More science stories. More women in science.

January is all about fresh beginnings and new year resolutions. After a year unlike any other, we at Mawazo can definitely promise you two things in 2021; more stories about research and science from the continent, and more programmes supporting African women in the sciences.

With the support of the Open Society Initiative for East Africa, we are excited to launch a new public engagement series covering the latest African-led research and innovation tackling emerging issues in education, climate change, economic policy, COVID-19 and health systems, technology, and more. You can expect new podcast episodes, digests, blogs, articles, media campaigns, and events on the topics you care about, as well as a roster of the region’s most innovative thinkers, makers, activists, and policy wonks sharing their ideas for transformative change. If you think this could be you, or you know someone who should be featured in the series, we invite you to reach us at contact@mawazoinstitute.org.

This year, the Mawazo Learning Exchange (MLEx) will also welcome its first cohort of MLEx Fellows who will take part in a one-year fellowship programme offering training, mentorship and networking opportunities. The Mawazo Learning Exchange is a new kind of online learning community built with empathy and flexibility in mind, to support Africa’s next generation of female researchers.

This year’s MLEx Fellows (43 in total) are drawn from eight African countries, and represent a range of research fields and diversity in innovation. We can’t wait for you to meet our 2021 MLEx Fellows!

Support the MLEx Fellowship Programme with a Donation

Meet Dr. Fiona Moejes; Director of Programmes

Dr. Fiona Wanjiku Moejes joined the Mawazo team in January as the first ever Director of Programmes. In her new role, Fiona will oversee Mawazo’s diverse programme portfolio and lead in the development, management, strategy, and growth of Mawazo’s core programmes. Click here to learn more about Team Mawazo’s newest addition.

Could it be You We’re Looking For?
Call for Nominations: African Women in Science E-Book
(Deadline: Feb 5th, 2021)

Mawazo is seeking nominees for an upcoming e -book profiling African women who are using science to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Who we are looking for:

Exceptional female African researchers, practitioners, innovators, educators, tinkerers and makers of all stripes
Women who are helping the public and decision-makers navigate current crises
Women working on research into the virus and its vaccines, as well as those engineering policy solutions that help mitigate the socio-economic and political effects of the pandemic
and much more.

Call for Nominations: African Women in Science E-Book

The Exchange; A Virtual Networking Event for Young Women in STEM

In December 2020, Mawazo hosted an event for bachelor’s and master’s degree-level academics. The virtual networking event, organised by Mawazo Intern Grace Njoroge, responded to a growing demand for support from young scientists at the pre-PhD level.

Mawazo invited twenty-three young women, currently enrolled in, or recently graduated with science degrees, to receive mentorship. In small-group sessions, eight seasoned female scientists offered guidance on career development and a glimpse into the career journeys of local, Kenyan scientists. We believe that networking events like this are important for strengthening mentorship ties within the local ecosystem, which can useful in closing the gender gap in the sciences.

We share some of Mawazo's current favourite reads (videos, and podcasts), including selections from our Blog and News page:

The energy Africa needs to develop — and fight climate change

With over 1 million views, from the TED Countdown stage, CEO Dr. Rose M. Mutiso delivers a an engaging talk on Africa’s energy needs in the age of climate change.

“In addition to taking their energy abundance for granted, the wealthy take something else for granted that everyone should fight climate change exactly the same way. Tackling climate change will require an accelerated transition to low-carbon energy sources. And yet, emissions continue to climb year after year, threatening to blow our tight carbon budget.” - Dr. Rose M. Mutiso

Rare Diseases in Kenya

A three-part blog series by Grace Njoroge, Mawazo Intern and recent Genomic Science graduate, with an interest in promoting genetic literacy on Rare Diseases in Africa. The series also features an interview with Dr. Mendi Muthinja, chair of HD-Africa, a non-profit advocating for Huntington’s disease research within Africa.

“Research drives knowledge, and unfortunately, it is missing for Rare Diseases. We cannot understand what we do not study. We can rely on knowledge generated in other parts of the world; however, we always have to contextualize it to our population, its challenges, and needs.” - Dr. Mendi Muthinja

How one engineer is challenging the lack of representation in her industry

Meet Martha Wakoli, Kenyan engineer and founder of Queengineers, an online publication celebrating Kenyan women in engineering and pushing for more inclusion in the sector.

“You can go to work and find there aren’t toilets for you, you have not been considered in any of this, or you can enter a meeting with a male technician and he is the one who is addressed as though he is in charge. The work-world is definitely less accommodating.” - Martha Wakoli

Donate to Mawazo

Update Preferences | Unsubscribe