Impact Stories from Youth Engagement Policy Area

Fellow advocates for youth sexual health on panel

Fellow(s): Ngwashi Christabel, MD (Cameroon, 2020-2021)

Country: Cameroon

Cohort: 2020-2021

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Ngwashi spoke on a panel focused on helping youth break the stigma around sexual health education and discussion this August.

Fellow Ngwashi Christabel, MD (Cameroon, 2020-2021) recently spoke on a panel, “Normalizing Age Appropriate Sex Education and Conversations,” at a summit produced by Sexual Health Companion in Buea, Cameroon. The aim of the event was to empower youths in understanding their sexual and reproductive health and rights by breaking the stigma around the topic. During the panel, Ngwashi focused on “the 3 ‘I’s of sexual education: being intentional, incidental and inclusive.” Ngwashi is a medical doctor and global health specialist focused on maternal, adolescent, reproductive and child health (MARCH) care services and counselling, particularly in conflict-affected areas in Cameroon. She is also the founder of More Than Just An MD (MT-JAM Health), a platform that utilizes storytelling as a tool to increase health literacy and patient-centered care. She also serves as a Health Specialist African Fellow for the World Bank.

Report Date...: 09/04/2023

Fellow and founder of volunteer platform hosts two-day training for social leaders of transformative initiatives

Fellow(s): Hiba Awaysa (Palestinian Territories, 2020-2021)

Country: Palestinian Territories

Cohort: 2020-2021

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Sawaed19, a volunteer networking platform led and founded by fellow Hiba Awaysa (Palestinian Territories, 2020-2021), recently held a training for 25 social leaders who kickstarted 14 transformative initiatives formed under the Giving for Change program. The two-day intensive training included workshops entitled Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Initiatives Identity and Advocacy Campaigns, and Fostering Community-Building Strategy, which was facilitated by Hiba herself. “At Sawaed19, we are committed to empowering volunteers and community leaders with the essential tools, knowledge, and skills to supercharge their initiatives,” Hiba shared in a recent post. Hiba established Sawaed19 in 2019 as a platform to match volunteers to non-profits around the world. The Giving for Change program is organized by Dalia Association, a community development foundation that works to mobilize and utilize Palestinian resources through community-controlled grant-making.

Report Date...: 07/24/2023

Fellow hosts week-long digital youth training camp

Fellow(s): Mahri Gylyjova (Turkmenistan, 2022)

Country: Turkmenistan

Cohort: 2022

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

Mahri hosted a week-long series of digital training classes for Turkmen youths with the support of the Union of Economists of Turkmenistan and USAID.

Fellow Mahri Gylyjova (Turkmenistan, 2022) recently hosted a week-long digital training session for youths in concert with the Union of Economists of Turkmenistan and USAID. Mahri utilized the opportunity to cover topics a range of practical and theoretical topics, including the top competitive digital skills in the labor market, the ethics of behavior on the internet, cyber security, advanced Excel skills, rising professions in tech and the ten most common problems with computers and accessories. “It was a busy week full of new acquaintances with talented, energetic young people of Ashagabt,” Mahri expressed in a recent post. Mahri is a freelance trainer of digital skills focused on scratch programming and computer literacy.

Report Date...: 07/24/2023

Fellow co-facilitates 10-day African Girls Can Code Initiative sponsored by UN Women and African Union Commission

Fellow(s): Emma Mphahlele (South Africa), Sara Fakhry (Egypt), Darika Aldasheva (Kyrgyzstan) 2022

Country: Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, South Africa

Cohort: 2022

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

Fellow Emma Mphahlele (South Africa, 2022), founder of non-profit African Youth Ignited 4IR, recently served as co-facilitator of the 10-day African Girls Can Code Initiative sponsored by UN Women and the African Union Commission. The program, designed to teach design thinking, problem-solving and soft skills, selected 40 girls from eight public schools in the inland provinces to take part in the 10-day curriculum. Topics included user interface/user experience (UI/UX), website development, mobile applications development, robotics, cyber security and programming. Emma enlisted several members of the TechWomen community to serve as guest lecturer, including mentors Lori Kahn, Jennifer Martin and Erin Keeley, and fellows Sara Fakhry (Egypt, 2022) and Darika Aldasheva (Kyrgyzstan, 2022). “Spending 10 days with the girls has added to my growth as a facilitator and an expert in STEM Education,” Emma shared in a recent post. “It reaffirmed my decision to leave corporate and to focus on the promotion of inclusivity in access to quality education for children and young people in my continent.”

Report Date...: 07/17/2023

Fellow speaks at water and sanitation conference

Fellow(s): Sylvia Nyaga (Kenya, 2022)

Country: Kenya

Cohort: 2022

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

Fellow speaks at water and sanitation conference

Fellow Sylvia Nyaga (Kenya, 2022) led a session entitled, “Gender and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) financing: Overcoming challenges faced by women-led SMEs (small and midsized enterprises)” at the National Conference on Bankability and Blended financing for SMEs and WASH initiatives, held in Nairobi this spring. “Billions of people worldwide, including 1 billion people with #disabilities, still live without safely managed drinking water, safely managed sanitation and basic hygiene services,” Sylvia wrote in a recent post. “The financing of water and sanitation infrastructure projects in emerging markets is at the heart of this global challenge.” Sylvia is the founder of Syna Consultancy, a social enterprise dedicated to providing safe, inclusive and dignified sanitation experiences, with a focus on elderly, sick, and mobility-impaired individuals. Through Syna, she has developed the UTULAV toilet, an accessible and portable device for the physically challenged.

Report Date...: 06/19/2023

Fellow featured in article on Technovation Girls’ success

Fellow(s): Maral Hudaybergenova (Turkmenistan, 2018)

Country: Turkmenistan

Cohort: 2018

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

Fellow featured in article on Technovation Girls’ success

Fellow Maral Hudaybergenova (Turkmenistan, 2018) was featured in a recent article for her role in the success of Technovation Girls Turkmenistan as their Regional Ambassador. The story covers the program’s second year in the country, during which participants engaged in 12 weeks of training and project development that included market research, application buildout and video production. The Regional Pitch Day, held at Ashgabat International School, was attended by U.S. Ambassador Matthew Klimow and resulted in four teams, double over the year prior, being selected for the world finals. Finalists, to be announced June 30, will attend the World Summit in Silicon Valley this October. “Technovation is not just a competition,” Maral shared. “There are no winners and losers. All participants are part of a global community of like-minded people striving to change the world for the better.”

Report Date...: 06/12/2023

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 initiative wins Oxford Map the System Final

Fellow(s): Aliaa Ahmed (2022)

Country: Egypt

Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Fellow initiative wins Oxford Map the System Final

Nomken, an initiative co-founded by fellow Aliaa Ahmed (2022), recently won the University of Oxford Map the System Final, a competition where which students map systems to address global systemic challenges. The initiative will continue on to the inaugural Map the System Semi Final hosted on Hopin, a state-of the art online event and conferencing platform, showcasing students systems-mapping projects from across the world. Nomken, established in December 2022, raises awareness of how nutritional intervention can enhance the quality of life for children and adults with Down Syndrome. Nomken holds workshops on a variety of topics, such as nutrition, psychological support and success stories for individuals with Down Syndrome and their caregivers. It also raises awareness about Down Syndrome, challenges misconceptions about it and highlights the potential of individuals with Down Syndrome to contribute positively to society given the right support and opportunities. Aliaa is the head of the nutrition and research unit at Egyptian Food Bank. She is also the founder of Alma, a virtual nutrition clinic. She is deeply inspired by her young daughter, who was born with Down Syndrome.

Report Date...: 05/08/2023

Fellow NGO collaborates with Riga TechGirls in Latvia

Fellow(s): Fellows: Elena Selezneva, Saida Yusupova

Country: Uzbekistan

Cohort: 2016

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

Fellow NGO collaborates with Riga TechGirls in Latvia

Tech4Iimpact, an NGO founded by fellows Elena Selezneva and Saida Yusupova (Uzbekistan, 2016) recently sent a delegation to the TechChill conference in Latvia, April 26 to 28, as part of their program, “Female Founders Across Borders (FFAB),” which was co-organized with Riga TechGirls and funded by the Ministry of foreign affairs of Latvia. The delegation of finalists from the FFAB program, including startup founders and mentors, participated in panel discussions, pitch sessions, master classes and networking opportunities with global contemporaries. A cornerstones of the trip was the “Women in Tech Community Networking” event, held in Riga Castle, the official residence of the President of Latvia, which was attended by the First Ladies of Latvia and Estonia, Andra Levite and Sirje Karisas. Tech4Impact was founded in 2019 to support innovation, IT entrepreneurship and green tech among youth and women in Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region.

Report Date...: 05/08/2023

Kyrgyz Fellows host U.S. mentors for week of collaborative events in advance of Kazakhstan delegation

Fellow(s): Fellows: Kseniia Tysganova, Dinara Moldosheva, Darika Aldasheva and Kyzzhibek Batyrkanova

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Cohort: 2018, 2022

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

Kyrgyz Fellows host U.S. mentors for week of collaborative events in advance of Kazakhstan delegation

In the week before the TechWomen delegation to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz fellow Kseniia Tysganova (2022), with the robust support of Dinara Moldosheva (2022), Darika Aldasheva (2022), Tursunai Bektemirova (2022), Nuraiym Azygalieva (2022), Bermet Dosmambetova (2022), Ainura Mitalipova (2022) and Kyzzhibek Batyrkanova (2019), independently collaborated with U.S. mentors Cora Lam, Kathy Giori, Jayme Farrell-Ranker, Meg Gordon, Debbie Whaley and Nancy Hendrickson, to initiate a self-directed agenda of workshops, panels and cultural events in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The several-day itinerary included workshops for schoolchildren and university students, master classes on leadership and technology trends and panel discussions. Highlights included visits with students, scientists and leaders of the Kyrgyz State Technical University, the Council of Young Scientists of the National Academy of Sciences, Billimkana American School and Ala-Too International Medical University. Workshops included Mentoring for Impact, led by Cora, and Physical Computing with MicroBlocks, led by Kathy. For the main event, the collaborators gathered with an audience at Ololo Planet, a creative hub and co-working venue in Bishkek, where mentors presented an overview of the TechWomen program and took part in a panel discussion moderated by Kyzzhibek. The Kyrgyz fellows also hosted a cultural send-off party for the mentors, who continued on to Kazakhstan, along with several Kyrgyz fellows, for the TechWomen delegation.

Report Date...: 05/01/2023

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