Impact Stories from Education Diplomacy/Mentoring Policy Area
STEM Women
Fellow(s): Kumba Musa
Country: Sierra Leone
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
Kumba Musa founded STEM Women in her native country upon returning home from the TechWomen program. During the program, she was able to witness and experience the supportive network women have cultivated in Silicon Valley to help and inspire others in STEM. Kumba’s participation in TechWomen inspired her to develop female leaders in Sierra Leone to serve as role models for young girls and create change at a national level, thus leading to the creation of STEM Women.
Read More »Report Date...: 5/30
Gender clubs
Fellow(s): Sophie Ngassa
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring
The U.S embassy in Cameroon sponsored a one-day training workshop to advocate for inclusive learning and girls’ empowerment through gender clubs. Sophie Ngassa, 2014 fellow of Cameroon, participated in the event along with two alumni of the U.S. Government Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program, instructing 60 secondary school teachers from region of Mbam and Inoubou. Sophie presented on the role and importance of girls in the field of science. Drawing upon her own experience of studying STEM during her academic career, she illustrated some of the challenges girls face, including the lack of female role models in STEM.
Report Date...: 5/23/2016
Technovation Challenge finalists
Fellow(s): Cameroon: Dorothee Danedjo Foubaa. Kazakhstan: Diana Tsoy. Kenya: Josephine Kamanthe, Kendi Ntwiga and Alice Mbui
Country: Cameroon, Kazakhstan, Kenya
Cohort: 2013-2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
TechWomen fellows in Cameroon, Kazakhstan and Kenya have advanced to the final round of the Technovation Challenge, an annual competition for girls around the world to build a mobile app that will address a community problem. Dorothee Danedjo Foubaa, of Cameroon, served as a mentor to Team Angels Tech of Africa and their app, “Nature Gift,” which promotes the agricultural resources Cameroon has to offer. Diana Tsoy, a fellow of Kazakhstan, supported Team ComPote and their app “Active Citizen,” which aims to connect government figures with citizens. Josephine Kamanthe, fellow of Kenya, along with fellows Kendi Ntwiga and Alice Mbui, supported Team Sniper and their app “M-Safiri,” which provides a platform for people to book travel that is safe and secure.
Report Date...: 5/16/2016
Hello World Kids
Fellow(s): Hanan Khader of Jordan, Aida Nassr-Eddine of Lebanon and Nisreen Deeb of Lebanon
Country: Jordan, Lebanon
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
The 2013 fellows collaborated to develop a project to teach students in public and private schools in Lebanon how to code with the Hello World Kids (HWK) curriculum. Hanan Khader of Jordan founded HWK after the 2013 TechWomen program. Her mission was to develop the skills of youth through programming and inspire them to create ideas, startups, entrepreneurs, employment opportunities and more investments, to increase the number of future innovators.
Read More »Report Date...: 5/2/2016
Refugee Girls Need You (AEIF initiative)
Fellow(s): Placidie Benamahirwe, Enatha Mukantwari, Marie Claire Murekatete, Emmanuella Nzahabonimana, Lydie Umubyeyi and Sylvie Umutesi
Country: Rwanda
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
2014 fellows of Rwanda have extended their mentorship activities to refugee girls in Rwanda. The initiative, Refugee Girls Need You, supports undeserved and vulnerable populations, aiming to enhance personal development, exposure of hands-on skills and use of technology among young refugee girls via mobile computer labs. The initiative is working with three camps in Rwanda that are housing refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Fellows Placidie Benamahirwe, Enatha Mukantwari, Marie Claire Murekatete, Emmanuella Nzahabonimana, Lydie Umubyeyi and Sylvie Umutesi have partnered with the Rwanda Development Board, which provides mobile computer labs to reach rural areas. The fellows hope to encourage more girls to take on professional careers within in the fields of science, technology, and math.
Report Date...: 4/11/2016
Project STEM Rocks
Fellow(s): Joy Agene (2014), Mercy Sosanya (2015), Abiola Ilupeju (2015
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2014, 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
In collaboration with the U.S. embassy in Nigeria and American Corner Bauchi, TechWomen fellows of Nigeria including Joy Agene, Mercy Sosanya, and Abiola IIupeju, hosted Project STEM Rocks – a day-long event for students and teachers representing four secondary schools in Bauchi, Nigeria. The event began with a presentation about female scientists and inventors in space-related fields and different careers in STEM. Mercy introduced the Technovation Challenge, and some of the teams Mercy is mentoring also presented the mobile apps that they are building. The girls hope to organize more events in Nigeria to educate girls.
Report Date...: 3/28/2016
Next Einstein Forum
Fellow(s): Sylvia Mukasa, Omnia Eteyari, Michelle Sesay
Country: Kenya, Libya, Sierra Leone
Cohort: 2013, 2014
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring
The Next Einstein Forum (NEF) has formed a team of 54 ambassadors, one from each African country, to champion African science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) globally. Of more than 300 applicants, Sylvia Mukasa and Omnia Eteyari of Libya and Michelle Sesay of Sierra Leone were selected to represent their home countries. At a conference help in Dakar, Senegal, Sylvia presented her idea Afya Mama, a mobile health information service for mothers that could inform African women about best healthcare practices.
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Report Date...: 3/7/2016
First Skills Club, Hour of Code
Fellow(s): Faten Khalfallah
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
Faten’s association has partnered with the country’s National Center of Technologies in Education. She organized Hour of Code and reached 600 students.
Report Date...: 12/28/2015
Next Einstein Ambassador
Fellow(s): Sylvia Mukasa
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Growth
Sylvia Mukasa, 2014 fellow from Kenya, was selected to represent her home country. Since her participation in TechWomen, Sylvia has been active in her community, having launched Technovation in Kenya earlier this year and participating in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.
Report Date...: 12/14/2015
GetReady update
Fellow(s): Nathalie Tekham
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring
Nathalie Tekham created GetReady, an initiative that offers an educational, interactive web tutoring platform, Kebisu, and customized STEM content to primary and secondary schools in Cameroon. GetReady also provides computers and other IT infrastructure to underprivileged communities. The first year of programming was a success with over 100 female students getting exposed to STEM fields in Cameroon.
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Report Date...: 7/13/2015
