Impact Stories from Economic Impact Policy Area

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

Report Date...: 07/10/2023

Fellow helps launch Central Asian mentoring program

Fellow(s): Darika Aldasheva (Kyrgyzstan, 2022)

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Cohort: 2022

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

Darika spoke at Kurak Women’s Forum’s recent launch of a groundbreaking pan-Central Asian entrepreneurial mentoring program for women in the clothing industry.

Fellow Darika Aldasheva (Kyrgyzstan, 2022), recently participated in the launch a first-of-its-kind pan-Central Asian entrepreneurial mentoring program for women in the garment industry. This is an initiative of the Kurak Women’s Forum NGO (Kurak), where Darika serves as a board member, with the support of the USAID Trade Program in Central Asia and the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic. Darika will serve as both a mentor and coach for the initiative, which features entrepreneurs from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia working alongside coaches from Europe and the U.S. “By supporting and inspiring women in business, we believe that we create a positive effect for society as a whole,” Darika wrote in a recent post. “A happy woman with burning eyes can work wonders.”

Report Date...: 07/10/2023

Fellow-founded incubator joins AfriLabs network

Fellow(s): Ichraf Jarray (Tunisia, 2022)

Country:

Cohort: 2022

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

Ichraf’s incubator, Hive 12, has recently partnered with AfriLabs along with 19 other tech and innovation hubs on the African continent.

Hive 12, a multi-faceted incubator founded by fellow Ichraf Jarray (Tunisia, 2022), has recently entered into a partnership with AfriLabs, one of Africa’s leading networks of technology and innovation hubs. In a milestone expansion event, Hive 12 represented one of 19 new hubs from Angola, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Tunisia and Zimbabwe to join the AfriLabs network this spring. “This partnership marks the first step towards developing African markets for our startups, creating opportunities for both parties, and expanding our network,” Ichraf shared in a recent post. Hive12 operates as not only an incubator, but also a co-working space and consulting practice with the recent addition of a research and development department all to serve early-stage startups for women and youth.

Report Date...: 07/10/2023

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

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