Gender Equality
The scholarship almost lost over Microsoft Word
Ayamba Ebob Precious started She Leads Tech Africa to equip African women with technology and leadership skills. Its first mentorship programme received more than 400 applications, and she says the organisation has since reached more than 400 women.
A few years ago, Ayamba Ebob Precious was helping a young woman apply for a scholarship. The young woman almost lost the opportunity, not because she was not intelligent or qualified, but because she did not know how to use Microsoft Word.
"That moment stayed with me," Precious says. "It made me realize that many talented young women across Africa are held back by something as basic as a lack of digital skills."
“I may be young, but I refuse to let my age limit the impact I can create.”
Ayamba Ebob Precious
That became She Leads Tech Africa, a youth-led organisation focused on equipping African women with technology, leadership skills and access to opportunities.
The organisation is running its first mentorship programme now, training in graphic design, UI/UX design and web development. It received more than 400 applications, a response that surprised even Precious. "That showed me how great the demand is and how many young women are actively looking for opportunities to learn and grow," she says.
In a few months, she says, She Leads Tech Africa has reached more than 400 women across 13 African countries. She is also a student at the University of Buea, balancing her studies against building the organisation.
What she wants is bigger than a training programme: a support system where African women build the skills, the confidence and the networks to go after opportunities and change things where they live.
"My vision is to build a future where African women have the digital skills, leadership confidence, and support network they need to access opportunities and create change in their communities," she says.
"Even though we're just getting started, the demand is already there."