Impact Stories from Professional Development 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
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
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
Mentor(s): Jill Finlayson
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Professional Development
Longtime mentor Jill Finlayson was recently interviewed for her insights on diversity in tech by Malaysian news network Astro AWANI. As Director of the Expanding Diversity and Gender Equity in Tech (EDGE) Initiative at the University of California, Jill was equipped to discuss the lack of diversity in tech workforces as well as the reasoning and steps needed to promote equitable participation of women and other under-represented identities in the industry. “What [companies] need to understand is that by making diversity, equity and inclusion a priority, they actually return better revenues, they make better decisions, they have less risk, and [they produce] better products,” she explained, “because you’ve got people who understand different markets, different countries, different cultures, [and] different experiences. “It’s not only a good thing morally and ethically. It’s a good thing financially.”
Read More »Report Date...: 8/15/2022