Impact Stories from Youth Engagement Policy Area
Fellow(s): Marie Claire Murekatete
Country: Rwanda
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Marie Claire received the Change Agent ABIE Award, which honors an outstanding non-U.S. woman who created or expanded opportunities for girls and women in technology. Marie Claire’s accomplishments include founding a non-profit organization called Refugee Girls Need You and becoming a Master Educator with the Technovation Challenge.
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Report Date...: 7/31/2017
Fellow(s): Nadia Habsatou
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2016
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Youth Engagement
In 2014, Boko Haram attacked a small village in the Far North Region of Cameroon. Several public places were destroyed, and today, thousands of children and young people are affected by armed conflict. “They face harm, fear, loss, kidnapping and exploitation. Schools are damaged or overtaken by armed groups.” In this guest blog post, Nadia Habsatou, 2016 fellow from Cameroon, provides an update on her team’s action plan that is helping students receive training and access to education amid many challenges.
Report Date...: 7/24/2017
Fellow(s): Lina Lebedeva
Country: Kazakhstan
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Youth Engagement
Lina Lebedeva, a 2015 fellow from Kazakhstan, was inspired by her TechWomen experience to start a school for Kazakhstani students between the ages of 13 to 18 who are interested in biology. Started shortly after returning home from the United States, the program has grown from just ten students to now approximately 100 enrolled. Popular courses include those focused on genetics and biotechnology.
Report Date...: 7/24/2017
Fellow(s): Nisreen Deeb, Aida Nassr-Eddine, and Hanan Khader
Country: Jordan, Lebanon
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
2013 fellows from Lebanon, Nisreen Deeb and Aida Nassr-Eddine, and 2013 fellow from Jordan, Hanan Khader, were selected as award recipients in the 2016 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AIEF) competition. Their project, The Mini Programmer, expanded upon curriculum from Hello World Kids, founded by Hanan after and inspired by her TechWomen exchange experience, to teach nearly 500 students from grades three and four the basics of computer programming. The closing ceremony of their project, which took place on July 27, 2017, included in-person remarks from Kristin Smith, Cultural Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, and video remarks from Jillian Scott, Lead of TechWomen at IIE. Ten Mini Programmer students highlighted their projects at the event, pitching their ideas and running demonstrations for attendees.
Report Date...: 7/24/2017
Fellow(s): Omnia Eteyari
Country: Libya
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
Omnia Eteyari, 2013 fellow of Libya, was invited to speak at the Youth Connekt Africa Summit, July 19-21 in Kigali, Rwanda. The summit provided a “platform for all partners involved in youth development to synergize around policies, programs and partnerships that will help unleash Africa’s youth potential.”
Report Date...: 7/17/2017
Fellow(s): Janet Fofang; Guillaine Neza; Marie Claire Murekatete; Faten Khalfallah
Country: Cameroon, Rwanda, Tunisia, Zimbabwe
Cohort: 2013, 2014, 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
In the inaugural FIRST Global robotics challenge, four of the 163 participating country teams were mentored and supported by TechWomen fellows. Janet Fofang, 2013 fellow of Cameroon; Guillaine Neza and Marie Claire Murekatete, 2013 and 2014, respectively, fellows of Rwanda; Faten Khalfallah, 2015 fellow of Tunisia; and Aretha Mare, 2013 fellow of Zimbabwe, traveled with their teams of students, aged 15 to 18 years old, to the international robotics challenge, July 16-18 in Washington, DC.
Report Date...: 7/17/2017
Fellow(s): Faten Khalfallah and Eman Abusaada
Country: Palestinian Territories, Tunisia
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
Two girls participating in the 2017 TechGirls program are mentored by TechWomen fellows. Eman Abusaada, 2015 fellow of the Palestinian Territories and co-organizer of Banat-Tech – a program founded by TechWomen fellows, and Faten Khalfallah, 2015 fellow of Tunisia and founder of First Skills Club, have mentees participating in the three-week exchange program. “I volunteered to be a co-organizer and Banat-Tech program coordinator at Gaza Strip. I increased awareness about the importance of diverse skills for teenagers,” Eman said. “I encouraged the girls to apply for Techgirls program. I was really proud to be the coordinator and organizer, and now Lina is in Washington.”
Report Date...: 7/10/2017
Fellow(s): Janet Fofang
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
Janet Fofang, 2013 fellow of Cameroon and director of Girls in Tech – Cameroon, has mentored a team of students, aged 15 to 18 years old, to compete in the inaugural FIRST Globalrobotic competition in Washington, D.C. FIRST Global shared a video of the team that wants “to find long-term solutions to the world’s most pressing issues.” Janet also helped organize the Next Einstein Forum’s Africa Science Week in Yaounde, June 27-29, which included a hackathon, women in STEM event and tech meetup.
Read More »Report Date...: 7/3/2017
Fellow(s): Tiisetso Lephoto
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2016
Policy Area(s): Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Tiisetso Lephoto, 2016 fellow of South Africa and a postdoctoral researcher, has been named one of South Africa’s Top 200 by Mail & Guardian. During the TechWomen program, Tiisetso was hosted at Illumina. In June, Tiisetso served as a judge at the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Agriculture Research Symposium. “My experience was humbling because over the years, I’ve presented my work and scooped awards for the past five to six years at the research symposium, and I was now invited to select winners,” she said. Tiiestso has also been active in youth outreach. On June 22, she participated on a panel for youth month in Soweto, her hometown, to talk about her work and passions.
Read More »Report Date...: 7/3/2017
Next Einstein Forum
Fellow(s): Sylvia Mukasa
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
Sylvia Mukasa, 2014 fellow of Kenya and Next Einstein Forum (NEF) Ambassador, helped launch the first NEF Africa Science Week (ASW) in Nairobi, June 27-30. The celebration of science and technology included a hackathon for farming, women in STEM day and panels open to the general public. “We want to provide that platform for relevant discussions and monetary commitments toward research and development in Kenya,” Sylvia said. “The government needs to empower its young people to increase their ability to personally influence what is happening in their lives and communities.”
Read More »Report Date...: 6/26/2017
