Impact Stories from Youth Engagement Policy Area

fellow shares passion for uplifting women and girls, In interview fellow shares passion for uplifting women and girls

Fellow(s): Joy Makumbe

Country: Zimbabwe

Cohort: 2015

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

2015 fellow Joy Makumbe was featured in Harare-based newspaper The Sunday Mail, interviewed about her passion for engineering and her commitment to bringing more women and girls into the field. Joy, a civil and water engineer and project manager, recently published Tech Girl Diaries, a book that chronicles her personal and professional journey in STEM. Through a series of essays, Joy shares lessons and practical advice on how parents, communities and workplaces can support girls and women on their STEM journeys and work together towards addressing the gender imbalance in STEM fields.
In the interview, Joy spoke about her hope for women and girls: “My vision to see more women in Africa take up positions of impact and influence in the engineering and science fields led me to start the Joy Makumbe Trust…a trust dedicated to empowering women with entrepreneurial skills and career guidance.” She also spoke about her role as secretary for the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities, sharing her projects that will house Zimbabweans in need.

Report Date...: 3/14/2022

In TEDx talk fellow speaks about African innovation

Fellow(s): Sharon Telewa

Country: Kenya

Cohort: 2018

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

2018 fellow Sharon Telewa was a speaker at TEDxKassel, presenting on the “rise and rise” of technology in the African ecosystem. The TEDx event was themed on “New Realities,” exploring the interplay between society and technology. Sharon, an innovation and business development manager, is currently based in Germany. She began her talk speaking about her education, culture and family, using her own story to dispel common stereotypes of Africa and the African people. She then explored her roles at Safaricom, Andela and Kenya Flying Labs, using her career experience to communicate the ways in which the innovation and technology ecosystem in Africa can be better supported: by strengthening education systems, supporting digital transformation in rural areas and investing in African startups. Sharon also introduced Jedimu Elimu Trust, the initiative she founded that supports local schools with STEM resources, builds digital literacy through training and offers economic empowerment opportunities. “I believe that I can make a difference for my home village and for surrounding villages,” Sharon said. “We’re a small organization with big dreams.”

Report Date...: 3/7/2022

Fellows’ TechWomen social impact project hosts STEM event

Fellow(s): Flora Asibe, Ehiaghe Aigiomawu, Olayinka Fagbemiro, Oluwatoyin Adegoke, Happy Amos and Damilola Asaleye

Country: Nigeria

Cohort: 2020-2021

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

During TechWomen 2020-2021 action planning alongside their Impact Coaches, fellows Flora Asibe, Ehiaghe Aigiomawu, Olayinka Fagbemiro, Oluwatoyin Adegoke, Happy Amos and Damilola Asaleye created EduChamps, a social impact project that provides educational supplies like school bags, textbooks, writing materials and sanitary pads for girls, as well as empowerment trainings in recycling, gardening and more. This month, the fellows held an event with 30 girls from the African Church Grammar School, hosting a day of mentorship and skills training. Jennifer Foltz, U.S. consulate deputy public affairs officer, delivered closing remarks to the students. The day featured workshops in upcycling as well as tech talks from fellows on automotive engineering, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and space science. The students also received solar lanterns and educational supplies such as bags, uniforms, textbooks and sanitary pads to encourage them to stay in school. “My favorite moment was answering the questions from the girls on the career paths they could have in the technical industry,” said Damilola. “Thank you to TechWomen for supporting us with a seed grant for the project, an enabling environment, sisterhood, networks and much more.”

Report Date...: 2/21/2022

Fellow delivers workshop on public speaking for 300 students

Fellow(s): Omnia Tayari

Country: Libya

Cohort: 2013

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

2013 fellow Omnia Tayari delivered a webinar on the foundations of public speaking to 300 students from North Africa and the Middle East this month, sharing tips and strategies to help students succeed in their careers. Omnia is the co-founder of BulbulHub Academy of Public Speaking as well as the founder of Oratoriia, an online program that educates and empowers young leaders. The students in attendance are enrolled in a full stack developer course from Edraak, an online course portal established by Queen Rania al Abdallah of Jordan; Omnia has been supporting this credential course as a communications and public speaking instructor. In her workshop, Omnia spoke about why public speaking is essential for career success, sharing tools and simple strategies for overcoming the fear of public speaking. “I was welcomed with great energy,” said Omnia. “The engagement was amazing that I could hardly manage to read the answers when I asked a question. Their insights, honesty and obvious desire to learn and grow was overwhelming.”

Report Date...: 2/21/2022

Fellow shares passion for mentorship in video interview

Fellow(s): Faten Khalfallah Hammouda

Country: Tunisia

Cohort: 2015

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

2015 fellow Faten Khalfallah Hammouda was recently interviewed by CIO News, a platform for business and IT leaders. Faten was featured for Wonder Women in Tech, their series led by Khushubu Soni, CIO’s chief editor. Faten is the founder, president and project manager at First Skills Club, a STEM education initiative that introduces Tunisia’s youth to technologies such as mobile apps, robotics, electronics, design and 3D printing. She is also a lead organizer for Teens In AI, an initiative launched at the 2018 UN AI for Good Global Summit, as well as a TechGirls local engagement coordinator. She was recently named Outstanding Mentor at First Global, a yearly Olympics-style global robotics competition for youth. In the video interview, Faten spoke about her career in technology, finding her niche as an educator and mentor and her passion for facilitating early STEM competency. Through dedicating her time to empowering young students with 21st century skills, Faten is fostering a generation of critical thinkers who will be ready to solve leading issues in their communities. “I find myself trying to change the way to teach IT, trying to solve community problems via technology,” she said. “If I succeed I’ll help make future leaders that can inspire others.” Faten concluded the interview by reflecting on her TechWomen experience, explaining how TechWomen challenged her to think differently and pass on knowledge: “To any woman in tech: make yourself someone who can guide others, and share your knowledge with them,” she said.

Report Date...: 2/14/2022

Emerging Leader shares her journey in science

Fellow(s): Naomie Kayitesi

Country: Rwanda

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

The TechWomen blog has published its final post for Emerging Leader Voices, a series that invites incoming Emerging Leaders to share about their background, their STEM careers and their paths to TechWomen. In Motivation, the pillar of my journey in science, 2022 Emerging Leader Naomi Kayitesi of Rwanda writes how the Genocide against the Tutsi and her country’s resilience in the face of tragedy inspired her to achieve: “I was blessed to grow up in the time where education was accessible to everyone as a right and not a privilege,” she writes. Naomie is currently pursuing her PhD, focusing on river hydrology and how rivers are affected by climate change. “Women are more affected than men by these environmental challenges, especially in developing countries, where women are responsible for farming, fetching water, and gathering fuelwood,” she writes. “Therefore, I am looking forward to meeting other women in STEM to brainstorm these topics. It is important to look beyond our boxes and discuss these global challenges, thus contributing to the global agenda.” Naomie concludes her blog post with a message of hope for the next generation of STEM leaders, especially women: “You are capable…believe in yourself and work hard.”

Report Date...: 2/14/2022

Fellow delivers inspirational webinar to youth

Fellow(s): Sarah Abdallah

Country: Lebanon

Cohort: 2016

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

2016 fellow Sarah Abdallah delivered an inspirational talk at Inspire, a conference designed and presented by youth in Gaza. The conference was supported by Al Nayzak Organization for Supportive Education and Scientific Innovation and the UNDP Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People. Sarah is a program director at Anera, an organization that supports refugees in the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon and Jordan. She is also a lecturer at Saint Joseph University of Beirut, delivering courses in professional branding to the university’s engineering students. During her Inspire session, Sarah spoke about the future of jobs, the importance of professional branding and how people in vulnerable regions can remain motivated to succeed. Sarah, a new mother, also spoke about the stereotype that women cannot sustain both a family and career success. “What was important is maintaining the message of hope, as it is our only way to overcome all our current challenges and thrive,” she said.

Report Date...: 2/7/2022

Mentor and fellows collaborate to inspire students

Fellow(s): Eileen Brewer, Elena Selezneva, Ozoda Ismailova, Saida Yusupova, Amel Djenidi

Country: Algeria, United States, Uzbekistan

Cohort: 2016, 2018

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

Mentor Eileen Brewer traveled to Uzbekistan, collaborating with fellows to train and empower students throughout Tashkent. Eileen, the mentor manager at startup accelerator 757 Accelerate, first traveled to Uzbekistan with TechWomen as a delegate on the TechWomen 2019 delegation trip. Eileen was invited by American Councils for International Education to deliver two days of training for alumnae of their Young Professional Internships Program (YPIP), an initiative that connects young STEM professionals to internship programs at Uzbek businesses and organizations. Eileen invited 2016 fellow of Uzbekistan Elena Selezneva to support her with the training, collaborating to deliver workshops on entrepreneurship, design thinking, Lean Canvas and pitching. Eileen also visited a local IT park and incubator hub, speaking to girls ages 9-12 from a public school about ideation, design thinking and the Technovation program. There, Eileen was joined by 2018 fellow of Uzbekistan Yulduz Khudaykulova, whose daughter attends the school, as well as 2018 fellow of Algeria Amel Djenidi, who recently moved to Tashkent. Last, Eileen delivered an ideation training to girls from the Technovation program that was organized by Elena alongside 2016 fellows of Uzbekistan Saida Yusupova and Ozoda Ismailova.

Report Date...: 1/17/2022

Fellows collaborate for Turkmenistan’s first DevFest

Fellow(s): Maral Hudaybergenova, Natalya Tyudina

Country: Tajikistan, Turkmenistan

Cohort: 2018

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

2018 fellow of Turkmenistan Maral Hudaybergenova organized Turkmenistan’s first-ever DevFest Ashgabat, a two-day event that brought together local developers for learning and networking. DevFest, a yearly conference focused on community-led learning on Google technologies, is hosted and locally curated by Google Developer Groups (GDGs) across the globe. Maral serves as the GDG Ashgabat lead, as well as the ambassador for Women TechMakers Ashgabat. She is also the chapter ambassador for Technovation, and last year launched the first season of the program in Turkmenistan. Maral invited 2018 fellow of Tajikistan Nataliya Tyudina, a cloud technology developer at Ericsson, to speak at the inaugural event, joining other technology leaders who presented on community-building, dev-ops, IoT and more. In her presentation, Natalya spoke about eXtended reality technologies and trends, sharing about AR, VR, MR and XR. Natalya focused on the accessibility of these emerging technologies, emphasizing that despite sounding “fancy,” they are easy to learn and deliver high-impact results. “It was one the most engaging presentations that I have done this year,” said Natalya. “I got a lot of questions from the participants, and the majority of people who were asking were females.” Since her talk, Natalya has connected with some of the women in attendance, sharing resources and suggesting courses for them to continue their learning.

Report Date...: 1/10/2022

Fellow wins Woman in Tech Award

Fellow(s): Sabina Nforba

Country: Cameroon

Cohort: 2020-2021

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

2020-2021 fellow Sabina Nforba won the Woman in Tech Award at the Bonteh Digital Media Awards, recognized for her leadership in technology and for empowering the next generation. Bonteh Digital Media Awards is Cameroon’s first media and tech award ceremony aimed at honoring and amplifying leaders in the digital economy. Sabina is the co-founder and president of AfriTech Hub, an organization that empowers young students and women to pursue STEM education and STEM careers. The initiative has worked with 3,000 students through its clubs, workshops and summits, and recently held a training for girls in front-end coding, helping place them in internships at the bootcamp’s conclusion. Sabina also works in data analytics for i engineering Group, a Beirut-based telecommunications company. “It was an honor to receive the Woman in Tech Award,” wrote Sabina. “A big thanks to everyone who has supported me through the work we do at AfriTech Hub. There would be no award without you and this is dedicated to you. I hope this inspires you to dream and do! Start wherever you are, start today. I promise, the world will be thankful you did.”

Report Date...: 1/10/2022

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