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ETF Wrapped 2023

by | Jan 13, 2024 | 0 comments

2023 was that year! Whew! 

Hello everyone, it’s been a hot minute and we’ve missed you! 

Did you have a great time during the holiday? 

2023 was an amazing year for us at EmpowerHer Tech Foundation. 

We started operating in Cameroon, got a strong team and have since worked on so many fantastic projects. 

We have worked with so many kids in different parts of Cameroon on the Coding for Kids project which is everybody’s favourite project. 

This project helped us see how smart your kids are.

What! 

We were continually shocked at how fast they learned to code and how easy it was for them to build their robotic cars. 

Watching them build traffic lights and all those cool things was the highlight of our year. Absolutely wonderful! 

Since we work mostly with women and children, we completed a lot of fun projects with them in 2023. 

Some of these projects like the Coding for Kids programme are ongoing. 

In this blog post, you’ll see all we did in 2023. 

 

Think of this post as a Spotify Wrapped for 2023 but for EmpowerHer Tech Foundation activities. 

  • Pan African Women’s Day 

This project holds a special place in our hearts. It was our first ever event and it was a huge success. 

There were 360 attendees from 32 countries around the world with 321 of the attendees being women. Giant strides! 

We collaborated with The Center for Research on Democracy and Development in Africa (CEREDDA) to celebrate Pan African Women’s Day on the 31st of July 2023. 

The theme was, “Empowering Women’s Leadership in a Changing Africa: 60 Years After”. 

The key objective of the event was to promote gender equality and advocate for women’s empowerment and leadership development in different countries in Africa.

Did we achieve our objective? Absolutely! 

It was a super interactive event with amazing speakers from across the continent sharing inspiring success stories. 

The participants learned, laughed, asked questions and made plans to work on future projects together. 

Cultural differences made it even better because it helped everyone present to see life from other women’s perspectives. 

We are looking forward to an even bigger and better celebration this year. We can’t wait to see you there! 

 

  • African Civil Registration Status and Vital Statistics Day

The next big thing was the African Civil Registration Status and Vital Statistics Day celebration. 

ETF collaborated with Green Springs Digital University, CEREDDA and the National Office of Civil Registration Status (BUNEC) of Cameroon to celebrate on 10th August 2023. 

The goal of the celebration was to educate the public on the importance of having a birth certificate. 

  • Onboarding program 

Think of an onboarding program as an introduction to an organization. 

ETF hosted a week-long onboarding program for prospective employees. 

It was a wonderful programme with expert speakers who helped to transform the mindset of the youth present. 

The event built their confidence and was an example of the heights we can reach when we work together. 

From deep inspiring sessions to long belly laughs, attendees said the onboarding program went above their expectations. 

A total of 45 people from far and wide were present. 

  • International Day of the Girl Child 

To celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, we hosted a 3-hour virtual conference on October 11. 

The theme was, “Digital Generation, Our Generation”. 

Was it worth the effort? Of course. 

The speakers explored the impact of digital technologies on girls’ education, participation, and future opportunities. 

On the one hand, they discussed how the digital age is bridging the gender gap. 

On the other hand, they explained the impact of cyberbullying on girls and how parents can work to keep girls safe.

Knowing it takes a village to raise a child, parents here mean every one of us. 

We have to collectively be kinder. 

Try not to type hurtful paragraphs under people’s posts. 

Listen to the concerns of girls who complain about cyberbullying. 

Above all, register them for the Coding for Kids program which will make them tech savvy and keep them safe from cyberattacks. 

  • Training Workshop on Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity Basics, Parental Control, and Child Online Safety of Staff at the Directorate General of Budget, Ministry of Finance (MINFI)

The objective of this training was to raise awareness of cybersecurity basics and teach MINFI staff parental control and online safety. 

The cybersecurity experts highlighted key aspects of cybersecurity and protective measures for individuals and organizations. 

At the end of the training, the trainees shared how they had begun to implement what they learned during the various sessions.

  • National Guidance and Counseling Day

EmpowerHer Tech Foundation collaborated with Green Springs Digital University to celebrate National Guidance and Counseling Day in 2023. 

The team visited Lycée Bilingue d’Ekorozok where 209 students showed up for the sessions. 73 students were boys while 136 were girls. 

The theme was, “Students and their socio-professional careers at the heart of the Ministry of Secondary Education’s priorities”. 

Following the theme, the ETF team educated the students about the sea of career opportunities available to them. 

Most of them were completely surprised when they found out they could become cybersecurity experts, network engineers or even sports educators. 

They can kick-start their tech careers through the Coding for Kids program which holds every Saturday in different locations in Cameroon. 

The team also talked briefly to the teachers and counsellors about how to use parental control and cybersecurity knowledge to avoid cyber attacks. 

 

  • Kickworldwide 

ETF signed a memorable partnership with Green Springs Digital University and Kickworldwide in an event on the 8th of November 2023. 

The objective of the partnership is to train Cameroonian kids and youths in various areas of sports education such as sports photography, professional football and coaching. 

The event at the British High Commissioner’s residence was the grand finale of days of training 50 Cameroonian coaches, working with over 100 kids on the pitch and educating them on the possibilities in sports. 

 

  • Media appearances 

The Kickworldwide event was such a huge success that it made the front page of The Guardian Post, L’Elite, Municipal Updates, and Le Quotidien which are trusted newspapers in Cameroon. 

It also gave the foundation credibility in the eyes of the public.

The fame has done much good as individuals and organizations continue to reach out to us for possible partnerships on future projects. 

  • Farm project 

As part of the 1 billion tree initiative, ETF collaborated with GDSU to organize a farm project in September 2023.

You might have noticed that ETF has done quite some work with GDSU. 

Oh, well, that’s because we share similar values in advancing our continent through technology. 

Back to the farm project…

It was an interesting time with lessons about the environment and an actual planting session. 

The children and adults planted trees and learned how to care for them. 

 

  •  Coding for Kids 

Shall we say we saved the best for last? 

You tell us.

The Coding for Kids project is our longest-running and most impactful project so far. 

The goal of the project is to teach kids between 5 to 18 years coding. 

They learn programming languages such as Scratch Jr, Java and HTML. 

Experienced teachers teach the kids how to set up robotic cars, drones and electric houses using Arduino.

So far, the program has been a huge success. 

We have held sessions in Yaoundé, Douala, and even in crisis areas like Limbe, Buea, Santa and Ebolowa. 

The best part about this programme is that it’s ongoing. 

Conclusion 

2023 was a blast! 

However, it was only the beginning. 

In 2024, everything is bigger and better. 

There are many more projects to educate kids, empower youths and help people in crisis regions take control of their finances.

We will run more cybersecurity training, guide your kids through Coding for Kids and work to improve the mindsets of different people. 

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