Impact Stories from Professional Development Policy Area

Fellow(s): Sebay Momoh (Sierra Leone, 2018)

Country: Sierra Leone

Cohort: 2018

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

Sebay spoke on behalf of Sierra Leone’s oil and gas sector during the Country Showcase at the Africa Energies Summit this May.

Fellow spoke at the Africa Energies Summit in London, GB this May, where she shared the stage with the heads of petroleum agencies from The Gambia, Liberia and Senegal. During the Country Showcase, she addressed the current investment prospects in the oil & gas industry of Sierra Leone, highlighting favorable fiscal terms that make the market competitive, the transparent legal and regulatory frameworks that support it, and the abundance of data available across the Sierre Leone basin. “These and much more are reasons why Sierra Leone is a great nation for energy investment,” she shared in a recent post. Sebay is a petroleum engineer at the Petroleum Directorate Sierra Leone, the regulating authority for all upstream oil and gas activities in Sierra Leone. The Africa Energies Summit curates stakeholder insights on the continent’s role in global energy.

Report Date...: 06/05/2023

Fellow speaks at Africa Energies Summit in London

Fellow(s): Sondos Samara (Jordan, 2018)

Country: Jordan

Cohort: 2018

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

Fellow speaks at Africa Energies Summit in London

Fellow Sondos Samara (Jordan, 2018) recently met with U.S. First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, during a USAID event organized with the U.S. Embassy of Jordan in Amman. Sondos Samara was one of four women entrepreneurs currently receiving USAID Business Growth Activity (BGA) support who were invited to the event, where they had the opportunity to discuss their businesses and the contributions that they are making to their sectors. The USAID BGA is a five-year project implemented by Financial Markets International that provides technical and financial support to qualifying small and medium enterprises in Jordan. Sondos is a quality manager at the Environmental Laboratory for Microbiological and Chemical Analysis in Jordan and the founder of Sanadyme, a medtech social entrepreneurship startup.

Report Date...: 06/05/2023

Fellow co-hosts groundbreaking IT mega expo in Pakistan

Fellow(s): Ayesha Hammad Zaman (Pakistan, 2022)

Country: Pakistan

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow co-hosts groundbreaking IT mega expo in Pakistan

Skills Todo, a company owned and operated by fellow Ayesha Hammad Zaman (Pakistan, 2022), successfully hosted Skills Gala & Talent Hunt 2023, a first-of-its-kind IT and Training ecosystem mega expo that took place on May 27 and 28 in Lahore, Pakistan. The event united tech stakeholders from all sectors under the shared goal of retaining tech talent in Pakistan while also contributing to the export of IT from Pakistan to the world. With nearly 20,000 attendees, the expo brought together software companies, government entities, training companies and academic institutions with tech freelancers and professionals. “We have fresh graduates and those with strong experience who tend to spend two to three years working in Pakistan before brain draining out of the country, as well as freelancers and under skilled professionals not equipped to participate in the full-time workforce,” Ayesha explained during a recent call. “With both Skills Todo and the Pakistani government working to fill these skills gaps and keep talent in the country, it made sense for us to join forces.” Ayesha has also recently announced a freshly-inked partnership with UAE-based Trainocate, which has granted Skills Todo exclusive licensing in Pakistan, starting this year with the distribution of 5,000 Microsoft training certificates. Skills Todo has similarly partnered with Google to disburse 500 Google Professional Certifications scholarships, at a value of 200 to 500 USD each, in her country.

Report Date...: 05/29/2023

Fellow presents findings at petroleum symposium

Fellow(s): Imene Ferhat (Algeria, 2022)

Country: Algeria

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Professional Development

Fellow presents findings at petroleum symposium

Fellow Imene Ferhat (Algeria, 2022), recently presented her research on enhancing petroleum production security at a high-profile, private petroleum symposium. “The petroleum industry plays a pivotal role in meeting global energy demands,” Imene explained in a recent correspondence. “However, ensuring the security of petroleum production processes is essential to safeguard infrastructure, prevent environmental disasters and maintain a stable energy supply chain. My research focused on identifying vulnerabilities and proposing effective measures to enhance security in petroleum production facilities.” The petroleum symposium served as a platform for industry experts, researchers and academics to come together and share insights, advancements and best practices in the field. The event featured presentations, panel discussions and networking opportunities.

Report Date...: 05/29/2023

Fellow recognized among 100 Technologists to Watch

Fellow(s): Ouafa Benterki (Algeria, 2012)

Country: Algeria

Cohort: 2012

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow recognized among 100 Technologists to Watch

Fellow Ouafa Benterki (Algeria, 2012) has recently been recognized as one of 100 Technologists to Watch by Women Who Code. Ouafa is the CEO & Founder of MTY Intelligent Software, the first women-led Algerian tech startup specializing in artificial intelligence and natural language processing. She is also an expert advisor at the Arab international Investor Forum and the first Arab/African woman named Microsoft Regional Director, a title that Microsoft annually awards to 100 top IT professionals in the world. She has been selected in the blockchain, front end, data science and software category of this award. Women Who Code aims to elevate diverse leaders in technology by acknowledging their groundbreaking contributions to the industry. “By recognizing 100 Technologists to Watch,” the organization notes, “this list aims to inspire the next generation of diverse leaders and promote gender equality in the industry, thus contributing to a more inclusive field.”

Report Date...: 05/15/2023

Fellow to serve as jurist for Project Afaq competition

Fellow(s): Nadiah Saba’neh (Palestinian Territories, 2015)

Country: Palestinian Territories

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

Fellow to serve as jurist for Project Afaq competition

Fellow Nadiah Saba’neh (Palestinian Territories, 2015) was recently selected to serve as a jury member for Project Afaq in Jericho. Supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by Ma’an Development Center, Project Afaq aims to promote economic empowerment for low income residents of the Jericho and Jordan Valley Governorate, with a focus on women aged 19 to 50. Technical and financial support will be provided to assist women in establishing and leading their own initiatives with the goal of promoting their economic participation and reducing poverty in the targeted regions.25 out of 50 women will compete for the chance to secure grants for entrepreneurial ventures and 18 women will receive vocational training opportunities targeted at their specific interests and passions. Through a comprehensive intervention,” Nadiah wrote in a recent post, “we strive to empower them economically and enhance their resilience in a sustainable manner. Nadiah is the founder of FINOMENA (Female Innovators & Investors of MENA), a digital platform for women entrepreneurs. She also recently completed the European Elective module offered by the Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA Program in Vallendar, Germany.

Report Date...: 05/22/2023

Mentor bestowed highest honorary doctorate from Universite de Rennes I

Fellow(s): Mentor Deb Agarwal

Country:

Policy Area(s): Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development

Mentor bestowed highest honorary doctorate from Universite de Rennes I

This spring, mentor Deb Agarwal received an honorary doctorate from the Université de Rennes I in France. She was awarded the insignia of Docteur Honoris Causa, the university’s highest academic distinction, for her extensive contributions to the field of data science as well as her advocacy for the inclusion of women and minorities in STEM. Deb currently serves as the interim Scientific Data Division Director and a Senior Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, where she has worked in various roles for nearly 30 years. She recently completed a long sabbatical as International Chair of the Inria Research Center of Rennes. On the day prior to the April 4 graduation, Deb gave a lecture on her lessons learned in data science research in physical and environmental science.

Report Date...: 05/22/2023

Eight TW fellows recognized in Empower Africa Top 30

Fellow(s): Chepkemoi Magdaline (Kenya, 2019), Emma Mphahlele (South Africa, 2022), Ghada Amina (Egypt, 2018), Henrica Makulu (Zimbabwe, 2022), Ines Umuhoza (Rwanda, 2022), Nevien “Magdy” Farag (Egypt, 2019), Sophie Ngassa (Cameroon, 2014) and Wadzanayi Kimberley Bwanya (Zimbabwe, 2022)

Country: Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Cohort: 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Eight TW fellows recognized in Empower Africa Top 30

Fellows Chepkemoi Magdaline (Kenya, 2019), Emma Mphahlele (South Africa, 2022), Ghada Amina (Egypt, 2018), Henrica Makulu (Zimbabwe, 2022), Ines Umuhoza (Rwanda, 2022), Nevien “Magdy” Farag (Egypt, 2019), Sophie Ngassa (Cameroon, 2014) and Wadzanayi Kimberley Bwanya (Zimbabwe, 2022) have recently been recognized by Empower Africa’s list Celebrating 30 Women Driving STEM Advancement in Africa. “Their unwavering dedication and tireless efforts are shaping the future of our continent and creating opportunities for generations to come,” Empower Africa notes in a recent post. Empower Africa connects and supports businesses and professionals working to create long-term value with Africa-based projects.

Report Date...: 05/22/2023

Team Pakistan launches seed grant-funded mobile app & campaign to address climate change

Fellow(s): Team Pakistan 2022

Country: Pakistan

Cohort: 2022

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

Team Pakistan launches seed grant-funded mobile app & campaign to address climate change

Fall 2022 Team Pakistan, made up of fellows Amara Dar, Sadaf Gul, Ramla Hassan, Sadafi Shah, Anum Sadiq and Shehnaz Zakia, has recently launched their climate change awareness campaign as part of their TechWomen seed-grant winning initiative. The project, AGAHi, seeks to help people understand, prevent and protect themselves from the devastating effects of climate change following the catastrophic floods that took place in Pakistan last summer. The cornerstone of the campaign is the AGAHi SOS mobile application, available in the Google Play store. It provides real-time flood warning notifications, location risk tracking, local emergency and service contacts, safety tips, and the option to report floods, road blockages and other climate-based hazards. The campaign includes in-person events, such as a recent visit and clean-up project hosted at a girls’ middle school, the distribution of physical literature teaching how to take action and reduce one’s carbon footprint, and a social media push featuring photos of Pakistani women, men and children holding signs with messages such as, “global warming isn’t a prediction, it is happening,” and “the earth is what we have in common.”

Report Date...: 05/15/2023

Fellow podcast to be broadcast on VIU streaming

Fellow(s): Thulile Khanyile (South Africa, 2022)

Country: South Africa

Cohort: 2022

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

Fellow podcast to be broadcast on VIU streaming

“Let’s Talk Science with Thuli”, a podcast developed by fellow Thulile Khanyile (South Africa, 2022), is now available as a televised show on the VIU video streaming platform, which is available in 16 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. With a three season distribution deal, Thulile aims to communicate the relevance of STEM to mainstream society through relatable stories of the innovations and solutions of scientists, engineers and technologists. Season 2 of the show features TechWomen fellows Dilnoza Ibragimova (Uzbekistan, 2022) and Emna Harigua (Tunisia, 2022). The podcast version is also still available on most popular audio streaming platforms, with new episodes coming out this summer.

Report Date...: 05/15/2023

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