A mentoring programme has been launched to empower girls by equipping them with skills to enhance their career prospects and entrepreneurship in digital marketplace.
The programme dubbed Spark is part of the Tech Women Festival to be held in March to honor top female digital practitioners, innovators and industry leaders. It is skewed towards innovation and entrepreneurship in technology.
Spark Mentoring Programme targets more than 10,000 girls in 2025 from universities and organized youth groups across all counties. They will be impacted with appropriate skills and knowledge to help them identify the right career, establish tech start-ups and connect with industry practitioners.
Speaking at the launch in Nairobi, Teki CEO and the Festival Director, Mr. Martin Muli, disclosed the climax of the programme will be paring of the Top 25 girls in Digital with the top 25 Women in Digital for support and one-on-one mentorship.
The mentees will also go through a ten-module online program with impactful sessions that include leadership, entrepreneurship, career path, and personal brand building.
“The mentoring programme is a key pillar of the Tech Women Festival which brings several players in the digital ecosystem to celebrate milestones and explore policy gaps in tech industry while connecting with peers. The festival to be held next month will also honour Top 25 women trailblazers in digital,” said Muli.
Safaricom has been running an outreach programmes for tech students in university to introduce them to the needs and trends of the industry as they seek to establish the foundations necessary to enter the world of work.
Safaricom’s Diana Ogeto said the girls will be equipped with skills in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science and Cyber Security to enable them navigate the digital world.
“The curriculum alone cannot enable female tech students to survive in the current work environment and we have partnered with the Teki and other like-minded corporates to foster an ecosystem where young women are not just consumers of technology but also creators, innovators, and leaders,” said Diana.
Microsoft Artificial Intelligence National Skills Director, Winnie Karanu, urged public and corporate institutions to take advantage of the rapid developments in technology and adopt flexible working hours for the GenZs and young women to enable them prosper in their careers.
“For young girls, you need to know your craft, master it well then, focus and always step out of your comfort zones to be able to meet new challenges which come with opportunities for growth,” she urged girls.
