Impact Stories from Environmental Sustainability Policy Area

Fellow solar-training initiative forms U.S. partnership

Fellow(s): Gisele Beatrice Sonfack

Country: Cameroon

Cohort: 2016

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

A fellow-founded initiative, Women in Engineering and Technology (WENTECH), created by Fellow Gisele Beatrice Sonfack (Cameroon, 2016) has recently launched its first solar energy training with a new U.S. based partner, Remote Energy. Since September 12th, 14 young women have started training to become instructors with partner Remote Energy, who has provided training and materials for WENTECH with the objective of developing at least one instructor in each major city in Cameroon to facilitate trainings and impact in local schools. Gisele created WENTECH in 2017 to attract and empower women in Cameroon to STEM fields, following her participation in Techwomen in 2016. Since its founding, WENTECH has trained and empowered over 2,000 girls in Cameroon in solar power with the support of local partners Douala Advanced Vocational Training Center and Limbé Advanced Vocational Training Center. That support system has since expanded to include international partnership with Remote Energy.

Report Date...: 9/26/2022

Fellow holds agricultural trainings for rural women

Fellow(s): Rym Khemiri Moussaoui

Country: Tunisia

Cohort: 2020-2021

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

In continuity with Alyssa for Rural Women Investment (ARWI), the action plan project developed by the Tunisian team of TechWomen 2020-2021, fellow Rym Khemiri Moussaoui provided a capacity-building training workshop for rural women workers in agriculture. The goal is to enhance their entrepreneurial skills and promote financial autonomy. Rym shares that she was pleased “to use all the pedagogic tools I have learned in my last Training of Trainers (TOT) and Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) certifications financed by the Techwomen professional development stipend,” which was provided for fellows of the 2020-2021 virtual program. This event was carried out as part of the Action and Innovation Fund for Refugee Entrepreneurs (FAIRE) project, co-financed by the European Union and implemented by COSPE, an Italian NGO operating in the North West region of Tunisia.

Report Date...: 9/26/2022

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 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 publishes paper on magnetic field shielding

Fellow(s): Ibtihal Elshami

Country: Libya

Cohort: 2020-2021

Policy Area(s): Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth

Libyan fellow Ibtihal Elshami (2020-2021) co-published an academic paper, “Magnetic Field Shielding Behavior of Mesh Wire in Low Frequencies”, in the July edition of leading electrical engineering journal, IEEE Xplore. Magnetic fields are waves that emit from many common electronics and wireless communication technologies. Shielding is necessary to reduce performance interference and cyber security risks. Additionally, overexposure to certain low frequency waves has been associated with potential elevated risk of some illnesses and cancers. Ibtihal’s research addresses the rapid adoption of electronic devices that complicate “our daily electromagnetic environment” and explores the under researched magnetic field shielding capacity of thin wire mesh on low frequency waves. Ibtihal has been an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Technology-Benghazi for eight years and has written several papers on the topic.

Report Date...: 7/25/2022

Fellow leads study that seeks to combat air pollution in Lahore

Fellow(s): Mifrah Ali

Country: Pakistan

Cohort: 2020-2021

Policy Area(s): Environmental Sustainability

Fellow leads research and development to combat air pollution
An environmentally focused research paper led by Pakistan’s 2020-2021 fellow Mifrah Ali was published in the May 2022 edition of the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute’s (MPDI) impact factor journal. The study, “Characterizing Air Pollution and Its Association with Emission Sources in Lahore: A Guide to Adaptation Action Plans to Control Pollution and Smog,” identifies low-cost means of monitoring air pollutants and reducing smog with remote sensing. Over a three-year period, Mifrah’s team at the University of Management & Technology in Lahore analyzed real-time remote sensor data on key emissions and pollutants, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and methane, at 14 key sites around the region. The study found that “air pollution remained ‘unhealthy for everyone’ for 54% of the time, and ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ for 88% of the time.” By tracking specific pollutant concentrations as well as identifying hot spots and hot times, the researchers hope their findings will catalyze the development of “smart adaptation action plans for immediate implementation.”
Being a mother of two children, Mifrah experienced firsthand the adverse consequences of smog on the immune system. She says, “I felt a dire need to tackle this issue and motivate my colleagues toward multi-disciplinary collaboration.” Mifrah aims to limit air pollution and the spread of communicable diseases by “developing relevant mitigation devices, techniques, and filters for homes, specific industries and automobiles.” In addition to serving as a full-time faculty member at the University of Management & Technology, Mifrah also leads the Research and Innovation team at the startup ENERTEC, where she develops environmentally friendly products and energy generation technologies. She welcomes multi-disciplinary collaboration with like-minded academics and professionals involved in the fight for clean and breathable air.

Report Date...: 6/13/2022

Fellow awarded funding for assistive technology innovation

Fellow(s): Sylvia Nyaga

Country: Kenya

Cohort: 2022

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

Syna Consultancy, founded and led by CEO, 2022 fellow from Kenya Sylvia Nyaga, recently won second place at the Assistive Technology Innovation Showcase in Kenya. Sylvia and her organization received $6,000 USD in funding to further their mission of providing equitable and inclusive water and sanitation services. Syna Consultancy’s “top priority is the achievement of access to safe and adequate all-inclusive water and sanitation paying special attention to the needs of marginalized groups” in rural and urban communities in Kenya. The showcase was hosted by Villgro Africa, a Nairobi-based impact investor and incubator whose focus is emerging healthcare businesses in Africa, in partnership with assistive technology accelerator Innovate Now and the Kenyan National Innovation Agency (KeNIA). Applicants were selected for their potential for impact and scalability, team and product strength and awareness of user needs. In addition to funding, Syna Consultancy and other winners gained access to investor networks from Villgro Africa, Innovate Now and KeNIA, as well as mentorship and training to solicit further funding and partnerships.

Report Date...: 5/23/2022

Fellow(s): Hamis Elgabry

Country: Egypt

Cohort: 2022

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

2022 fellow Hamis Elgabry is part of the founding team of Mozare3, an agri-fintech platform that supports smallholder farmers with improved digitization, tracking, supplies and agricultural supervision. Recently, Mozare3 won first place at El Forsa, an Egyptian televised entrepreneurial competition. Hamis, the product development and innovation manager at Mozare3, is an agritech entrepreneur who specializes in water, climate and food security challenges. El Forsa, which airs on one of the largest channels in the Arab world, awarded Mozare3 over $50,000 as the first-place winner. Hamis was featured in a video promotion for the show, speaking about the company’s mission to empower small farmers through technology by providing them access to supplies, financial accounts and contracts on Mozare3’s mobile app. Hamis and the Mozare3 team, who just celebrated one year in business, will use the award prize to strengthen their Series A funding.

Report Date...: 4/18/2022

Fellow speaks about climate crisis at forum

Fellow(s): Davephine Tholley

Country: Sierra Leone

Cohort: 2018

Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth

2018 fellow Davephine Tholley presented at the NGO CSW Forum 66, an event hosted by the civil society branch of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The two-week forum runs parallel to the official CSW session at UN Headquarters, bringing in civil society to engage in the CSW event’s sessions. Davephine is a civil engineer and current Chevening fellow pursuing a master’s in engineering business management at University of Sussex. Her event, Climate Crisis and Education: A woman’s voice included, was hosted by Graduate Women International (GWI) and brought together GWI representatives to speak about the climate crisis in their communities. In her presentation, Davephine spoke about the causes, consequences and possible solutions to the climate crisis in Sierra Leone. She explained that the climate crisis has resulted in extreme weather conditions in Sierra Leone including flooding, soil destabilization and water scarcity. She also shared solutions, outlining the roles that government, communities and corporations can take on in working towards change. “As women, we are most vulnerable when it comes to the consequences of climate change,” she said. “We have to be at the table contributing to these polices and implementing these initiatives.”

Report Date...: 3/21/2022

Emerging Leader shares her journey in science

Fellow(s): Naomie Kayitesi

Country: Rwanda

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

The TechWomen blog has published its final post for Emerging Leader Voices, a series that invites incoming Emerging Leaders to share about their background, their STEM careers and their paths to TechWomen. In Motivation, the pillar of my journey in science, 2022 Emerging Leader Naomi Kayitesi of Rwanda writes how the Genocide against the Tutsi and her country’s resilience in the face of tragedy inspired her to achieve: “I was blessed to grow up in the time where education was accessible to everyone as a right and not a privilege,” she writes. Naomie is currently pursuing her PhD, focusing on river hydrology and how rivers are affected by climate change. “Women are more affected than men by these environmental challenges, especially in developing countries, where women are responsible for farming, fetching water, and gathering fuelwood,” she writes. “Therefore, I am looking forward to meeting other women in STEM to brainstorm these topics. It is important to look beyond our boxes and discuss these global challenges, thus contributing to the global agenda.” Naomie concludes her blog post with a message of hope for the next generation of STEM leaders, especially women: “You are capable…believe in yourself and work hard.”

Report Date...: 2/14/2022

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