Impact Stories from Youth Engagement Policy Area
mentorship
Fellow(s): Abeer Imteir (2013), Rawan Abu Shmais (2014), Nadiah Saba’neh (2015), Haneen Abu Farha (2015) and Sandra Al-arja (2014)
Country: Palestinian Territories
Cohort: 2013-2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
On August 8, TechWomen fellows Abeer Imteir, Rawan Abu Shmais, Nadiah Saba’neh, Haneen Abu Farha, and Sandra Al-arja from the Palestinian Territories launched Banat-Tech, an initiative to help young Palestinian female students succeed in science and technology. Funded by the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, the program offers five months of mentoring and training for girls aged 15-17. Three primary stages comprise the program. The first stage offers training at technical clubs in cooperation with Palestinian universities and companies. In the second and third stages, the girls will be matched with professional women, and together, they will develop a technology-based initiative that benefits society.
Read More »Report Date...: 8/22/2016
Mentor(s): Eileen Brewer
Company: Symantec
Mentor Type: Professional
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
Eileen Brewer visited Cameroon to support initiatives of fellows. She assisted Janet Fofang, 2013 fellow of Cameroon, who organized and led a three-week summer tech boot camp for 40 kids. Ran Gidor, the Israeli Ambassador to Cameroon, also participated in the demonstration sessions, and they discussed Israel’s idea to incorporate vocational skills training into the Cameroonian high school curriculum. Eileen’s trip included meetings with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences; Mounouna Foutsou, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education; staff and students from the University of Yaounde’s computer science department; and Tassah Academy’s math and science teachers.
Report Date...: 8/1/2016
World Eagles Volunteer Club
Fellow(s): Dr Nancy Cheseto
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
Dr. Nancy Cheseto, 2015 fellow of Kenya, launched the World Eagles Volunteer Club. Her students from Mount Kenya University serve as the club’s volunteers and dedicate an hour each week to teach various subjects to students in sixth and seventh grades at Garissa Road Primary School, which resides within one of Kenya’s slums, Kiandutu. The majority of these kids come from very poor and troubled families, whose parents are drug addicts, and live on just one dollar a day.
Report Date...: 7/18/2016
First Skills Club
Fellow(s): Faten Khalfallah
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
Faten Khalfallah Hammouda organized a five-day boot camp for design thinking in July through her organization, the First Skills Club. With support from Autodesk, which hosted Faten during her participation in the TechWomen program, and Netinfo, a 3D training school in Tunisia, the camp served as an introduction to design thinking. The boot camp concluded with a design competition, in which the students created and presented their solution to a local problem, including pollution. Faten says “You can imagine my joy to see such leaders in that age group talking about their projects and dreaming to have a better world.”
Report Date...: 7/18/2016
AIMS partnership
Fellow(s): Janet Bih Fofang
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
Janet Bih Fofang, 2013 fellow of Cameroon, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS). AIMS plans to develop a network of mathematical centers across Africa to shape the region’s future through education in STEM. Janet’s Initiative trains STEM teachers and creates STEM clubs for girls. So far, her project has trained 30 teacher sand reached 200 girls in 10 schools throughout Yaounde.
Report Date...: 7/11/2016
2016 Regional Ambassador Award
Fellow(s): Amel Ghouila
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
TechWomen Director Arezoo Riahi presented the 2016 Regional Ambassador Award to Amel Ghouila, 2014 fellow of Tunisia, for her dedication and work with the Technovation Challenge. After the 2014 TechWomen program, she returned to Tunisia and helped enroll 54 girls into the Technovation Challenge and has doubled participation year over year.
Report Date...: 7/11/2016
MentorShe
Fellow(s): Jessica Obeid
Country: Lebanon
Cohort: 2012
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
Jessica Obeid, a TechWomen fellow from Lebanon founded MentorShe to encourage an promote the role of Lebanese women in politics. The organization aims to break down gender stereotypes related to professions and steer away from the traditional roles of men and women in society. Jessica wants girls to be aware of the sad reality, that despite how advanced society is, the role of women in Lebanon is still lagging. Parents and women have the ability to step up as role models and make a positive change in society.
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Report Date...: 6/6/2016
First Skills Club
Fellow(s): Faten Khalfallah
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
2015 fellow Faten Hammouda of Tuinisia, has partnered with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Mombasa, Kenya, to maintain a project for Kenyan teachers to encourage students to use technology to solve community problems. Faten founded the First Skills Clubs, an education association that works to educate children across different countries. Faten was invited to Kenya to discuss the plan of action with the education minister and will manage the training between Kenya and Tunisia.
Report Date...: 6/6/2016
STEM Women
Fellow(s): Kumba Musa
Country: Sierra Leone
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
Kumba Musa founded STEM Women in her native country upon returning home from the TechWomen program. During the program, she was able to witness and experience the supportive network women have cultivated in Silicon Valley to help and inspire others in STEM. Kumba’s participation in TechWomen inspired her to develop female leaders in Sierra Leone to serve as role models for young girls and create change at a national level, thus leading to the creation of STEM Women.
Read More »Report Date...: 5/30
Technovation Challenge finalists
Fellow(s): Cameroon: Dorothee Danedjo Foubaa. Kazakhstan: Diana Tsoy. Kenya: Josephine Kamanthe, Kendi Ntwiga and Alice Mbui
Country: Cameroon, Kazakhstan, Kenya
Cohort: 2013-2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
TechWomen fellows in Cameroon, Kazakhstan and Kenya have advanced to the final round of the Technovation Challenge, an annual competition for girls around the world to build a mobile app that will address a community problem. Dorothee Danedjo Foubaa, of Cameroon, served as a mentor to Team Angels Tech of Africa and their app, “Nature Gift,” which promotes the agricultural resources Cameroon has to offer. Diana Tsoy, a fellow of Kazakhstan, supported Team ComPote and their app “Active Citizen,” which aims to connect government figures with citizens. Josephine Kamanthe, fellow of Kenya, along with fellows Kendi Ntwiga and Alice Mbui, supported Team Sniper and their app “M-Safiri,” which provides a platform for people to book travel that is safe and secure.
Report Date...: 5/16/2016
