Hello Everyone!
2019 was indeed a great year and we would like to keep you informed about some of the activities we had.
We started off the year with our first workshop on Blockchain and Crypto-currency in collaboration with Everlaw Foundation, a CSR initiative of Everlaw Associates and GCL hub for girls aged 10 - 18. It was structured to create awareness on the importance of these new technologies and to help them make wise investment options. The workshop took place at GCL Hub, Allen Avenue, Ikeja on the 30th of March, 2019 with 15 girls in attendance.
Our facilitator, Miss Faith Obafemi introduced the girls to blockchain, its features, models, challenges and potential career path. She also taught them about the system of crypto-currency and its use in the world today. As our partnership was with a law firm, the final session of the day was on Intellectual property and protection of rights in Technology delivered by our guest speaker and sponsor, Barrister Marx Ikongbeh, Principal at Everlaw Associates. The girls really enjoyed the session and found it very insightful and enlightening. The workshop was well attended by guests especially from Everlaw associates.
In March, we participated in the International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration on the 8th which marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity and commemorates the inspiring role of women around the world to secure women’s rights and build more equitable societies.
We had six leading professionals in the STEM industry tell us what “balance for better” meant to them. Here are a few excerpts of what some of them said
“No segregation and discrimination in the workplace, bringing out the best in everyone and allowing them to express themselves to make the world a better place” Ms. Foluso Gbadamosi , Director, Business process and Technology at Prime Atlantic
“Having a balanced gender ratio provides a variety of mindsets and increased collaboration will help us achieve better by solving the challenges in this emerging field”. Ms. Ivie Karen , Program coordinator at Lonadek inc
“Balance for better means that when I go into a boardroom I see more women in there and hear diverse voices that help us bring better results and solutions to the world today” Ms. Tolu Owokade , Director of Operations at Solstice Energy and an advisor at Dhack Institute
You can view pictures and short videos on instagram and linkedin and also watch the full videos on YouTube
In the 2nd quarter, we organised a Mobile Application development training for female post-secondary school / university students and young professionals. It was a 5-week, Saturday only hands-on workshop structured to introduce students to the basics for mobile application creation, how to design and develop mobile applications. The workshop took place at GCL Hub, Allen Avenue, Ikeja on the 29th of June through 27th July, 2019 with 9 ladies in attendance.
The facilitator, Chibuokem Onyekwelu, a software developer exposed the participants to learn JavaScript as a programming language alongside React Native; a JavaScript framework for mobile app development over the 5 weeks with projects to work on at the end of each class. At the end of the workshop, participants were able to create a Mobile Application each providing solution to a specific problem.
In August, we introduced over 300 girls to coding using CS First (a Google Computer Science initiative), a computer science curriculum using Scratch based programming, completing multi-day activities and projects over a 2 month period in collaboration with Cape Town Science Centre.
We also delivered online safety training to the students creating awareness on the importance and benefits of staying safe online. CS First clubs were implemented in 9 schools across Lagos, Nigeria. The clubs were structured to educate participants on digital literacy which will in turn improve their capacity to develop skills like creativity, analytical thinking and critical reasoning required to succeed in today’s world.
Train-The-Trainer sessions were also held in which at least 1 teacher from each school was impacted the necessary knowledge to continue the training to enable continuity and sustainability of the clubs implemented across the schools.
Finally, the end of the year brought the award of Co-Founder, Adeola Shasanya as Exquisite Ladies Of the Year (ELOY) in the ICT/Technology category.
She was also nominated at the 3rd Annual Her Network Woman Of The Year Awards in the Tech category. Her Network Woman of the Year Awards showcase and honour women in diverse industries who work in their respective fields and sectors, manifest admirable zeal and tenacity and have made a significant impact in her network, community or workplace.
While none of us do this for the awards, the external recognition of all the hard work that she pours into women in STEM both at Afro-Tech Girls and in her career is extremely well deserved.
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