Impact Stories from Economic Impact Policy Area
Fellow organizes AI-centered hackathon for Arab youths
Fellow(s): Ruba Awais and Rasha (Hammo) Abu Dayyeh (Palestinian Territories, 2017)
Country: Palestinian Territories
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Ruba and Rasha organized the fourth hackathon of their platform, Vtech Road, which empowers Arabic youth to develop UN SDG-focused innovations.
Cofounders of Vtech Road, fellows Ruba Awais and Rasha (Hammo) Abu Dayyeh (Palestinian Territories, 2017), recently organized their fourth VTech Road hackathon, AI4us. Composed of six teams charged with utilizing artificial intelligence to develop entrepreneurial ideas targeted at United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Vtech Road is an innovation platform that empowers Arabic youth to develop SDG-focused tech projects. Each team was provided access to educational content from the platform, AI4us.tech, which included mentor-led live training sessions centered on the ethics and applications of AI. “Seeing the passion and enthusiasm of young Palestinian entrepreneurs, their creativity and commitment to making a difference through technology, has always been incredibly inspiring,” Ruba shared in a recent post.
Read More »Report Date...: 9/11/2023
AFITech
Fellow(s): Aziza Krimaa, Fatima-Zahra Benyaaqoub, Hajar Salamat, Manar Ouaritni, Meriem Haddouchi (2022)
Country: Morocco
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development
VMWare has donated an additional $3000 USD to Team Morocco 2022 for their impact project AFITech, Alert Fire on Time Initiative.
Fall 2022 Team Morocco has recently received just over $3,000 USD in additional seed funds from program partner and sponsor VMWare, to assist in the development and implementation of their seed-grant winning impact project, AFITech, Alert Fire on Time Initiative. Earlier this year, Aziza Krimaa, Fatima-Zahra Benyaaqoub, Hajar Salamat, Manar Ouaritni and Meriem Haddouchi launched a fundraiser seeking additional capital for the launch of AFITech. Mohna Dhomse, a VMWare Information Experience Leader and TechWomen mentor since 2011, spearheaded the company’s donation. Mohna shared that her extensive volunteer hours made her eligible to “further amplify my service learning contributions by recommending a VMware Citizen Philanthropy Investment grant to a nonprofit of choice.” VMWare’s funding will supplement costs for AFITech’s early wildfire-detection system, which will protect precious argan trees by deploying a network of tree sensors that measure temperature, humidity and carbon monoxide levels in argan forests. These sensors will then send alerts to local emergency authorities when fire is indicated, triggering early firefighting efforts and reducing the devastating environmental and economic impacts of argan forest wildfires. The pilot program will defend women farmers of Amskroud Village, whose livelihoods depend on the harvesting of argan oil, a globally-marketed skin and hair care ingredient.
Report Date...: 09/04/2023
Fellow advocates for youth sexual health on panel
Fellow(s): Ngwashi Christabel, MD (Cameroon, 2020-2021)
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2020-2021
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Ngwashi spoke on a panel focused on helping youth break the stigma around sexual health education and discussion this August.
Fellow Ngwashi Christabel, MD (Cameroon, 2020-2021) recently spoke on a panel, “Normalizing Age Appropriate Sex Education and Conversations,” at a summit produced by Sexual Health Companion in Buea, Cameroon. The aim of the event was to empower youths in understanding their sexual and reproductive health and rights by breaking the stigma around the topic. During the panel, Ngwashi focused on “the 3 ‘I’s of sexual education: being intentional, incidental and inclusive.” Ngwashi is a medical doctor and global health specialist focused on maternal, adolescent, reproductive and child health (MARCH) care services and counselling, particularly in conflict-affected areas in Cameroon. She is also the founder of More Than Just An MD (MT-JAM Health), a platform that utilizes storytelling as a tool to increase health literacy and patient-centered care. She also serves as a Health Specialist African Fellow for the World Bank.
Report Date...: 09/04/2023
Fellows speak on women driving innovation at Kcell ‘23
Fellow(s): Zhanargul Izimova, Zharkyn Chsheglova
Country: Kazakhstan
Cohort: 2018, 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development
Fellows Zhanargul Izimova (Kazakhstan, 2018) and Zharkyn Chsheglova (Kazakhstan, 2022) shared the stage for a panel discussion entitled “Women Driving Innovation in Kazakhstan” at the Kcell Eurasian Mobile Summit 2023 in Almaty this August. Zhanargul spoke on strategy and Eurasia as a fintech leader of digital transformation, while Zharkyn appeared as an ambassador of the Google Women TechMakers program and fellow of TechWomen. “Behind every successful woman is a tribe of successful women, a mission that I took with me from my Silicon Valley mentors,” Zhanargul wrote in a recent post. The Kcell Eurasian Mobile summit brings together regional experts in telecom to address changes and innovations in the field.
Read More »Report Date...: 9/04/2023
Fellows speak on women driving innovation at Kcell '23
Fellow(s): Zhanargul Izimova (Kazakhstan, 2018) Zharkyn Chsheglova (Kazakhstan, 2022)
Country: Kazakhstan
Cohort: 2018, 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development
Fellows Zhanargul Izimova (Kazakhstan, 2018) and Zharkyn Chsheglova (Kazakhstan, 2022) shared the stage for a panel discussion entitled “Women Driving Innovation in Kazakhstan” at the Kcell Eurasian Mobile Summit 2023 in Almaty this August. Zhanargul spoke on strategy and Eurasia as a fintech leader of digital transformation, while Zharkyn appeared as an ambassador of the Google Women TechMakers program and fellow of TechWomen. “Behind every successful woman is a tribe of successful women, a mission that I took with me from my Silicon Valley mentors,” Zhanargul wrote in a recent post. The Kcell Eurasian Mobile summit brings together regional experts in telecom to address changes and innovations in the field.
Read More »Report Date...: 9/04/23
Fellows collaborate on paper addressing crop threat
Fellow(s): Flora Asibe (Nigeria, 2020-2021) Edith Mugehu (Zimbabwe, 2018)
Country: Nigeria, Zimbabwe
Cohort: 2018, 2020-2021
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development
Fellows Flora Asibe (Nigeria, 2020-2021) and Edith Mugehu (Zimbabwe, 2018) recently collaborated in the publication of, “Status and management strategies of major insect pests and fungal diseases of maize in Africa: A review.” Combating food insecurity caused by threatened maize crops, the review examines pest and disease management practices in the region and provides integrated recommendations to mitigate the threat. Edith is a research fellow at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Flora is a research fellow at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and the co-founder of EduChamps. “Through our work, we have demonstrated that borders cannot hinder our impact,” Flora wrote in a letter to TechWomen. “Instead, they become bridges that transform our communities and the global village.”
Read More »Report Date...: 08/07/2023
Fellows collaborate for Product Management workshops
Fellow(s): Azhar Mambetova (2019), Elena Chigibaeva(2018), Darika Aldasheva (2022)
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Cohort: 2018, 2019, 2020-2021
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Professional Development
Fellow Azhar Mambetova (Kyrgyzstan, 2019) recently hosted a webinar series for the Kyrgyzstan product managers community, teaming up with fellows Elena Chigibaeva (Kyrgyzstan, 2018) and Darika Aldasheva (Kyrgyzstan, 2022), who served as guest facilitators. The webinar series was delivered in four sessions, covering diverse topics targeted toward professionals in the field. Elena and Azhar moderated Product Management in the Metaverse, an interactive discussion of product market fit with an immersive exploration of the metaverse. Darika taught a module, Personal Brand Development, which focused on brand awareness, personal clarity, and taking the first step. Azhar is a digital financial services consultant and freelance product management mentor and course developer.
Report Date...: 07/31/2023
Fellow and founder of volunteer platform hosts two-day training for social leaders of transformative initiatives
Fellow(s): Hiba Awaysa (Palestinian Territories, 2020-2021)
Country: Palestinian Territories
Cohort: 2020-2021
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Sawaed19, a volunteer networking platform led and founded by fellow Hiba Awaysa (Palestinian Territories, 2020-2021), recently held a training for 25 social leaders who kickstarted 14 transformative initiatives formed under the Giving for Change program. The two-day intensive training included workshops entitled Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Initiatives Identity and Advocacy Campaigns, and Fostering Community-Building Strategy, which was facilitated by Hiba herself. “At Sawaed19, we are committed to empowering volunteers and community leaders with the essential tools, knowledge, and skills to supercharge their initiatives,” Hiba shared in a recent post. Hiba established Sawaed19 in 2019 as a platform to match volunteers to non-profits around the world. The Giving for Change program is organized by Dalia Association, a community development foundation that works to mobilize and utilize Palestinian resources through community-controlled grant-making.
Read More »Report Date...: 07/24/2023
Fellow co-facilitates 10-day African Girls Can Code Initiative sponsored by UN Women and African Union Commission
Fellow(s): Emma Mphahlele (South Africa), Sara Fakhry (Egypt), Darika Aldasheva (Kyrgyzstan) 2022
Country: Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, South Africa
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fellow Emma Mphahlele (South Africa, 2022), founder of non-profit African Youth Ignited 4IR, recently served as co-facilitator of the 10-day African Girls Can Code Initiative sponsored by UN Women and the African Union Commission. The program, designed to teach design thinking, problem-solving and soft skills, selected 40 girls from eight public schools in the inland provinces to take part in the 10-day curriculum. Topics included user interface/user experience (UI/UX), website development, mobile applications development, robotics, cyber security and programming. Emma enlisted several members of the TechWomen community to serve as guest lecturer, including mentors Lori Kahn, Jennifer Martin and Erin Keeley, and fellows Sara Fakhry (Egypt, 2022) and Darika Aldasheva (Kyrgyzstan, 2022). “Spending 10 days with the girls has added to my growth as a facilitator and an expert in STEM Education,” Emma shared in a recent post. “It reaffirmed my decision to leave corporate and to focus on the promotion of inclusivity in access to quality education for children and young people in my continent.”
Read More »Report Date...: 07/17/2023
Fellow(s): Baratang Miya (South Africa, 2015)
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Baratang, co-founder of GirlHype Women Who Code, was recently interviewed by world-renowned Ebony magazine on her journey to bridge the digital divide in South Africa.
Fellow Baratang Miya (South Africa, 2015), co-founder of GirlHype Women Who Code, was recently interviewed by Ebony magazine to discuss her entrepreneurship journey and efforts to overcome the digital divide for women in her home country. EBONY magazine, founded in 1945, is one of the premier international magazines dedicated to spotlighting the brightest among people of African-descent. GirlHype is a registered nonprofit organization that has trained more than one million women and girls in coding. “I started working on GirlHype 20 years ago before there was social media presence and platforms like Facebook,” Baratang shared. “For me, it was more about making sure that women and girls have access to opportunities.” Baratang is a leader in her tech community, often serving as a speaker, writer and advisor for publications and events. She is also the founder of Women Tech Policy Hub (WTPH), which teaches policy entrepreneurship to leading women in STEM.
Read More »Report Date...: 07/10/2023