How Senegal's Dr. Khadidiatou Sall is Providing a Hands-On Approach to STEM Learning

[sidebar_widget sidebar_id="sidebar-1" width="1/1" el_position="first last"] [spb_text_block pb_margin_bottom="no" pb_border_bottom="no" width="1/1" el_position="first last"]Dr. Khadidiatou Sall was born in Dakar, Senegal. At age 19, she moved to France to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, and a Masters degree in Biochemistry. She later obtained a PhD in Biochemistry in the United States, before returning to Senegal.Dr. Sall is a GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) researcher and has contributed to the discovery of genes that can help seeds become more nutritious, and plants more climate resistant (resistant to drought, cold etc.).

• What particular memory in the STEM field was a first-time experience or stood out to you? Did this influence your decision to be in STEM?

Dr. Sall mentions how she has always been interested in science since she was young. She was making toys for herself, was curious, loved exploring and asking questions. She believes those are personality traits of one who is to go into science.Dr. Sall chose Biology mainly because of the hands-on approach she believed she would experience:“With Biology, you are the body, which can be an experimental tool. I can feel, see and therefore learn. The Senegalese education system does not encourage a hands-on approach to STEM learning. Maybe I would have gone into engineering.”

• Any particular person who influenced your decision into STEM?

Although, she lacked mentorship in immediate environs, her parents and uncle were very educated and guided her. Dr. Sall mentions:“They were supportive and are more like life mentors.”

• You are working on a project with young children in STEM. Could you tell us a bit about it?

In 2015, Dr. Sall founded the organisation “SeeSD” -  Science Education Exchange for Sustainable Development; a response to her growing up without mentorship and a hands-on approach to STEM learning. The organisation designs programs, curricula and experiences with close attention given to local context to educate children in STEM. They also train STEM educators and run programs in different schools. There is a pedagogy-based teaching that enables them to explore and build with their own hands.“Last year, the children were assigned a project to build a house. They figured out the architecture, engineering, structural works, electrical wiring, and completed the work.”

• Tell us about the impact of SeeSD

“The reason for the local context which is providing content in local languages is to have students understand and absorb principles and concepts better. So far 400 students in Senegal have benefitted from SeeSD.”

• Why are you embarking on this particular project? What are your future expectations?

“The project aims to reach more schools in Senegal. We have plans to train teachers to transform the Senegalese education system, and to be more hands-on and scientific in their teaching.”

• Anything else you would like to add?

“A lot of people are realising that Africa cannot move without STEM. So there is a shift to include STEM education. I am hopeful about the future of STEM in Africa as this realisation is a step towards getting the job done.”[/spb_text_block]

Nigeria's Becky George-David's journey as a Software Engineer breaking into Investment Banking

[sidebar_widget sidebar_id="sidebar-1" width="1/1" el_position="first last"] [spb_text_block pb_margin_bottom="no" pb_border_bottom="no" width="1/1" el_position="first last"]Engineering is considered to be one of the most challenging and demanding careers, but for many good reasons. Over the years, the skill-sets that this discipline encompasses have assisted many engineers to successfully make a smooth transition into the world of finance; specifically in investment banking.Investment banking is a highly enterprising environment, sensitive to the delivery and management of information and data processing. Technology plays a major role in managing all aspects of investment banking; which includes trading, security or research. One of the benefits any business in the investment banking industry can have is faster access to information.This is where Software Engineering can provide a competitive advantage for businesses in this field.In this month's edition of Women of Impact, we interviewed Nigerian-born and raised Becky George-David, as she opens up her experience as a Software Engineer with one of the world's leading financial institutions - the Royal Bank of Scotland. Becky is also co-founder of TheBusyBodi, an online platform that seeks to tap into the informal economy by creating a market place for service providers (sellers) and customers (buyers), particularly in the blue-collar job market.

"Post my primary education, I attended two schools in my junior secondary years before my dad identified that I'd be better suited at a science-only school for my senior secondary education. I spent the final three years of secondary school with the sole aim of becoming a doctor, as I’d been brought up to believe was my career of choice. I loved Physics, Mathematics, Biology and Literature (surprisingly), but just struggled to find love with Chemistry.  In all, I'm a STEM girl by upbringing, but most importantly, by passion!"

• What inspired your transition to the world of investment banking?

"When I decided to pursue a degree in Computing, I knew the range of career options would be wide. However, I did not anticipate, nor fully comprehend, the many applications of technology. In my first year at the University of East London, I began investigating internships to tie in my theoretical knowledge to real world applications. I got paired with a mentor who worked for Barclays Capital at the time, and that's how my curiosity and career within the financial markets, in the financial capital of the world, was birthed. I've spent a better part of my career as a Software Engineer with a global team spanning the US, Europe and Asia - building bespoke front end automated electronic trading applications for both trading with clients (brokers, other banking institutions) and exchanges such as LSE, NYSE etc."

• Tell us about the project you are currently working on?

"I currently work at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) as a Technical Delivery Manager where I manage and ensure the end to end delivery of mobile banking products and services to our 6.2 million customers.  In this fin tech era, customers expect to have a hassle-free mobile experience that enables them to manage their finances on the go. I work alongside Product Owners, Developers, Testers and a change team to ensure that our customers have an app that is personalised to them, enables full control of their finances and provides all these services at their fingertips 24/7."

• Tell us about TheBusyBodi. What was the motivation behind this?

"I came around this idea whilst discussing the frustration of a typical Nigerian undergraduate or graduate student trying to find a placement or job. We realised that in Nigeria, a lot of people relied not just on their '9 to 5' but also on their '5 to 9' AKA the 'side hustle'. These side hustles in some cases, were even worth more than a 'full time job'. We sought to solve this problem by creating a platform for these service providers to engage with a wider customer base, and for consumers of this services to receive competitive prices and verified services alike. My co-founder and I are currently exploring new ways of solving the challenge of capturing/on-boarding service providers who happen to mostly be offline."

• Do you have any plans of transferring your expertise to Nigeria?

"My passion is and always will be seeing Africa's economy finally emerge. I've wanted to return home ever since I graduated. But I understand that I need to learn from my current environment, through the opportunities that I've been fortunate to have. It's particularly important that I spend my time here in the UK tech space, curating a tailored experience that leans on the exploration of successes and pitfalls, and the real-world impact and role that technology is playing in disrupting various industries. Within the next 5 years, I should have a solid experience, as well as strategic, technical and tactical expertise to go back home and be part of our success story."

• What’s your advice for young girls who wish to take up STEM roles, particularly in Software Engineering?

"Be intentional with your time and with activities that you lend yourself to. Have an 'idea' of what you want and why. I'm a firm believer in the ability of a strong 'why’ to propel you through tough times when your 'what' becomes more difficult to pursue. This is applicable when as a software engineer, you hit a code block that even stack overflow can't help you get over.  I believe that it is also applicable in all other areas of one's life for one to become a well-rounded individual."[/spb_text_block]

Rebecca Enonchong: Don't Wait, Act!

[sidebar_widget sidebar_id="sidebar-1" width="1/1" el_position="first last"] [spb_text_block pb_margin_bottom="no" pb_border_bottom="no" width="1/1" el_position="first last"]

"Entrepreneurship is just a matter of execution; too many big ideas and detailed business plans rest in the lockers".

These are the words of a woman who had dreams and ambitions, and took actions to transform these dreams into concrete solutions. A posture which enabled Rebecca Enonchong to impose her name in the male-dominated sector of information and communication technologies. At 48 years old, Ms. Enonchong is a reference in the tech scenery in Africa and particularly her home country, Cameroon. A celebrity she uses today, to encourage youth to ACT!Nothing predisposed her to become a spearhead in the tech sector worldwide. Owner of a Master of Science in Economics from the Catholic University of America, Rebecca Enonchong moved to the USA at the age of 15 with her father and mother. Prior to that, she had worked as a newspaper distributor for two years, at the end of which she became the manager of the company. Her fortitude earned her positions at famous companies which include Oracle Corp, the InterAmerican Development Bank, Atlantic group, Washington Group and Hyatt.Although very promising, her love for ICT took over when she dropped everything to start her own enterprise: AppsTech. First opened in 1999 in Bethesda Maryland, AppsTech is a global provider of software solutions for enterprises. The first African branch opened in Ghana in 2001, and later in Cameroon in 2002. She led the company with an iron handle. In 2002, she was named Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, together with famous names like Larry Page, Alphabet’s Inc. co-founder. One year later, she won the Benjamin Franklin award in Pennsylvania. In 2014, the company employing 50 workers earned her a position among the Top Ten Women Tech Entrepreneurs by the prestigious magazine Forbes.Beyond being a dauntless business woman, Rebecca Enonchong believes tech is the answer to all our fleas and so every beings MUST have access to that antidote. That is why, she actively engages in countless non-profit organisations. Boldness oblige, she is among the leading heads of all these organisations. From VC4Africa, the largest online community for entrepreneurs and investors in Africa, to Afrilabs, a network of tech innovative centers present in more than 20 African countries, her deeds on the old continent needs not to be proven. She also started ActiveSpaces, an incubator for tech start-ups in Douala, and Cameroon’s Silicone Mountain (Buea).From the height of her 69.8K followers on the micro-blogging platform Twitter, she is a reference for tech news in Africa, a platform she uses mainly for social activism. In 2016, she brought the world to her cause trending the hashtag #BringBackOurInternet against the internet shutdown in the anglophone regions of Cameroon. A great majority of the Cameroonian internet users and famous world figures like Edward Snowden joined the fight to #KeepItOn. One year later, she urged tech giant, Microsoft, to supply computers to a school in Ghana after seeing the effort of a teacher to teach Microsoft Word to students, with just a blackboard, and chalk. A request, which ended on the awaited intervention of the giant.

"You own the present, you don't own the future... Your children own the future... don't wait for the future... you can transform this country." - Rebecca Enonchong

During the #FaceAuxBlogueurs event held at the Institut Francais de Douala, she shared her keys to success; perseverance and self-confidence. Rebecca Enonchong’s spirited and purposefulness nature made her work her way up to the top of the tech sphere in Cameroon. She firmly believes the youth can change the world, only if they believe, and she knows that technology is a catalyst to that change. During the 4IR conference held in Yaounde, a conference that aimed at empowering the youth with new technologies, she made an acclaimed appearance. She closed the event with a final enlightening and vivid speech; "You are not the future, you are the present. Make things happen, NOW!"[/spb_text_block]

Regina Honu - An Epitome of Women Empowerment

[sidebar_widget sidebar_id="sidebar-1" width="1/1" el_position="first last"] [spb_text_block pb_margin_bottom="no" pb_border_bottom="no" width="1/1" el_position="first last"]Regina Honu, a Ghanaian software developer and social entrepreneur, is one of the few women making strides in technology in Africa. She has advocated for greater engagement of young people in STEM.These could be seen when she founded the Soronko Academy and Tech Needs Girls,Ghana. The Soronko Academy is the first coding and human-centered design school for children and young adults in West Africa. Named by CNN voices as one of the 12 inspirational women who promote STEM, she was also named as one of the 6 women making an impact in technology in Africa. She is raising the next generation of women in technology and is one to watch in emerging economies.Her success story has featured on international media platforms such as BBC and Aljazeera as well as the Impatient Optimist blog by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This inspirational story was even published in Sheryl Landberg's "Lean In" where the author examines why women's progress in achieving leadership roles has come to a standstill, the root causes and then offers compelling solutions that can empower women to achieve their full potential.She attended Holy Child High school, Cape Coast for Secondary Education and is an alumnus of the prestigious Ashesi University.She then started Tech Need Girls, Ghana, a movement aimed at training Ghanaian girls in technology related studies. Regina faced challenges like stereotyping, sexism and discrimination. Nonetheless, she found opportunities through STEM to realise her dreams.

"I am using tech to leave a legacy and empower women and girls to reach their full potential. "

- Regina Honu

Her Tech Needs Girls movement has been blossoming with over 3500 girls in Ghana and  Burkina Faso. And today, mentees of Tech Needs Girls have started companies, foundations and received scholarships to study at Ashesi University.Regina has had a myriad of awards and achievements, but just to name a few, she is a member of the World Economic Forum community of Global Shapers, and a recipient of the Big Six award from Coca Cola Ghana for her incredible contribution in Technology. After Tech Needs Girls was awarded in the 2014 Ghana CSR Diary Awards, Regina was awarded a Women of Courage Award for Technology.It marvels me how a young woman has achieved all these and more. Regina Honu is an epitome of women empowerment through her words and deeds and will remain a role model to many African women.[/spb_text_block]

Golden Nigerian Girls Shine at Global Technovation Challenge

[sidebar_widget sidebar_id="Sidebar" width="1/1" el_position="first last"] [spb_text_block pb_margin_bottom="no" pb_border_bottom="no" width="1/1" el_position="first last"]On the 10^th of August 2018, at the Technovation World Challenge in Silicon Valley, USA, it was announced that team Save A Soul of five Nigerian girls in secondary school won the Junior Gold Award, emerging above other junior teams of girls from countries around the world including the USA, Spain, Turkey, Uzbekistan and China. Save A Soul has made Nigeria as well as all of Africa proud with this achievement.The annual Technovation challenge is organised by Iridescent, a non-profit organisation that inspires and empowers underrepresented people, with focus on girls between the ages of 10 and 18 to be STEM innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders by teaching them the skills needed such as programming to excel in their chosen fields.The aim of the challenge was to pitch an idea for an Android application that solves a real-world problem identified in the community of each team. The girls who take part in the competition are supported with resources and mentorship required to produce the desired outcome.In order to reach the final stage after succeeding in the regional qualifiers held in Abuja, Nigeria, the application had to be chosen out of over 2000 applications. At the final stage involving only 12 teams, several brilliant concepts were shared including “Stop It” by a Spanish team which aims to alleviate gender violence by sensing aggression and contacting a local emergency number.Team Save A Soul pitched “FD Detector” (Fake Drug Detector), an app that they developed to be used for the detection of fake pharmaceutical products, an issue running rampant in many countries. FD Detector works by scanning the barcodes on drugs to determine their authenticity and verify their expiration date. This will prevent several lives being lost due to the consumption of fake drugs.Their school was able to support them for 5 months as they carried out research and developed the app. F-D Detector was awarded an incredible $12,000 in scholarships. In order to ensure that the app goes mainstream, the team are collaborating with the Nigerian National Agency for Food & Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).The team, now fondly known as the “Golden Girls” consists of Promise Nnalue, Jessica Osita, Nwabuaku Ossai, Adaeze Onuigbo and Vivian Okoye, all in junior secondary, from Anambra State, in the South-East of Nigeria. They were mentored by Uchenna Onwuamaegbu-Ugwu, the founder of Edufun Technik STEM centre, an organisation that organises schemes such as Robotics workshops for children in low-income areas of Nigeria to learn about STEM. A female mentor for this all-girls achieving great feats to save lives in the country and potentially the world as a whole is truly inspiring news for other young ladies who have an interest in STEM.

"Leveraging technology to save lives is our utmost priority, that is why we have decided to maximize this opportunity to solve the incessant rate of death caused by fake drugs." – Team Save A Soul

"Leveraging technology to save lives" is a phrase that summarises the joint aim of the work of thousands of people around the world who partake in STEM careers and research. This common goal can be attainable regardless of gender or even age as shown by these incredible ladies.[/spb_text_block]

5 Kenyan Women in Tech Breaking the Mould

[sidebar_widget sidebar_id="sidebar-1" width="1/1" el_position="first last"] [spb_text_block pb_margin_bottom="no" pb_border_bottom="no" width="1/1" el_position="first last"]Kenya is the place to be doing business right now – A hotbed of innovation, Kenya is rolling out successful startups and some of the continents best business leaders. The world is falling in love with the Silicon Savannah – it is such a dynamic and exciting place to be an entrepreneur and intrapreneur right now. The country is a world leader in mobile money systems like M-Pesa and also has a long tradition of highly creative brand builders producing world-class solutions, designs and products. This month, we’re focusing on the women entrepreneurs of Kenya who are building incredible businesses, social enterprises, legacies, economies and placing Kenya firmly on the pan-African map. Here are 5 of the thousands of Kenyan women in tech breaking the mould:Dr Jennifer RiriaDr. Jennifer Riria is the Founder and Group CEO of Echo Network Africa (formerly Kenya Womens Holding Group), a banking and insurance group serving nearly one million mostly rural Kenyan women.One of Africa’s leading women entrepreneurs, she has always been on a mission to transform the lives of women and their families in her home country. Riria has served in many leadership roles for which she has been recognized locally and internationally – in 2013 she was awarded the Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur of the year for East Africa, and subsequently, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2014, at which point she was admitted to EY’s Global Hall of Fame.Her list of accolades goes on, and this powerhouse shows no intention of stopping. She was the winner of the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2014, serves as chairwoman of Women’s World Banking and is a supporter and promoter of the Educate the Net 235 Girls programme, an initiative that supports underprivileged girls in their education.She has served on the boards of Kenyan and international organisations, including at the Nairobi Stock Exchange, being the first female to serve in that capacity. She has also served on the boards of Jitegemee Trust Limited, a microfinance company, National Bank of Kenya, and Kenya Post Office Savings Bank and has published two books: A History of Higher Education in Kenya and an autobiography.Dorcas MuthoniFounder and CEO of OPENWORLD, a computer consulting company she started at the age of 24, Dorcas Muthoni is a force to be reckoned with.Today, OPENWORLD is the leading e-Government and business software services firm involved in the delivery of some of the most widely used Web and Cloud applications in Africa.It doesn’t end there – Muthoni is also the founder of a mentorship initiative for women in computing across Africa, AfChix. Since 2004, in Kenya and across other countries, AfChix activities have included organizing annual Computing Career Conferences with a special emphasis on encouraging the uptake of computing careers amongst young women and high school girls; continuous career development for technical women as well role-modelling to upcoming women in computer science. This passion and involvement has christened her as a role model for women in the African community. Muthoni has been on the Board of Directors of several global tech companies including Ushahidi and Enset.Amongst many other accolades, Muthoni is a World Economic Forum Global Council Member on Technology Values and Policy, an Internet Hall of Fame Inductee and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.Through her day to day work as an entrepreneur and computer scientist, Muthoni seeks to see technology positively transforming the lives of the African society, governments and enterprises. She is a true inspiration to the next generation of young women in Africa who are interested in pursuing a career in IT, are involved in the world of tech entrepreneurship in Africa and she is definitely a woman to watch, both now and in the future.Patricia IthauPreviously Managing Director at L’Oreal East Africa, Patricia Ithau built up the brand name in Kenya from “What’s L’Oreal?”, a company that employs over 280 people, with two manufacturing sites, and product sales that grew from 2 million to 40 million in just the three years that she worked there. Her results clearly speak for itself.She’s also held the positions of Marketing Director at Unilever East Africa, Managing Director at EABL (East Africa Breweries Ltd) and Director at Invest in Africa to name a few. Currently, Ithau juggles it all – she is Non-Executive Board Member at KEPSA (Kenya Private Sector Alliance), TMEA (Trade Mark East Africa), Barclays Bank of Africa, WPP-Sangroup, Jambojet and is the Regional Director at Stanford Seed, a Stanford Graduate School of Business initiative that’s working to end the cycle of poverty.Not only is this maverick a world-class businesswoman making waves in East Africa and globally, but she’s also giving back to her community by doing social good – an inspiration to us all.Helen Njoroge“Passion drives you crazy – but is there any other way to live?” - Helen Njoroge, Founder of Tenders Kenya.One of the biggest challenges for many women entrepreneurs is finding new business opportunities. Tenders Kenya, the country’s first online tendering portal, is an online platform where businesswomen and men can get first-hand procurement opportunities available in the market. She is also the Head of Business Development at Professional Marketing Services Ltd, an award-winning agency delivering complete marketing concepts at any scale.Njoroge has extensive experience in the NGO sector and in particular, women economic empowerment and policy advocacy. She has continued to expand her horizons into new territory while at the same time growing her influence and impact in the areas for which she has been recognized for. Njoroge is passionate about empowering young girls to further their education – she passionately believes that investing in education is indispensable to promote equality of employment opportunities and strengthen economic growth. Increased education participation is also linked to more investments in the education and health of children – especially among women and particularly in developing countries.Njoroge was recognized as one of the Top 40 Women Under 40 in Kenya for her role in procurement in 2015.Judith OwigarWith a burning passion for education and technology, Judith Owigar believes that a combination of the two can result in a better quality of life for all and positively change the world. This led to her founding AkiraChix, an NPO that aims to develop a successful force of women in technology that will change Africa’s future. The organisation provides training, mentorship and outreach programs to increase the number of skilled women in technology and positively impact the community. She is also the Founder and CEO of JuaKali Workforce, an organisation that links skilled workers from the informal sector with on-demand clients, thereby creating livelihood opportunities. The easy online application allows you to fill out what job you need completed, where and when, after which you are matched with a skilled manual worker to hire for that job.Owigar says she is inspired by seeing women become more represented in the technology and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, and seeing men and women earning a living and live a life that they previously would not have had access to.[/spb_text_block]