Impact Stories from Economic Impact Policy Area

Fellow promoted to branch office head of ISTC

Fellow(s): Aziza Haydarova (Tajikistan, 2022 )

Country: Tajikistan

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Professional Development

Fellow promoted to branch office head of ISTC

Fellow Aziza Haydarova (Tajikistan, 2022 ) has recently been appointed the new Head of Branch Office of the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) in Dushanbe. The ISTC is an intergovernmental organization that connects scientists from Kazakhstan, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia with their research organizations and peers in the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Norway and the United States. Aziza, an attorney, has dedicated 10 years to the ISTC Dushanbe office, most recently serving as a deputy manager. Aziza credited the TechWomen program with opening the doors in her career that have led to this promotion. “Only [TechWomen] could give me the opportunity to be the best version of myself,” she wrote in a recent letter. “This program is a great opportunity to discover new, unreleased traits in [one’s] character.”

Report Date...: 07/15/2023

Fellow awarded for Covid-19 Medical Library Guide

Fellow(s): Diala Al Samarani (Lebanon, 2022)

Country: Lebanon

Cohort: 2022

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

Fellow awarded for Covid-19 Medical Library Guide

“COVID-19 USEK Medical Library Guide,” a digital guide created by fellow Diala Al Samarani (Lebanon, 2022), has won the 2023 PR Xchange Award in the materials promoting collections, services and resources category. Her guide connects Holy Spirit University of Kasilik (USEK) students and faculty with the online resources, services and tools available in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Diala’s guide was selected among over 215 entries in print and electronic formats, submitted from over 100 institutions, including libraries from the public, academic, school, state and specialty sectors. The PR Xchange Committee coordinates the annual awards competition under the direction of the Awards and Scholarships Subcommittee of Core, a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The competition was decided by 15 jurists and winning entries were displayed at the PR Xchange Event on Sunday, June 25 at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL.

Report Date...: 07/03/2023

Fellow hosts 5-week leadership course

Fellow(s): Damilola Asalaye (Nigeria, 2020-2021)

Country: Nigeria

Cohort: 2020-2021

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Professional Development

Fellow hosts 5-week leadership course

Fellow Damilola Asalaye (Nigeria, 2020-2021), Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Ashdam Solar Company, recently conducted a month-long online training course for women in leadership roles of the energy sector. “Energy Sector Women Leadership Initiative” ran from May 23 to June 23 and featured more than 15 workshop facilitators, including TechWomen alumnae Hannah Kabir Ahmed (2013), Happy Amos (2020-2021), Olayinka Fagbemiro (2020-2021) and Osazoduwa Agboneni (2019). The 40-hour curriculum covered 20 competency-based modules delivered over a five-week period with training topics such as navigating organizational politics, acquiring skills to coach and supervise, and networking strategically. In addition to her role as COO of Ashdam Solar Company, Damilola is Vice President of the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria.

Report Date...: 06/26/2023

TechWomen and TechGirls alumnae meet A/S Satterfield

Fellow(s): TechWomen and TechGirls alumnae meet A/S Satterfield

Country: Jordan

Cohort: 2019

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

Seven TechWomen and TechGirls alumnae from Jordan recently took part in a fireside chat with Assistant Secretary of the ECA Lee Satterfield at the U.S. Embassy in Amman. The purpose of the event was for A/S Satterfield to learn more about how these exchange programs have influenced the fellows’ lives and ability to affect local impact. “The session was full of inspiration,” said fellow Esra’a Elsanie (2019), “from hearing the ladies’ stories to feeling the attention that A/S Satterfield is giving to these programs. I really felt empowered that there’s someone in such a position who cares to hear our story and understand our journeys.” As a cornerstone of her visit, A/S Satterfield also delivered remarks at the 30th anniversary celebration of the Jordanian-American Commission for Educational Exchange (JACEE), also known as the Jordan Fulbright Commission.

Report Date...: 06/26/2023

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

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

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 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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