Emma Mphahlele

Fellow Emma Mphahlele (South Africa, 2022) recently co-facilitated the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) bootcamp, launched on July 4 in Johannesburg. The 10-day event brought together girls from South Africa’s townships and rural areas for hands-on training in app and game development, engineering fundamentals, design thinking and digital entrepreneurship. It was organized by UN Women South Africa in collaboration with the African Union, Siemens and South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, and Department of Basic Education.
As founder of Kids Innovate Africa and African Youth Ignited 4IR, Emma guided participants through project-based learning that emphasized confidence-building, technical skills and future-focused thinking. “They leave the bootcamp excited about their future, eager to uncover their potential in STEM,” she said.
She also connected the participants virtually with TechWomen mentor Lori Kahn, who riveted the girls with insights into her career working with satellites as a systems engineer for Lockheed Martin.