Impact Stories from Economic Impact Policy Area
Fellow leads Technovation teams to world semi-finals
Fellow(s): Maral Khudaibergenova
Country: Turkmenistan
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Under the leadership of regional coordinator and Fellow Maral Khudaibergenova (2018) two teams from Turkmenistan reached the world semi-finals of the international Technovation Girls competition for the first time ever.
Technovation Girls is a volunteer-led social entrepreneurship competition for young women. With the guidance of mentors, participants develop and present mobile applications designed to address a local issue. This summer, 150 girls took part with the help of mentors and volunteers serving from Turkmenistan and abroad.
“The program is unique in that it encourages children to notice existing problems and develop solutions,” Maral explained. “Participation helps girls develop skills such as design thinking, project management, time management, marketing, business planning, and programming.”
Report Date...: 9/19/2022
Fellow featured on podcast for women in tech
Fellow(s): Salma Bekkouche
Country: Algeria
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development
Fellow Salma Bekkouche (Algeria, 2018) was recently featured on the WTM (WomenTechMakers) Algiers podcast to give advice on achieving career success as women in Engineering. Together with the hostess, Salma discussed her advice for women engineers seeking work in a competitive and limited labor market. She advises to “follow the right people, build your network and personal brand, establish a habit of “technology watching”, look for a mentor, join communities of STEM, apply to exchange programs, stay curious and read books such as Lean In and The Startup of You.”
Salma also recently served as a jurist in the SCALE: Snai3i Camp of Algerian Little Entrepreneurs, a youth competition of three teams who learn to develop and present business plans that utilize skills learned during a preceding five-day camp.
Report Date...: 9/19/2022
Seed grant initiative earns spot with digital accelerator
Fellow(s): “Nezha Larhrissi, Salima Kaissi”
Country:
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
A seed grant-winning Techwomen impact initiative, eSTEM Morocco, was recently selected among seven global organizations for the Aspen Digital Equity Accelerator. Founded in 2014 by Moroccan Fellows Nezha Larhrissi (2013) and Salima Kaissi (2013), eSTEM Morocco provides access and introductions to STEM disciplines for girls and women in Morocco. They host camps, conferences and challenges, and conduct official ambassadorship of Technovation Girls in Morocco. “As part of the grant, we are working on a digital app which will provide 50,000 Moroccan girls with advice, support and effective orientation,” Nezha explained.
The Aspen Digital Accelerator is a four-month mentorship and training program designed to help select international nonprofits scale their efforts. eSTEM Morocco was selected out of 170 applications. In addition to mentorship, winners will receive a cash grant of more than $100,000 USD.
Report Date...: 9/12/2022
"Fellow speaks at Global Shapers event "
Fellow(s): Asha Panyako
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fellow Asha Panyako (Kenya, 2022) led a talk on “Creating a Powerful Hub Vision” at the Global Shapers Annual Summit 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland held September 2-4, 2022. She has recently assumed the role of curator of Global Shapers in Nairobi, Kenya. She has been working to expand its reach, recently partnering the organization with eMentoring Africa to enroll girls from Samburu Girls Foundation into Technovation, a global education technology nonprofit that teaches teams of mentors, parents and girls to address real-world problems by coding mobile apps.
The Global Shapers Community is a network of young under-30 changemakers developed out of the World Economic Forum to inspire dialogue, action and change surrounding world challenges.
Report Date...: 9/12/2022
Tajik fellows provide light-bearing backpacks for students
Fellow(s): Hamida Rahmikhudoeva, Dilafruz Mamadjonova, Manizha Khayolbekova, Gulnoza Burkhanova and Rukhshona Saratbekova
Country: Tajikistan
Cohort: 2020-2021
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Environmental Sustainability, Youth Engagement
This fall more than 60 primary school children from a rural village in Tajikistan are starting the school year with solar charging backpacks, thanks to TechWomen’s 2020-2021 Team Tajikistan, composed of fellows Hamida Rahmikhudoeva, Dilafruz Mamadjonova, Manizha Khayolbekova, Gulnoza Burkhanova and Rukhshona Saratbekova. “Enhancing Education Through Light” is Team Tajikistan’s seed grant initiative designed to address the need for school children to have a reliable and safe light source for completing homework after sunset. “Despite significant progress in the field of energy, electricity is still lacking in many regions of Tajikistan,” teammate Rukhshona shared, “especially in rural areas where children are forced to do their homework by candlelight or with dangerous, polluting kerosene lamps. [This] negatively affects both their health and academic progress.”
Each pack features a solar-charging panel on the front pocket that banks energy from the sun during the day in order to power a compact lamp on a flexible metal arm for visibility at night. “We hope that through our project,” Rukhshona added, “we can attract the attention of investors to think about providing this remote area with the clean and reliable electricity.”
Report Date...: 8/29/2022
Fellow’s healthtech startup earns spot at VIVATECH
Fellow(s): Ghofrane Ayari
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Healthtech startup GEWINNER, co-founded by fellow Ghofrane Ayari (2022), was recently selected for the Tunisian delegation to VIVATECH, an annual conference on technology and innovation that took place in Paris, France this summer. GEWINNER was founded five years ago “to change the lives of disabled people using advanced technologies and innovation.”
GEWINNER is known for their award winning premiere product, MOOVOBRAIN, which is “an ‘all-in-one’ wheelchair driving solution developed for people with physical disabilities, specifically paralysis. It functions with a mobile application and a small electronic board plugged into the wheelchair’s joystick.” GEWINNER was selected to join the delegation in part after having won a national competition for MOOVOBRAIN in 2019.
Report Date...: 8/29/2022
"Fellow speaks at agripreneurs workshop "
Fellow(s): Evangelista Chekera
Country: Zimbabwe
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Fellow Evangelista Chekera (Zimbabwe, 2022) recently served as a guest speaker at the SACCAU Young Poultry Agripreneurs Workshop held August 28 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Evangelista has been making big waves in the agricultural industry of her region with her groundbreaking Passion Poultry enterprise, which simplifies and accelerates the chicken slaughter process for small farmers.
“When I started Passion Poultry in 2016, I attended the Zimbabwe Farmers Union young farmers summit and became a member, “Evangelista recounts. “At first I felt out of place because all my colleagues were farmers while I was more inclined to designing, building and distributing agri innovations. I am excited to be representing Zimbabwe Farmers Union at the #SACAU young Poultry agriprenuers workshop as an innovator within the poultry industry.”
Report Date...: 8/29/2022
Fellow empowers 120 girls with Green Tech Girls Summer Bootcamp
Fellow(s): Damilola Asaleye
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2020-2021
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Fellow Damilola Asaleye of Nigeria (2020-2021) recently helped produce the Green Tech Girls Summer Bootcamp, a five-day program for high school girls organized by the Girls and Women Technological Empowerment Organization (GWTEO).
The summer camp takes a holistic approach to activities relevant to girls and women that will enhance their self confidence and abilities to become sustainable technology leaders and change makers. Damilola, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Ashdam Solar Company, helped in the production of learning sessions on the topics of basic solar installation, upcycling, sustainable agriculture, financial literacy, information and communication technologies, leadership skills, teamwork, healthy living and visioning. The Green Tech Girls Summer Bootcamp is not the only stop on Damilola’s summer of women and girls’ empowerment. She is also taking part in the BEMORE Summer Bootcamp in Akure, Nigeria with close to 400 girls over the following weeks.
“My summer of impacting girls started yesterday Monday 15th August with the Green Tech Girls Summer Bootcamp,” Damilola recently shared, “and I’ve got my hyper attitude on with adrenaline pumping.”
Report Date...: 8/22/2022
Fellow and mentor co-host workshop for new engineers
Fellow(s): “Meriem Talibi Alaoui Cynthia Leung”
Country: Morocco, United States
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring
This month, fellow Meriem Talibi Alaoui from Morocco (2022) invited her cultural mentor Cynthia Leung to host a “Mind Mapping” workshop as a part a bootcamp for fresh engineering graduates in Morocco.
Career Boot Camp (CBC), an initiative of the Association Forum de l’Ingénieur NGO, is a week-long program aimed at helping new engineers develop their personal and professional abilities, scale their soft skills and set goals for each stage of their career. Activities included resume building, mock and real interviews with sponsors and hiring companies, personal branding sessions and worker’s rights discussions. Participants chatted with Cynthia live and shared their mind maps, questions and thoughts about the exercise. Meriem remarks that, “Cynthia spread a lot of positive vibes and joy that everyone felt and appreciated.”
Report Date...: 8/22/2022
Fellow leads children’s entrepreneurship training event
Fellow(s): Talhmadhur Abukhamadah Almahdi
Country: Libya
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship
“Children should be involved in conversations about enterprise and entrepreneurship,” wrote fellow Talhmadhur Abukhamadah Almahdi (Libya, 2022) after she led a training for 15 children in the FUTURE program, a collaboration with ION Telecom Technology in Libya.
Participants had the opportunity to learn about basic principles of entrepreneurship and business-building, develop creative ideas for solutions to everyday challenges and pitch their ideas to a panel of professionals.
“Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of economic growth,” Talmadhur shared, “and that’s why it is our responsibility to invest in ensuring that the next-generation of business leaders are educated and empowered right from the start.”
Report Date...: 8/22/2022
