Impact Stories from Youth Engagement Policy Area

Fellow(s): Omnia Eteyari

Country: Libya

Cohort: 2013

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement

Omnia Eteyari, 2013 fellow of Libya, was invited to speak at the Youth Connekt Africa Summit, July 19-21 in Kigali, Rwanda. The summit provided a “platform for all partners involved in youth development to synergize around policies, programs and partnerships that will help unleash Africa’s youth potential.”

Report Date: 7/17/2017

Fellow(s): Janet Fofang; Guillaine Neza; Marie Claire Murekatete; Faten Khalfallah

Country: Cameroon, Rwanda, Tunisia, Zimbabwe

Cohort: 2013, 2014, 2015

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement

In the inaugural FIRST Global robotics challenge, four of the 163 participating country teams were mentored and supported by TechWomen fellows. Janet Fofang, 2013 fellow of Cameroon; Guillaine Neza and Marie Claire Murekatete, 2013 and 2014, respectively, fellows of Rwanda; Faten Khalfallah, 2015 fellow of Tunisia; and Aretha Mare, 2013 fellow of Zimbabwe, traveled with their teams of students, aged 15 to 18 years old, to the international robotics challenge, July 16-18 in Washington, DC.

Report Date: 7/17/2017

Fellow(s): Faten Khalfallah and Eman Abusaada

Country: Palestinian Territories, Tunisia

Cohort: 2015

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

Two girls participating in the 2017 TechGirls program are mentored by TechWomen fellows. Eman Abusaada, 2015 fellow of the Palestinian Territories and co-organizer of Banat-Tech – a program founded by TechWomen fellows, and Faten Khalfallah, 2015 fellow of Tunisia and founder of First Skills Club, have mentees participating in the three-week exchange program. “I volunteered to be a co-organizer and Banat-Tech program coordinator at Gaza Strip. I increased awareness about the importance of diverse skills for teenagers,” Eman said. “I encouraged the girls to apply for Techgirls program. I was really proud to be the coordinator and organizer, and now Lina is in Washington.”

Report Date: 7/10/2017

Fellow(s): Janet Fofang

Country: Cameroon

Cohort: 2013

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

Janet Fofang, 2013 fellow of Cameroon and director of Girls in Tech – Cameroon, has mentored a team of students, aged 15 to 18 years old, to compete in the inaugural FIRST Globalrobotic competition in Washington, D.C. FIRST Global shared a video of the team that wants “to find long-term solutions to the world’s most pressing issues.” Janet also helped organize the Next Einstein Forum’s Africa Science Week in Yaounde, June 27-29, which included a hackathon, women in STEM event and tech meetup.

Report Date: 7/3/2017

Fellow(s): Tiisetso Lephoto

Country: South Africa

Cohort: 2016

Policy Area(s): Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

Tiisetso Lephoto, 2016 fellow of South Africa and a postdoctoral researcher, has been named one of South Africa’s Top 200 by Mail & Guardian. During the TechWomen program, Tiisetso was hosted at Illumina. In June, Tiisetso served as a judge at the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Agriculture Research Symposium. “My experience was humbling because over the years, I’ve presented my work and scooped awards for the past five to six years at the research symposium, and I was now invited to select winners,” she said. Tiiestso has also been active in youth outreach. On June 22, she participated on a panel for youth month in Soweto, her hometown, to talk about her work and passions.

Report Date: 7/3/2017

Next Einstein Forum

Fellow(s): Sylvia Mukasa

Country: Kenya

Cohort: 2014

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

Sylvia Mukasa, 2014 fellow of Kenya and Next Einstein Forum (NEF) Ambassador, helped launch the first NEF Africa Science Week (ASW) in Nairobi, June 27-30. The celebration of science and technology included a hackathon for farming, women in STEM day and panels open to the general public. “We want to provide that platform for relevant discussions and monetary commitments toward research and development in Kenya,” Sylvia said. “The government needs to empower its young people to increase their ability to personally influence what is happening in their lives and communities.”

Report Date: 6/26/2017

Fellow(s): Beatrice Sonfack

Country: Cameroon

Cohort: 2016

Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement

Beatrice Sonfack, 2016 fellow of Cameroon, has launched an association to empower and inspire young girls to engage in engineering and technology. Women in Engineering and Technology (WENTECH) targets girls from 13 to 18 years old through interactive workshops. After returning from the TechWomen program, Beatrice met with Cameroon’s Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, who has provided space for WENTECH to hosts its workshops. In March, Beatrice organized the first workshop for 17 girls with three trainers. In the most recent workshop sponsored by Orange Cameroon, June 19-20, 45 girls participated with four trainers, including Arielle Kitio, 2016 fellow of Cameroon. The workshops introduced girls to robotics and mobile application development.

Report Date: 6/26/2017

Taungana Africa

Fellow(s): Sandra Tererai; Nomso Kana

Country: South Africa, Zimbabwe

Cohort: 2013

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

Taunganafrica has reached more than 900 students in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe since it launched in 2014 with the support of a TechWomen seed grant. 2013 Fellows, Sandra Tererai of Zimbabwe and Nomso Kana of South Africa, have organized annual weeklong STEM expos for rural high school girls.

Report Date: 6/5/2017

Hello World Kids

Fellow(s): Eman Hylooz, Hanan Khader

Country: Jordan

Cohort: 2013, 2016

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Youth Engagement

TechWomen fellows are transforming generations around the world. The World Economic Forum and International Finance Corporation named 100 Arab startups shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including Abjjad, founded by 2016 fellow Eman Hylooz of Jordan, and Hello World Kids, founded by 2013 fellow Hanan Khader of Jordan. The Jordanian entrepreneurs will meet with King Abdullah ll to discuss the future and the challenges of the tech startup scene in Jordan.

Report Date: 5/15/2017

Kids Genius

Fellow(s): Sabine Kai

Country: Lebanon

Cohort: 2014

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement

Kids Genius, a makerspace for kids created by 2014 fellow Sabine Kai of Lebanon, has opened a second location in Tyre, Lebanon. The new space is located within the Imam Sadr Foundation’s school, which provides free education for orphans and kids with special needs.

Report Date: 5/8/2017

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