Impact Stories from Youth Engagement Policy Area
Fellows collaborate to support TechGirl’s professional journey
Fellow(s): Zainab Saleen, Maya Itani Shourbaji, Lara Chikhani, Rasha Sukkarieh
Country: Lebanon, Pakistan
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Youth Engagement
Recently, TechWomen fellows joined forces to support a TechGirls alumna in pursuing her professional goals. Earlier this year, 2014 TechGirls alumna Greta Nehme met 2017 TechWomen fellows of Lebanon Maya Itani Shourbaji, Lara Chikhani and Rasha Sukkarieh at a TechWomen/TechGirls networking event organized by the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. Greta, a newly graduated mechanical and aeronautical engineer, spoke to the fellows about her challenge finding work in her field within Lebanon.
After their conversation, the fellows connected Greta to 2017 fellow of Pakistan Zainab Saleem, who holds a master’s in aerospace and aeronautical engineering and works at Finland’s ICEYE as an attitude and orbit control system engineer. Zainab asked Greta to submit her resume and, after Zainab submitted a recommendation, Greta interviewed with ICEYE’s mechanical team and was offered an internship.
Greta traveled to Finland and began her internship at ICEYE this past October, working as an intern through the end of 2019. At the conclusion of her internship, she was offered a one-year job contract to continue working at ICEYE. “We often eat lunch together, and keep discussing where she can apply for a master’s. She will also work with me in other STEM outreach activities,” says Zainab. “The world is huge! But impactful programs like these make the world so small and so beautiful.”
Report Date...: 1/6/20
Fellow is first African to win Digital Female Leader Award
Fellow(s): Lindiwe Matlali
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This past November, 2017 fellow of South Africa Lindiwe Matlali won the Education Award at the Digital Female Leader Awards, becoming the first African to win at the ceremony. The annual awards are held by Global Digital Women and seek to amplify the work and stories of women leaders and changemakers. This year’s event, themed on “This is What Digital Female Leadership Looks Like,” considered 740 nominations from 19 countries spanning categories such as innovation, entrepreneurship and diversity.
Lindiwe was recognized for her work as the founder and CEO of Africa Teen Geeks, a computer science academy dedicated to teaching underserved communities within South Africa. “I am humbled, proud and honored that I have an opportunity to keep inspiring African girls to pursue STEM careers, work hard, dream big and serve others, because they don’t know where pursuing their passion with excellence and commitment could lead them,” said Lindiwe.
Report Date...: 1/6/20
Fellows host Tajikistan’s first Hour of Code for girls
Fellow(s): Mutriba Akhmedova, Anzurat Kosimova, Mahina Usmonova
Country: Tajikistan
Cohort: 2015, 2016
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This month, 2015 fellow Mutriba Akhmedova and 2016 fellows Anzurat Kosimova and Mahina Usmonova held the inaugural Hour of Code in Tajikistan, traveling to five regions of the country to teach over 200 girls coding and computer science. The global Hour of Code program, now implemented in more than 180 countries, introduces youth to the fundamentals of programming and computer science.
The fellows implemented their project through a grant from the Alumni Small Grants Program offered by the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan’s Public Affairs section. From December 7 to 23, they traveled throughout Tajikistan with a mission to bridge the gender gap in STEM, holding coding classes that familiarized girls with programming basics and instilled in them a curiosity to pursue STEM fields.
In Dushanbe, Khujand, Dj.Rasulov, Kulob and Bokhtar, the fellows met with over 200 girls ages 10-18 to teach a one-day course on coding. During the day of skill-building, the girls were encouraged to creatively solve problems, develop their design thinking abilities and understand the basics of IT and STEM. “This is just the beginning,” says Anzurat. “Children are the future of Tajik society. They have to gain good skills and knowledge, and we are here to support them. We have many fresh ideas to implement in the near future. TechWomen makes us social-oriented and we are ready to make a difference in our lovely country!”
Report Date...: 12/30/19
TechWomen and TechGirls launch alumnae platform
Fellow(s): Nisreen Deeb,Ghana Bteich, Lara Chikhani, Rasha Sukkarieh
Country: Lebanon
Cohort: 2013, 2015, 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This week, alumnae from the TechWomen and TechGirls programs unveiled USALTech, a club and online platform that connects Lebanese exchange program alumnae, promotes opportunities for women and girls in STEM and encourages its members to share their skills and expertise.
In partnership with Legacy International and two TechGirls alumnae, fellows Nisreen Deeb (2013), Ghana Bteich (2015) and 2017 fellows Lara Chikhani and Rasha Sukkarieh hope to create monthly meetings and programming that nurture the ecosystem of local women and girls in STEM fields. The group’s first event, “Introduction to the TechGirls and TechWomen Programs,” will invite local girls and women in STEM to learn more about the TechGirls and TechWomen programs as well as network with peers in their fields.
Report Date...: 12/30/19
Fellow interviewed about her work in computer science
Fellow(s): Fatima Zohra Benhamida
Country: Algeria
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2017 fellow of Algeria Fatima Zohra Benhamida was recently highlighted in the Nsesa Foundation’s STEM Wow series, a recurring feature that shines a light on women in STEM making an impact globally.
Fatima is an assistant professor of computer science as well as a board member of the TechWomen/TechGirls Club in Algeria. In her interview, Fatima speaks about her decade of experience in both research and education and shares her advice for women entering STEM fields. When asked about her greatest achievements, Fatima names completing her PhD in computer science as well as her selection for the TechWomen program. “I particularly feel a sense of achievement when I brought back all the skills from the Silicon Valley and made many volunteering projects which help the community in general, and enable technology access for girls in rural areas in particular,” she said.
Report Date...: 12/23/19
Mentor(s): Eileen Brewer (mentor), Munira Begmuratova, Zebo Isakova
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This month, TechWomen mentor Eileen Brewer traveled to Uzbekistan for a week of STEM programming meant to educate and empower local women and girls. Eileen, a longtime Professional Mentor at Symantec and 2019 Impact Coach for team Pakistan, traveled with TechWomen on the 2019 delegation trip to Uzbekistan.
In Tashkent, Eileen collaborated with fellows from multiple program years as well as the U.S. Embassy to create workshops for young girls interested in STEM, talks with early-stage women entrepreneurs, TechGirls outreach sessions and more. Eileen also had the opportunity to meet once again with young entrepreneurs at the NEST after-school program, a school she had visited during TechWomen’s delegation trip. Joined by 2016 fellow Munira Begmuratova, Eileen met with students ages eight to 16 to conduct a pitch training and support the young entrepreneurs in refining their business plans. Alongside 2019 fellow Zebo Isakova, Eileen met with 30 women for a workshop on early startup training for their craft and clothing businesses.
After she departed Tashkent, Eileen continued on to Armenia to present at a USG alumni conference on innovation, entrepreneurship and networking.
Report Date...: 12/16/19
20 girls graduate from fellow’s Girls Auto Squad program
Fellow(s): Oduwa Agboneni
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This week, 20 girls graduated from Girls Auto Squad, an automotive training program created by 2019 fellow Oduwa Agboneni. The six-month training aims to address the skills shortage and gender gap in the Nigerian automotive industry through empowering underserved girls. Oduwa, a mechanical engineer, is also the founder/CEO of Nenis Auto Care and the executive director of the Nenis Foundation.
In collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Mechanical Engineers and local foundations, Oduwa created a comprehensive training and internship program that teaches both technical and entrepreneurship skills; each girl graduated as a certified diagnostic and quick service technician. “GAS is a direct response to the challenges facing young girls in these urban centers,” says Oduwa. “The program will provide a viable pipeline of skilled female technicians to establish their own entrepreneurial ventures.” Moving forward, Oduwa hopes to create an online training program for technicians in order to reach more girls across Nigeria.
Report Date...: 12/16/19
Fellow creates online IT course for Arab youth
Fellow(s): Ala’a Agha Karss
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This month, 2017 fellow of Jordan Ala’a Agha Karss partnered with Edraak, an online course platform from the Queen Rania Foundation, to create a comprehensive online training for Arab youth. Ala’a is the founder and CTO of Superiors TechHub, and trains women in the Middle East on coding, mobile app development and more.
The online course is geared towards learners 16 and up, and is focused on mobile app development using Android technology. After customizing the course for both new and advanced learners, Ala’a filmed the training in Arabic. “Language is a barrier keeping learners away from online training — not all of them speak English,” she says. “It’s really important to learn coding, as it’s the new currency of this era.” The training will soon be available on the Edraak platform, and Ala’a is looking forward to increasing youth’s access to IT education and continued learning.
Report Date...: 12/16/19
Fellow collaborates with GE to donate laptops to girls’ school
Fellow(s): Salome Gathoni
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Recently, 2018 fellow Salome Gathoni collaborated with her employer, GE, to donate a computer lab to a public girls’ high school in Kenya. Internet connection for the lab was donated by Valenter Global, a company Salome was introduced to during TechWomen that brings skills training to underserved communities.
After Salome’s TechWomen mentor at Unity Technologies introduced her to Valenter founder Natalie Meyer, Salome travelled to Burlington to meet Natalie and her team after TechWomen concluded in Washington, D.C. Soon after, Salome submitted a proposal to a GE Foundation program designed to empower less privileged communities by providing technology, training and connectivity. Working alongside Natalie, GE and St. Anne’s Girls Secondary School in Nairobi, Salome coordinated the donation of 30 laptops, flat screen monitors, keyboards and mice to the schools’ 870 girls. The girls also had the opportunity to learn from visiting GE senior staff, who shared their career journeys and inspired the girls to remain ambitious despite challenges.
The school has already begun digital literacy training and is providing classes on using the internet for academic research. “The school will be able to provide educational support for the students in a better and efficient way, thereby enhancing their competency in STEM,” says Salome. “The girls can dream big and become great.”
Report Date...: 12/9/19
Fellows named Next Einstein Forum Ambassadors
Fellow(s): Chioma Ezedi, Sebay Momoh
Country: Nigeria, Sierra Leone
Cohort: 2013, 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This week, it was announced that 2016 fellow of Nigeria Chioma Ezedi and 2018 fellow of Sierra Leone Sebay Momoh were named to the 2019-2021 class of Next Einstein Forum Ambassadors. The NEF Ambassador program selects young technology and science champions from each African country to lead public engagement activities and partner with established mentors and researchers to advance their own careers in STEM.
Chioma, a software programmer and founder of STEMteers, is hoping to accelerate collaboration with other STEM advocacy groups, using the local dialect for outreach in order to make NEF’s Africa Science Week successful in every part of Nigeria. She is also eager to localize science advocacy in her community: “Nothing thrives if only a small percentage of the population understands it,” she says.
Sebay is a petroleum engineer and the program coordinator for STEM Women SL, an NGO that aims to improve science education in Sierra Leone. As a NEF ambassador, she will continue to advocate for quality science education in Sierra Leone. “I am passionate about creating the right ecosystem to nurture brilliant and innovative ideas of young scientists in Sierra Leone,” says Sebay. “I want to shine a light on young creative minds, source funding to help them improve on their ideas and also inspire others. The more people are exposed to opportunities of this nature, the more hands and minds we have to work together. There is power in collaboration.”
Report Date...: 12/2/19
