100 Women, 1 Goal: She Code Africa Academy Takes Off!

It’s official! The She Code Africa (SCA) Academy Program has launched its inaugural cohort! Sponsored by FedEx, we onboarded 100 African women on the 1st of April, 2024 with 1 goal — to empower them with relevant technical skills through comprehensive education and mentorship.

In today’s world, where digital skills are a passport to life-changing opportunities, SCA commits to helping women gain the technical competence they need to maximise these opportunities.

The onboarding event marked the start of the journey for the selected 100 African women. The event was not just for introductions and instructions. It was a space for them to connect, share their stories, and build a strong foundation of support as they embark on their journeys to learn.

A screenshot of the attendees during the onboarding event

Joining the participants were the facilitators and a special guest from FedEx — Natasha Parmanand, Managing Director of Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa — who delivered a speech, emphasising FedEx’s commitment to empowering women in tech.

Why the Academy Program?

Despite making up nearly half the global workforce, women are vastly outnumbered in STEM. The representation of women in tech is less than 3 in 10 people, dipping even lower for African women. This gap persists for many reasons, especially limited access to training and opportunities in STEM fields.

In 2023, the Founder of She Code Africa, Ada Nduka Oyom, announced the organisation’s commitment to reach 100,000 women and girls by 2030 at the annual SCA summit. At the time, the organisation had already reached over 40,000 women through various initiatives, including training programs, scholarships, meetups, and other initiatives. The academy program is one more step in this direction.

An image of Ada Nduka Oyom (SCA Founder) making the #SCA100kby2030 announcement.

About the SCA Academy Program

The She Code Africa Academy Program is a 12-week intensive learning experience meticulously designed to equip participants with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to succeed in the tech ecosystem.

Through training in Frontend Development, Backend Development, Product Design, and Product Management, participants receive technical tutoring, career mentoring, and access to resources to accelerate their careers in tech.

Following announcements in the media, we kicked off our application stage, which ran from February 26, 2024, through March 8, 2024. After carefully reviewing over 1700 applications from across the continent, we selected the top 100 candidates who will be participating in this program. The selection process was guided by the following criteria:

1. Gender, Citizenship, and Location: Applicants must identify as women or girls from African countries living on the continent.
2. Age Range: Applicants must fall within the age range of 18–45 years old.
3. Skill Level: Preference was given to applicants who are beginners or novices in their chosen tech tracks, to ensure equal opportunities for all participants and true impact.
4. Membership: Candidates must be members of the She Code Africa Community.
5. Proof of Learning: Applicants must demonstrate learning efforts in their chosen tech field.
6. Commitment: Candidates must commit to the entire 12-week course duration and be available for monthly check-in calls.
7. Possession of Learning Materials: Participants are required to possess a working laptop and maintain consistent internet connectivity throughout the program’s duration.

The rigorous selection process was put in place to ensure that only those who would truly benefit from and commit to the program were selected. Our selected participants hail from diverse corners of the continent, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Uganda, Namibia, and Egypt. Congratulations to everyone who made it through!

Meet the Facilitators

To ensure an exceptional learning experience and empower participants with the most relevant knowledge, we’ve assembled a team of experienced facilitators.

Snapshots of our facilitators

• Elizabeth Meshioye is a Web developer at Workshop Orange. She takes the helm as the facilitator for the Frontend Development learning track.
• Chidinma Ukaegbu is a Product Designer at MyCover.ai and guides the participants through the Product Design learning track.
• Mitchelle Adamu is a Product Manager at SeamlessHR and leads the Product Management learning track.
• Simi Oluwatomi is the Technical Lead and Backend Developer at Brass, He brings his expertise to the Backend Development learning track.

At the onboarding event, Natasha and Ada emphasised the program’s rigorous nature, encouraging participants to remain dedicated, seek assistance, and be intentional about meeting the graduation criteria.

The program will last for 11 more weeks, and during this time, each participant will engage in 60+ hours of learning, complete 10+ hands-on assignments, and take two major assessments. They will also write an article and complete a final project. Throughout the program, the team and facilitators will provide support.

We’re excited to follow these amazing women and girls on their tech journeys!

Stay updated on their progress and learn more about She Code Africa’s initiatives via our social media pages on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, or our blog.

You can also be a part of empowering the next generation of women tech leaders by donating to She Code Africa. Visit our website at www.shecodeafrica.org to learn more and contribute.