Category: Mentorship

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General Kickstart Mentorship News Social Tech Uncategorized

Empowering a Continent: Five Years of Techrity Championing “Tech for Good” in Africa.

For half a decade, the Techrity Innovation Foundation has been on a steadfast mission to transform Africa’s digital landscape. What began in December 2020 has evolved into a continental movement dedicated to bridging the digital divide. On October 25, 2025, Techrity marked its 5th Anniversary by celebrating this journey of empowerment at the fourth edition of its flagship conference, themed AIMPACT Africa, held in Port Harcourt.

The milestone event brought together over 500 innovators, entrepreneurs, and educators to explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies can drive inclusion, digital literacy, and sustainable development across the continent.

Grassroots Impact: The Road to Tech for Good

Techrity’s commitment to “Empowering a Continent” begins in the classroom. Leading up to the anniversary conference, the team embarked on the “Road to Tech for Good” outreach, visiting Rumuokuta Girls Secondary School and Community Secondary School. The mission was to inspire young students to view technology not just as a subject, but as a critical tool for shaping their futures and solving real-world problems.

To solidify this commitment to early access, Techrity sponsored 120 students from public and private secondary schools across Rivers State to attend the conference. A powerful highlight of their participation was the emergence of Emmanuel Amaechi, an SS1 student from Christ Army Educational School, as the winner of the interschool Q&A session. He received a ₦50,000 cash prize and a full Tech Scholarship from Mr. Chinoso Chijoke, Founder of Cupid Technologies.

Key Takeaways: The Moments and Highlights That Shaped the Conference

Opening the conference, Islamiat Arinola Oseni, Senior Project Officer at Techrity, described Tech for Good as “more than an event, it is a movement to leverage technology for empowerment, community growth, and social impact.” She highlighted Techrity’s commitment to bridging the digital divide through mentorship, capacity building, and inclusion-focused initiatives.

Delivering the 5th anniversary speech and  Impact story, Techrity’s Founder and Team Lead, Mrs Owanate Amachree, reflected on the foundation’s growth since its establishment in 2020. She said Techrity has evolved into “a pan-African force for social innovation and digital empowerment,” citing initiatives such as Hack for Good, the Techrity Mentorship Program, the Kickstart Initiative, and the Laptop Support Scholarship. “Technology has the power to redefine Africa’s growth narrative. At Techrity, we are building an ecosystem that enables learning, innovation, and impact,” she said.

The Keynote Sessions offered thought-provoking insights into the transformative power of technology in shaping Africa’s digital future. Mr Kenneth Nwokoro opened with “Building an Inclusive Digital Economy: Empowering Communities and Closing the Digital Divide,” emphasising the need for equitable access to technology and digital opportunities across all communities. Chimene Chinah followed with “AI for Inclusive Growth: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Drive Africa’s Transformation,” exploring how artificial intelligence can catalyse sustainable development and inclusive progress across the continent.

The Guest Speakers further enriched the discussions with practical perspectives on innovation and empowerment. Mrs Amarachi Stanley-Duru delivered a compelling session on “Shaping Africa’s Workforce for the Future: Embracing Digital Transformation and Skills Development,” highlighting the importance of upskilling and adaptability in a rapidly evolving world. Mrs Karla Obakpolor rounded off the segment with “Building for Social Good: Scaling Innovation and Creating Impact,” emphasising the role of purpose-driven innovation in driving meaningful change across Africa.

The Speaker Session featured Harmony Elendu, who delivered an insightful presentation titled “People Behind Models: How AI is Elevating Careers and Skills Expansion.” Her talk shed light on the human side of artificial intelligence, exploring how AI is transforming industries and empowering individuals to build new skills, enhance their careers, and thrive in the digital age.

The conference also featured engaging panel sessions, lightning talks and a fireside chat that explored innovation, inclusion, and Africa’s digital future. The first Panel Session focused on the topic, From Learner to Leader: Forging a Resilient Tech Talent Pipeline through Ecosystem Collaboration hosted by Bliss Isioma Ajie (HR/Operations Manager, Mently) and the Panelists were Richard Pepple (Founder, Technoville) and Shammah Nei (Director, Engineering Philanthrolab), The second Panel session focused on Navigating The New Financial Frontier: Regulation, Innovation and The Future of Crypto in Nigeria hosted Mr Godwin Jimmy (CTO, Dantown HQ) and the panelists were Godfrey Kelechukwu (Founder, Boardroom), Favourite Henry (Product Marketing Manager), Chininso Chijioke (Founder, Cupid Technologies), The Third Panel session focused on the topic, The Global Talent Playbook: Unlocking Remote Opportunities and Building a Competitive African Workforce, was moderated by Fano Oyin Jessica, Techrity’s Chief Administrative Officer. Panellists included Lloyd Otu, Co-Founder of TalentPoel, and Newton Adiari Newton, Product Manager at Cre8Space Africa, shared insights on remote work, digital tools, and how African youths can compete in a borderless economy.

The fireside chat with Julian Duru (ex Moniepoint engineer and now an independent researcher) hosted by Daniel Obiyo (Founder, Quint Impact Initiative), offered an inspiring story of resilience and leadership, as he discussed personal experiences and lessons from Africa’s evolving innovation space.

The Lightning Talk Breakout Sessions featured a series of simultaneous, high-energy presentations where speakers shared unique insights on technology, creativity, and artificial intelligence. Chibuzo Madumere explored “From Curiosity to Code: How AI and Creativity Empower Tech Beginners,” emphasising how innovation often begins with curiosity. Opuine Kayode Fowora presented “AI for Differentiated Instruction & Inclusivity: A Teacher’s Perspective on Empowering Every Learner with AI,” shedding light on AI’s role in inclusive education. Yves Kwameh V. delivered “Beginner Skills You’ll Need Before the Boots Take Your Briefs,” a dynamic talk on essential skills for those starting their tech journey. Numbere Tehila Tamunobakam discussed “Agentic AI and Liability: Who Bears the Burden When Mishaps Occur?” examining accountability in the age of intelligent systems. Meanwhile, Precious Sunday inspired attendees with “Unlocking the Future: Navigating Tech’s Uncharted Territory,” encouraging bold exploration of technology’s evolving landscape.

A key highlight of the event was the official launch of Made for Good, presented by Peculiar Akinloye, Techrity’s Operations Manager. Made for Good is a purpose-driven brand that embodies the spirit of paying it forward using proceeds from its merchandise and initiatives to support causes such as providing laptops, internet data, and digital tools for young Africans. The initiative also connects startups, organisations, and innovators working on technology-driven impact projects across the continent. According to Akinloye, the platform aims to “promote partnerships, shared learning, and scalable innovation for development.

In addition, there was the Techrity Laptop Support Scholarship presentation. This initiative equips young Nigerians with laptops, internet access, and mentorship to enhance their digital skills and create career growth opportunities. Following a transparent selection process guided by passion, need, and commitment to social good, 11 (eleven) young Nigerians were awarded laptops, data support, and mentorship to boost their digital careers at the conference. Among these beneficiaries were Ikordeme Confidence Barikui, Onaeko Emmanuel Oladipupo, Ozuru Irenma Pearl, Ozuru Olanma Jewel, Philomena Nkereuwem Nyah, Iyke Victor Chidera, Winner Osinachi Offor, Elekwachi Zion Chibuchi, Emeka Victor Chigozie, Okonkwo Ckaima Peniel, and Ebubechukwu Osy-Uzoekwe. “We believe in using technology to transform lives, one person and one community at a time,” Oseni said.

Another major highlight of the day was the Techrity Social Impact Awards, which honours individuals and organisations using technology to drive mentorship, digital inclusion and social good. The award recipients included Renaissance Innovation Labs (Tech Community Partner of the Year), Kenneth Nwokoro ( Social Impact Award (Mentorship), Stakeholders Democracy Network (Social Impact Award – Tech for Gender Equality), Bright Chinenyeze (Social Impact Award (Digital Inclusion Advocate), Richard Sodienye Pepple (Social Impact Award – Mentorship), and Richard Tamunotonye (Social Impact Award – Mentorship).

A Five-Year Legacy and a Call to the Future

In just five years, Techrity has grown into a global community of 886 innovators with over 12,000 digital followers across Nigeria, Kenya, India, Botswana, Ghana, Rwanda, and Uganda. Through initiatives like the Kickstart Initiative, which has provided 35 laptops and ₦5 million in data support, and a mentorship program engaging over 100 participants, Techrity is actively nurturing Africa’s next wave of tech talents.

The success of the 5th anniversary celebration was bolstered by several partners, including Dantown (Key donor and partner for the Laptop Support Scholarship), Productsio, TalentPoel, Cre8Space, Artful Media, Cupid Technologies, Volunteers Crib, Mently, and Made for Good.

In her closing remarks, Owanate Amachree thanked all partners, speakers, and volunteers for their contributions, noting that “the true impact of Techrity lies not only in its social impact programs but in the lives we transform.” She reaffirmed the foundation’s goal to continue empowering Africans through technology, mentorship, and innovation — inspiring, coaching, and building for social good.

As part of its five-year milestone, Techrity is extending an open call to corporate partners, development organisations, startups, and philanthropists to collaborate in building the future of young Africans through mentorship, digital education, and social impact programs designed to bridge gaps in unemployment, inclusion, and opportunity across Africa. 

Let us drive this mission together by equipping young people with laptops, internet access, and digital skills, fostering innovation through SDG-focused hackathons and mentorship programs, and promoting inclusion and gender equality through technology-driven education.

Organisations and individuals interested in partnering can reach out via hello@techrity.org or visit www.techrity.org to learn more.

Categories
Mentorship Tech Techrity Programmes Uncategorized

From Cobbler Dreams to Tech Innovation: Stella’s Journey of Impact with Techrity Mentorship Program 

Ben Iwara via Unsplash.com

Introduction

When you think about a cobbler, what comes to mind?

Maybe an old workshop, the scent of leather, and someone hammering away on a sole.

For Stella, becoming a cobbler wasn’t just a fleeting childhood dream. It never sounded demeaning because it was an unusual and deeply personal ambition.

While her peers imagined hanging stethoscopes around their necks or being seen in courtrooms and called “the law”, Stella was sketching shoe designs and pulling apart worn-out sandals to see how they were made. It was raw curiosity and creativity in its purest form.

But life, as it often does, had other plans for her.

The Tech Path That She Never Had in Sight

Francis Odeyemi via Unsplash

Years later, Stella found herself studying computer science at university. It was a prestigious degree by most standards, future-proof, globally relevant, and full of possibilities. But for Stella, it didn’t feel like a calling. While she passed her courses and learned to write code, there was a lingering question that never left her: what exactly do I want to build?

She knew she was creative. She knew she liked working with her hands. She even liked tech a bit. But she hadn’t yet figured out how all these passions could intersect.

That’s when the Techrity’s Mentorship Programme came into the picture.

Finding Clarity and Her Calling Through Community

Stella joined the programme, unsure of what to expect. What she found was a structured yet warm environment, mentors who listened, peers who were on similar paths of discovery, and sessions that focused not just on skills but also on purpose.

Stella took her time immersing herself in the mud of the program, but it wasn’t long before Stella began connecting the dots to her lightbulb moment.

What if she could combine her childhood love for shoemaking with her knowledge of technology? What if she could create something truly African, handcrafted but scalable, an innovative brand that bridges tradition and tech?

These bubbling questions became the seeds of a powerful idea:

A home-made leather shoe brand with a tech-driven twist.

Today, Stella is not just building shoes; she’s building a tech brand. A sustainable business that uses tech to improve production, reach more customers, and tell a unique story of African tech talents.

And it all began with clarity, the kind of clarity that can only come from having the proper support, structure, and mentorship.

The Bigger Picture: Techrity’s Mission

Stella’s story is inspiring, but it’s not rare.

At Techrity, we’ve seen countless young Africans grappling with purpose, creativity, and a desire to build something meaningful. Often, all they need is a spark, a guiding hand, a community, a structured programme that helps them align their skills with their dreams.

We created our Mentorship Programme for exactly this reason. And the results? They speak for themselves.

From fashion tech to fintech, from storytelling to software, our mentees are launching startups, building solutions, and rewriting the narrative of what’s possible for the African youth.

Be a Witness: Join the Techrity Impact Series

If Stella’s story moved you, you’re not alone. That’s why we created the Techrity Impact Series, an Instagram live storytelling experience that showcases the journeys of real people whose lives have been transformed by mentorship, tech, and community.

Hear their voices. Learn from their journeys. Be part of the impact.

Whether you’re a student, a builder, a dreamer, or someone searching for direction, these stories might just spark something in you, too.

Hear Stella’s full story here 

We are featuring others just like her to share their inspiring stories because every impact begins with a moment of clarity. And that moment could start here for you, too.

Don’t miss the next session of our Impact Series on 1st August 2025

I am in right away.

Categories
Hackathon Mentorship Social Team Management Tech For Good

From Waste to Worth: Revolutionizing Recycling with GreenBounty

Introduction

Did you know that over 2.1 billion tons of waste are produced globally each year, yet only 16% is effectively recycled? This shocking statistic underscores a critical need for innovative solutions in global waste management.

My name is Gold Nse Nseuwem, and together with my incredible team—Nathan-Trust Ekanem (Frontend Developer), Uwakmfon Ekong (Project Manager), and Mercy Vincent (Backend Developer)—we developed GreenBounty during the Techrity Hackathon Challenge 2024. Our mission? To redefine recycling by making it rewarding, accessible, and impactful.

The Problem

In many communities, waste mismanagement remains a persistent challenge. Limited awareness, lack of motivation, and inefficient recycling systems result in:

  • Overflowing landfills
  • Pollution
  • Wasted resources

Without practical and rewarding solutions, people often feel unmotivated to take meaningful steps toward sustainability. This inspired us to create a system that transforms the recycling process into a rewarding habit.

The Solution: GreenBounty

GreenBounty bridges the gap between awareness and action, empowering individuals to turn waste into worth. Our platform makes recycling simple and incentivized.

How It Works:

  1. Collect Waste: Users gather and sort recyclable materials.
  2. Submit Waste: Convenient pickup and drop-off options are provided.
  3. Earn Rewards: Users receive Eco-Coins—a digital currency—for every item recycled.
  4. Redeem Benefits: Eco-Coins can be exchanged for rewards, making recycling both impactful and rewarding.

By encouraging participation, GreenBounty inspires communities to adopt sustainable habits while creating a cleaner, greener planet.

Hackathon Experience

The Techrity Hackathon Challenge 2024 was an exciting, fast-paced journey. As a team, we collaborated, brainstormed, and overcame challenges to bring GreenBounty to life.

Meet the Team:

  • Gold Nse Nseuwem: UI/UX Designer
  • Nathan-Trust Ekanem: Frontend Developer
  • Uwakmfon Ekong: Project Manager
  • Mercy Vincent: Backend Developer

This experience not only strengthened our technical and problem-solving skills but also reinforced the power of teamwork in creating impactful solutions.

Future Development

While GreenBounty has already demonstrated its potential, we envision even greater possibilities:

  1. Enhanced Features: Incorporating analytics to measure individual and community recycling impact.
  2. Global Expansion: Scaling the platform to serve more regions and communities.
  3. Collaborations: Partnering with recycling agencies, businesses, and local governments to enhance accessibility and adoption.

Our ultimate goal is to make recycling engaging, accessible, and impactful for all, creating a global ripple effect of positive change.

Conclusion

GreenBounty is more than a platform—it’s a movement to redefine waste management. By incentivizing recycling, we aim to inspire a culture of responsibility, reward, and sustainability.

Our participation in the Techrity Hackathon Challenge 2024 was a turning point. It allowed us to merge diverse skills and ideas into a unified vision that addresses a pressing problem while encouraging people to take action for a better future.

Let’s turn waste into worth, one step at a time. Together, we can make sustainability rewarding and redefine how the world manages its waste.

Join us in recycling, rewarding, and redefining the future with GreenBounty.

Categories
Hackathon Mentorship Social Team Management Tech Tech For Good Techrity Programmes

Medivault: A Milestone at the Techrity HackforGood Challenge 2024

Medical Data Management solution by Medivault

Introduction

We are excited to share that Medivault, our innovative solution for healthcare data management, emerged as a winner at the Techrity HackforGood Challenge 2024! This achievement reflects the hard work, creativity, and teamwork of our talented group—Praise Okere (17), Oreoluwa Olugbogi (17), Whakee (18), and Emmanuel Elumeze (19). Together, we set out to solve pressing challenges in healthcare data storage and accessibility.

The Problem

Traditional healthcare systems are often inefficient, plagued by issues such as misplaced medical records, data silos, and cumbersome administrative processes. These inefficiencies frustrate both patients and healthcare providers, slowing down care delivery and affecting outcomes.

Our mission was clear: to build a solution that simplifies, secures, and streamlines healthcare data management.

The Solution: Medivault

Medivault is a centralized healthcare platform that redefines how medical data is managed, stored, and accessed.

Key Features:

  • Secure Medical Record Storage: Data is encrypted to ensure confidentiality and privacy.
  • Seamless Accessibility: Patients and healthcare providers can access records effortlessly across multiple hospitals.
  • Streamlined Check-Ins: Using NFC cards linked to unique patient IDs, Medivault reduces wait times and enhances data retrieval.

Challenges We Overcame

Building Medivault wasn’t without its hurdles, but our team faced them head-on:

  1. Data Security: Implementing advanced encryption methods to safeguard sensitive patient information.
  2. NFC Integration: Effectively using NFC cards for quick and secure check-ins.
  3. Scalability: Designing a platform that can grow to accommodate increasing users without performance loss.
  4. Skill Growth: Pushing beyond our comfort zones to learn new technologies, tools, and methodologies.

Our persistence, teamwork, and research allowed us to overcome these challenges and sharpen our technical skills in the process.

Technologies Behind Medivault

We used cutting-edge tools and technologies to bring Medivault to life:

  • NFC Cards & Self-Made Readers: For efficient patient identification and check-ins.
  • React & Tailwind CSS: To deliver a responsive and user-friendly interface.
  • Advanced Data Encryption: Ensuring secure and confidential handling of healthcare data.

Hackathon Highlights

The Techrity HackforGood Challenge was more than just a competition; it was a transformative experience. It taught us to:

  • Test and refine our code incrementally.
  • Collaborate effectively as a team under pressure.
  • Innovate creatively to solve real-world problems.

We also had the opportunity to connect with other brilliant minds, learn from challenges, and grow personally and professionally.

What’s Next for Medivault?

We believe Medivault has the potential to revolutionize healthcare systems globally. Our future aspirations include:

  1. Wider Integration: Partnering with hospitals to adopt Medivault as a standard solution for healthcare data management.
  2. Global Expansion: Scaling the platform to serve patients and providers worldwide.
  3. Enhanced Features: Incorporating AI-driven insights to offer predictive analytics for better patient care and decision-making.

Gratitude

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Techrity for hosting the HackforGood Challenge 2024. This platform gave us the opportunity to showcase our skills, overcome challenges, and contribute to solving meaningful problems. The support, mentorship, and encouragement we received motivated us to push our boundaries.

Conclusion

Winning the Techrity HackforGood Challenge 2024 is just the beginning for Medivault. Our vision is to make healthcare data management smarter, faster, and more accessible for everyone. This milestone marks a step forward in our journey to create lasting, impactful solutions.

Thank you for supporting us, and stay tuned as we continue to innovate!

Categories
Hackathon Mentorship Social Team Management Tech Tech For Good Techrity Programmes

Medivault: A Milestone at the Techrity HackforGood Challenge 2024 Clone

Medical Data Management solution by Medivault

Introduction

We are excited to share that Medivault, our innovative solution for healthcare data management, emerged as a winner at the Techrity HackforGood Challenge 2024! This achievement reflects the hard work, creativity, and teamwork of our talented group—Praise Okere (17), Oreoluwa Olugbogi (17), Whakee (18), and Emmanuel Elumeze (19). Together, we set out to solve pressing challenges in healthcare data storage and accessibility.

The Problem

Traditional healthcare systems are often inefficient, plagued by issues such as misplaced medical records, data silos, and cumbersome administrative processes. These inefficiencies frustrate both patients and healthcare providers, slowing down care delivery and affecting outcomes.

Our mission was clear: to build a solution that simplifies, secures, and streamlines healthcare data management.

The Solution: Medivault

Medivault is a centralized healthcare platform that redefines how medical data is managed, stored, and accessed.

Key Features:

  • Secure Medical Record Storage: Data is encrypted to ensure confidentiality and privacy.
  • Seamless Accessibility: Patients and healthcare providers can access records effortlessly across multiple hospitals.
  • Streamlined Check-Ins: Using NFC cards linked to unique patient IDs, Medivault reduces wait times and enhances data retrieval.

Challenges We Overcame

Building Medivault wasn’t without its hurdles, but our team faced them head-on:

  1. Data Security: Implementing advanced encryption methods to safeguard sensitive patient information.
  2. NFC Integration: Effectively using NFC cards for quick and secure check-ins.
  3. Scalability: Designing a platform that can grow to accommodate increasing users without performance loss.
  4. Skill Growth: Pushing beyond our comfort zones to learn new technologies, tools, and methodologies.

Our persistence, teamwork, and research allowed us to overcome these challenges and sharpen our technical skills in the process.

Technologies Behind Medivault

We used cutting-edge tools and technologies to bring Medivault to life:

  • NFC Cards & Self-Made Readers: For efficient patient identification and check-ins.
  • React & Tailwind CSS: To deliver a responsive and user-friendly interface.
  • Advanced Data Encryption: Ensuring secure and confidential handling of healthcare data.

Hackathon Highlights

The Techrity HackforGood Challenge was more than just a competition; it was a transformative experience. It taught us to:

  • Test and refine our code incrementally.
  • Collaborate effectively as a team under pressure.
  • Innovate creatively to solve real-world problems.

We also had the opportunity to connect with other brilliant minds, learn from challenges, and grow personally and professionally.

What’s Next for Medivault?

We believe Medivault has the potential to revolutionize healthcare systems globally. Our future aspirations include:

  1. Wider Integration: Partnering with hospitals to adopt Medivault as a standard solution for healthcare data management.
  2. Global Expansion: Scaling the platform to serve patients and providers worldwide.
  3. Enhanced Features: Incorporating AI-driven insights to offer predictive analytics for better patient care and decision-making.

Gratitude

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Techrity for hosting the HackforGood Challenge 2024. This platform gave us the opportunity to showcase our skills, overcome challenges, and contribute to solving meaningful problems. The support, mentorship, and encouragement we received motivated us to push our boundaries.

Conclusion

Winning the Techrity HackforGood Challenge 2024 is just the beginning for Medivault. Our vision is to make healthcare data management smarter, faster, and more accessible for everyone. This milestone marks a step forward in our journey to create lasting, impactful solutions.

Thank you for supporting us, and stay tuned as we continue to innovate!

Categories
Career advice General Mentorship Tech Tech For Good

When She Leads: Women in Leadership and Technology Roles in Africa

lady speaking at a tech event

Spread across history are the many contributions of women and the woman folk to development and civilization. In today’s world, women have become major players in almost every important sector of the world, leadership, and technology inclusive. The role of women as key players in leadership and technological advancement becomes even more pronounced as the world advances towards complete dependence on technology. 
This article seeks to beam the spotlight on the many women who are working tirelessly to contribute effectively to technological advancement in Africa. It further highlights the importance of women in Leadership roles.

Women In Leadership Roles

Leadership has never been gender-dependent. It’s the qualities inherent or cultivated by an individual that determines their success as leaders. Let’s take a look at some of the women who have chosen to challenge the status quo wherever they find themselves, who fight for a more equal future, and who have helped shape history!

  1. Ngozi Okonji Iweala – Development Economist

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian- American economist and international development expert who has served since March 1, 2021, as Director-General of the World Trade Organization. She is the first woman and the first African to hold the office. She sits on the boards of Standard Chartered Bank, Twitter, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, and the African Risk Capacity(ARC). Previously, Okonjo-Iweala spent a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, scaling the ranks to the number two position of managing director, operations (2007-2011).
She also served two terms as finance minister of Nigeria (2003-2006, 2011- 2015) under President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan, respectively. She was the first woman to serve as the country’s finance minister, the first woman to serve in that office twice, and the only finance minister to have served under two different presidents. Okonjo-Iweala is the founder of Nigeria’s first indigenous opinion-research organization, NOI-Polls. She also founded the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (C-SEA), a development research think tank based in Abuja, and is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Center for Global Development and the Brookings Institution.
Since 2019, Okonjo-Iweala has been part of UNESCO’s International Commission on the Futures of Education. Since 2019, she has also been serving on the High-Level Council on Leadership and Management for Development of the Aspen Management Partnership for Health (AMP Health).
Okonjo-Iweala Okonjo has received numerous recognitions and awards. She has been listed as one of the 50 Greatest World leaders (Fortune, 2015), the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World (TIME, 2014), the Top 3 Most Powerful Women in Africa (Forbes, 2012). She was listed among 73 “brilliant” business influencers in the world by Conde Nast International.
 Okonjo-Iweala has received honorary degrees from 14 universities worldwide, including some from the most prestigious colleges: -University of Pennsylvania (2013) -Yale University (2015) -Amherst College (2009) -Trinity College, Dublin (2007) -Colby College (2007) 

  1. Graca Machel – Politician and Humanitarian

Graca Machel is a prominent Mozambican woman who, for decades, has worked for women’s rights, education, and peace. Despite a long career as a feminist leader, she is best known for her two marriages, initially to Mozambique’s first president Samora Machel, and later to Nelson Mandela, when he was president of South Africa. 
Graca Machel is an international advocate for women’s and children’s rights and was made an honorary British Dame by Queen Elizabeth Il in 1997 for her humanitarian work. She is the only woman in modern history to have served as First Lady of two countries, South Africa and Mozambique.
Graca Machel is a member of the Africa Progress Panel (APP), a group of ten distinguished individuals who advocate at the highest levels for equitable and sustainable development in Africa. As a panel member, she facilitates coalition building to leverage and broker knowledge and convenes decision-makers to influence policy for lasting change in Africa. She was chancellor of the University of Cape Town between 1999 and 2019. Graca Machel received the 1992 Africa Prize, awarded annually to an individual who has contributed to the goal of eliminating hunger in Africa by the year 2000.
Machel received the 1992 Africa Prize, awarded annually to an individual who has contributed to the goal of eliminating hunger in Africa by the year 2000. Following her retirement from the Mozambique ministry, Machel was appointed as the expert in charge of producing the groundbreaking United Nations report on the impact of armed conflict on children.
On 17 January 2016, she was announced by UNESCO as a Sustainable Development Goals Advocate.
Ms. Machel is a current member of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders who work together for peace and human rights that she co-founded with her husband, former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa.

  1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Novelist and Feminist Campaigner

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born in 1977 to a middle-class Igbo family in Enugu, Nigeria. Her mother became the first female registrar at the University of Nigeria, while her father was a professor of statistics there. Pressured by social and familial expectations, Adichie ‘did what I was supposed to do’ and began to study medicine at the University of Nigeria. 
After a year and a half, she decided to pursue her ambitions as a writer, dropped out of medical school, and took up a communication scholarship in the US. Chimamanda has bagged nothing less than 15 honourary doctorate degrees from respected universities around the world. Adichie’s three novels all focus on contemporary Nigerian culture, its political turbulence, and at times, how it can intersect with the West. She published Purple Hibiscus in 2003, Half of a Yellow Sun in 2006, and Americanah in 2013.
Her novels and wider writings are the best windows into Adichie’s incisive and emotive imagination. She has delivered several impressive talks that get to the heart of their subject. They broadly encompass race and gender and our tendency to accept what we are taught without recognizing ingrained prejudice.
Her 2009 lecture, The Danger of a Single Story, is a brilliant discussion of race, but her argument is cleverly applicable across many broader contexts. In this lecture, her discussion of US perceptions of Mexicans as the ‘abject immigrant’ during the early 2000s, could just as easily be transferred to our current hysteria about Syrian refugees entering Europe.
Adichie’s 2013 lecture We Should All Be Feminists discusses the damaging paradigms of femininity and masculinity. We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, “You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful otherwise, you would threaten the man.”
Adichie argues that Feminism should not be an ‘elite little cult’ but a party ‘full of different feminisms.’ It is an important message to take to heart – we are imperfect. We are attempting to unlearn what we have unconsciously learned and simultaneously discover new ways of seeing.

  1. Daphne Nkosi – Executive Chairperson at Kalagadi Manganese Pty Ltd

Daphne Nkosi is the executive chairman of Kalagadi Manganese Pty Ltd, which is the first African- woman-founded and predominantly African-women-led mining company in the world. Daphne Nkosi’s formidable drive as a business powerhouse, social worker, political activist, and women’s rights campaigner, has its roots in the impoverished rural environment and staunchly patriarchal society of her birth.
In 2015, the Africa Female Business Leader of the Year was awarded to her The international title was presented to her at the 2015 African Business Awards held in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Daphne is committed to the people of South Africa and uses every available resource to enrich the lives of the average South African. She is responsible for the creation of more than 30 000 jobs in the Northern Cape and will go down in history as the mother of the largest mining venture.

Importance Of Women In Leadership and Technology roles

It’s no secret that women are highly underrepresented in the tech industry. But have you ever considered the great benefits of a gender-inclusive team in your organization? Read further to learn more about the importance of women in the tech industry and the value they can bring to organizations that employ them.

  1. Diversity of Thought

Collaboration between team members of different backgrounds, genders, and races can open a world of creativity and innovation, work efficiency, better communication, and increased team success.
Men and Women see things from different perspectives so having a diverse team can lead to an input of unique ideas which will enable better problem-solving skills and eventually boost performance level!
Having a diverse team also means having the capabilities to understand the pain points of all members of a target demographic and, this aids in proferring the best solutions.

  1. Mentors and Role Models

Imagine facing a gender-based issue at your workplace and not having a mentor of the same gender to talk to at the end of the day!😔😔
Having a female mentor that helps you as a woman in tech is very beneficial. It causes a ripple effect because the more women mentor other women, the more it encourages them to come into the tech space and thrive! 

On 8th March 2021, First Check Africa introduced #ChooseToChallenge with a focus on highlighting the 30 Nigerian Women in Tech challenging the Status Quo. Read about them here.
Conclusion: There are more women in leadership and technology who are breaking ancient ideologies, it is of utmost importance that we see them as allies than as threats. The tech space is vast enough to accommodate people from every work of life, gender, and race. Women in technology and leadership positions is a yes in the 21st century given the pace at which technology evolves daily. From little children to teen girls, to nursing mothers and aged women, tech and leadership should become dominant.  

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Build4SocialGood General Mentorship Tech

Using Your Tech Skills for Social Good: The Role Of Mentoring

You’ve probably been advised to find a mentor in your chosen area, someone with whom you can speak and who can provide you with excellent advice and assistance as you embark on your chosen career path. But have you ever pondered over the benefits of having a mentor? And the reason to have one if you don’t already? 

This article discusses the importance of having a mentor and the benefits of having one.

Why You Should Have A Mentor?

A mentor is a person or friend who acts as an advisor or coach to a less experienced person and guides them through a learning process using their professional knowledge.
When it comes to breaking into the tech sector, having a mentor is crucial – whether you’re learning to code or looking for your first (or next) job.
Here are seven reasons why you should seek out a mentor:

  1. Learning from their experiences: Your mentor can help advise you or warn you if you’re going to make the same mistakes they did, saving you time, money, and other valuable resources.

    Think of them as your guide. 
  1. Shortcut to Best Practices: It’s fantastic when someone can tell you about their tried-and-true best practices. You will learn much more quickly and efficiently this way.

    So mentors help you apply methods that work straight away. 😎
  1. Source Inspiration: It’s awesome to have someone you look up to as your mentor because hearing their stories and experiences motivates and inspires you even more which makes you more ambitious and excited to be doing what you are doing

    This makes you more ambitious and excited to be doing what you are doing.
  1. Learning to ask the right questions: Good mentors ask probing questions to get you to reflect on the process you’re going through, whether it’s learning to code or advancing your career. But, surprise, surprise! Many times, you are the only one who can respond to these inquiries.

    And Learning how to ask yourself those types of questions is very important.
  1. Accountability: Mentors can be super helpful in your career journey by keeping you accountable and making sure you are sticking to your goals and, keeping up with the learning process.
  1. Objective Feedback: A mentor sees you as you are (without being biased) and, they can give you honest and objective feedback, which makes you better.
  1. Networking: A mentor can help you become better at networking and improve your professional and communication skills. They can also expand your horizons by introducing you to the right people in their network and, this is super valuable.

Why It’s A Win-Win for Both The Mentor and Mentee?

Yup! That’s correct. Mentors gain from sharing their expertise with mentees as well. Most of our attention is focused on people who are being mentored, but what are the benefits for mentors? Why should they devote their time to assisting others in honing their abilities? Let’s have a look at some of them:

  1. Builds soft skills: Mentoring allows you to expand your soft skills. It requires you to put yourself in your mentees’ shoes, which in turn, will help to build soft skills like empathy, leadership skills, effective communication, and collaboration skills.
  1. Continuous learning: Mentorship allows you to keep on learning and growing in your field. The more you share knowledge with your mentees, the more you reinforce that knowledge.
  1. Builds confidence: Consistently sharing your knowledge with someone else can improve your self-confidence. The more you teach your mentees and help them with the challenges they face, the more confident you’ll be.
  1. Establish strong connections: Mentoring is another opportunity for you to build great relationships with individuals from different backgrounds.

Three (3) Ways to Become A Great Mentor.

  1. Good listener: A great mentor should demonstrate active listening skills. Active listening helps you identify issues and find better solutions to the problems your mentee might be facing. Having good listening skills will help you to guide your mentee in the right direction.
  1. Constructive feedback: What better way to help your mentee than giving helpful feedback and actionable suggestions! But remember that there is always a way to deliver criticism without breaking your mentee’s confidence. Educate them, not tear them down. 🤝
  1. Willingness to share knowledge: Great mentors are always willing to share what they know. As a mentor, you understand what it felt like starting your career so this motivates you to pay it forward through mentorship.

Yes! You’ve made it all the way to the end of this article. I’m confident you now know what a mentor is and the advantages of having one!
If you want to be a part of a structured mentorship program designed to help you succeed in your chosen career path in the tech industry, Visit: Techrity Mentorship Program
Thanks for reading!