consulting human rights lawyers and child psychologists, and hope to organize a panel on child protection laws. “We want to start conversations for children, parents and teachers,” said Ayesha. “Our vision is to advocate for the rights and protection of the children, because they will be our future leaders. “
Report Date...: 3/9/20
Fellow named an inspiring woman in business
Fellow(s): Omnia Eteyari
Country: Jordan, Libya
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This week, 2013 fellow Omnia Eteyari was recognized as a leading woman in business by Women in Business Arabia in partnership with Etihad Bank. Their campaign, 365 Inspiring Arab Women, is featuring an Arab woman in business each day of 2020. Omnia, who is from Libya but currently living in Jordan, is the first Libyan to be featured in the campaign.
Omnia is the co-founder of BulbulHub Academy of Public Speaking, a Jordan-based academy that provides public speaking, leadership and personal development courses to youth ages 11-17. She also recently supported the launch of LIBUS, the first Libyan online business school, as a curriculum developer and a tutor. Last week, she attended the launch of the TechWomen/TechGirls club Jordan, giving a workshop to the girls on best practices for public speaking. Omnia is also a business advisor for Eureka Tech Academy, Jordan’s first children’s tech academy that was started by 2011 fellow Afnan Ali.
Report Date...: 3/9/20
Fellow featured for her work as an engineer and entrepreneur
Fellow(s): Oduwa Agboneni
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This week, 2019 fellow of Nigeria Oduwa Agboneni was featured in a spotlight for Engineers Against Poverty for her work as a mechanical engineer as well as her involvement in Africa Catalyst, a program that promotes engineering in order to drive development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Oduwa, the founder and CEO of Nenis Engineering Limited and the project manager for Forging Africa’s Future Mechanical Engineers Programme (FAFMEP), spoke about her experience as a woman in engineering and the work she does to address the youth unemployment rate in Nigeria. She highlighted the goals of FAFMEP in 2020, which include running two regional bootcamps for 400 participants themed on engineering design, entrepreneurship and leadership skills. “Opportunities for women in the engineering sector in Nigeria are on the rise,” she said.
Report Date...: 3/9/20
Fellows launch TechWomen/TechGirls Club Jordan
Fellow(s): TechWomen Jordan Fellows
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Last month, seven TechWomen fellows, seven TechGirls alumnae and representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Jordan came together to officially launch Jordan’s TechWomen/TechGirls Club. At the inaugural event, attendees laid the groundwork for future activities that will offer mentorship, education and inspiration for women and girls in their communities.
After an introduction and interactive icebreaker activity, 2013 fellow Omnia Tayari delivered a workshop on public speaking for the group. Attendees then brainstormed club activities, including job shadowing, an online skill-matching hub, 21st century skills training and hackathons for girls in Amman.
The club plans to hold its next meeting later this month; there, they will offer Slack training as well as conduct a survey to define the vision and mission of the community. “We are so proud of this huge milestone, and can’t wait to post more updates about the new community,” said 2019 fellow Mais Muhtaseb.
Report Date...: 3/2/20
Fellow attends speed mentoring event for IWD2020
Fellow(s): Charity Wanjiku
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
In celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day, 2017 fellow of Kenya Charity Wanjiku attended a speed mentoring event meant to connect and empower women in Kenya. Hosted by the High Commission of Canada in Kenya, the event gathered mentors and mentees in order to share experiences, inspire one another and reaffirm a collective commitment to gender equality in Kenya and beyond.
Charity is the co-founder and COO of Strauss Energy Ltd, a solar energy company that brings innovative energy solutions to off-grid areas in rural Kenya and the greater African continent. “As a mentor, I had the opportunity to chat about the challenges I’ve faced, how I’ve overcome obstacles and shared lessons that I’ve learned along the way,” she said. During the session, she gave advice to the young women on achieving their goals despite obstacles: “Level-up by being intentional in your pursuits,” she told them. “And learn to say no, without having to justify yourself.”
Report Date...: 3/2/20
Fellow featured in article on innovative women in business
Fellow(s): Asna Javed
Country: Pakistan
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth
Last month, 2019 fellow Asna Javed was featured in an Entrepreneur article on women who are transforming tech and advocating for underserved populations. Although Asna, a developer advocacy city lead at IBM, was born without arms, she has challenged preconceived notions and thrived in the tech world: “What I love most about my role…is that it grants me a platform to champion technical careers to aspiring female and differently abled engineers,” she says.
Recently, Asna created Be-My-Hands, a mobile app that enables people with disabilities to complete basic business task using IBM’s Watson Speech to Text technology. Asna is also collaborating with the 2019 cohort from Pakistan to implement Bacha-O, their seed grant-winning initiative that protects vulnerable children against abuse.
Report Date...: 3/2/20
Delegation shows young students the possibilities in STEM
Fellow(s): TechWomen delegation trip to Rwanda
Country: Rwanda
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth, Special Report, Youth Engagement
On day two of the delegation trip, mentors and fellows met with girls from 10 secondary schools throughout Kigali for a for a full day of hands-on workshops meant to spark creativity, exploration and learning. Together, mentors and fellows led small-group sessions in electronics, engineering, digital media, motherboards, pitch training, design thinking, creative brainstorming and more. In the digital media session, groups of girls used Adobe Spark to create videos on themes of their choosing; in the engineering and architecture session, students used the basic principles of bridge engineering to create their own straw bridges using scissors, straws and tape; in the electronic circuits room, groups of students created LED flashers with sound and experimented with micro:bit hardware.
In all-group sessions during the afternoon, mentors led students through interactive activities that demonstrated the principles of design thinking and creative brainstorming. “There’s no bad idea in brainstorming,” said mentor Molly Glauberman of One Medical. “And when you involve more people, your ideas will get even better.” As mentor Tina Shakour led a pitch training, she reminded the students to make eye contact, tell a compelling story, and – mostly importantly — have fun. After, students split into groups to create one-minute pitches on solutions that can bring more resources to schools. Although just a few teams were asked to present, the students were so eager that ultimately every team came on stage and presented with clarity and confidence. 2018 fellow of Kenya Salome Gathoni closed out the day, inspiring everyone in the room to pursue their curiosities, follow their talents and work hard for their goals. “While we are strong, together we are stronger,” she said. “And together our voices will change the world. You see a girl — we see the future.”
Report Date...: 2/24/20
Mentoring Rwanda’s brightest young entrepreneurs
Fellow(s): TechWomen delegation trip to Rwanda
Country: Rwanda
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth, Special Report, Youth Engagement
Day five was all about innovation, group feedback and learning about some of Rwanda’s emerging businesses. The day kicked-off at both Westervelle Startup Haus as well as RBD Innovation Center, two hubs that serve as incubators and coworking spaces for local entrepreneurs. There, groups of mentors and fellows had a chance to meet entrepreneurs, deliver pitch training and give their feedback and expertise in breakout sessions. At Westervelle, mentor Shadi Nayyer of Twitch opened with a keynote on what investors look for, stressing the importance of finding a rockstar team, telling a good story and being open to pivoting: “You have to be in love with the problem, not the solution — because the solution can change,” she said.
Before the entrepreneurs pitched their business ideas to the delegates, mentor Elaina Tia of LinkedIn delivered a pitch training, using real-world examples that demonstrated how to tell a story, use persuasive language and gather feedback. It was then time to hear from the entrepreneurs themselves at a pitch feedback session, where delegates listened to business ideas such as turning waste into recyclable materials as well as an online marketplace that sells Rwandan-made products. After hearing the pitches, mentors and fellows asked challenging questions and gave their advice, working alongside the entrepreneurs to fine-tune both their business plan and pitches. In breakout sessions that followed, small groups discussed building strong teams, going global with a business, building your brand and how to optimize social media and marketing to elevate a new business.
Report Date...: 2/24/20
A day with survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi
Fellow(s): TechWomen delegation trip to Rwanda
Country: Rwanda
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth, Special Report, Youth Engagement
The delegation had the honor and opportunity on day four to be welcomed warmly by Impinganzima Hostel in Bugesera District, a community for elderly survivors of the Genocide Against the Tutsi. The home, primarily occupied by women, has created a community where residents feel safe, supported and connected.
The 2018 fellows of Rwanda coordinated the visit to Impinganzima, introducing us to the community and sharing how they’ve worked to support residents through their TechWomen seed grant-winning initiative, Healing Together. Since the launch of Healing Together, the fellows have worked alongside the coordinators and psychologists at Impinganzima to bring customized training sessions on group therapy and group counseling. “We created Healing Together to support, activate, advocate and help create a network of counselors around the country who would help women widows and survivors,” said fellow Noella Nibakuze. “TechWomen pushed us to think beyond ourselves and think about our communities.”
Despite a language barrier, mentors and fellows spent a morning with the residents playing games, knitting and dancing. Although the women have faced unimaginable hardship, the delegates were uplifted by the true sense of community and home that Impinganzima provides. “When we reached this home, we found rest and happiness,” one resident said to the group. “We are not isolated anymore.”
Report Date...: 2/24/20
