Empowering Girls in STEM
As the world marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11 , it is essential for us to encourage young girls to explore STEM in school so that they can participate in the growth and development of scientific knowledge, innovation, and societal progress.
STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
In Kenya, women’s contributions in STEM are becoming increasingly visible. I will be l highlighting some of the women who are role models for our future generations.
Wangari Maathai
Wangari Maathai was a Kenyan scientist and environmentalist. She was a first in many areas of her career notably ;
The first woman in East Africa to earn a doctorate in veterinary medicine and taught veterinary anatomy at the University of Nairobi.
She was also the first female scholar from East and Central Africa to take a doctorate (in biology).
The first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Laura Mugeha
Laura is a Geospatial engineer working in the intersection of open technology, open data, and development.
Her key focus is on using open data and technology to steer development agendas in communities.
She strongly advocates for women in STEM and works with different organizations pushing for diversity and inclusion within the various tech and engineering communities.
Maurine Chepkoech
Maurine is a telecommunication and Information Engineer.
She is a cybersecurity researcher and passionate about mentoring young individuals to pursue their dream careers and digital safety.
She was the only Kenyan selected as a Google Women Tech-Makers scholar 2018 due to her outstanding academic performance, acts of leadership and community service.
In 2020,she was selected as a Mozilla Open leader where she works to train and mentor on digital safety.
Wangari Muchiri
Wangari is a Renewable Energy Engineer and Sustainability Consultant.
She is a visionary Renewable Energy Engineer leading initiatives to advance wind power across Africa.
Wangari Muchiri is a Board Member of the Kenya Green Building society, which has been instrumental in advancing the green building movement in Kenya.
Our kids book club encourages girls to explore science in the following ways:
- Providing a wide range of books on STEM subjects in our library to facilitate research and learning.
- We source for books that spark their interest in STEM fields.
- Our holiday program includes STEM projects that help them participate in the STEM disciplines.
Makena Rose