Seeing is believing. And believing will hopefully inspire African women to take up technology. That’s the wish of Eunice Baguma Ball, the powerhouse behind the African Technology Business Network, a London-based social enterprise aiming to drive innovation-led growth in Africa by fostering global networks.
Eunice recently launched a crowdfunding event called The Founding Women: African Female Tech Founder Stories in London.
A native Ugandan who now lives in London, Eunice’s latest ATBN initiative sees her further supporting female entrepreneurs with #HerFutureAfrica, a project that focuses on empowering African technology entrepreneurs by providing them with training, networks and mentorships.
The event also featured insights from the all-female African tech panel of Desiree Joule-Adam, the founder iProtégé, Grace Olugbodi, the founder of Easy Maths Skills, and Gaelle Matondo, the founder Birds of Afrika.
The funds raised will go to the publishing costs of The Founding Women, a book that will contain interviews of women who are building technology businesses across Africa and the diaspora as well as the next #HerFutureAfrica accelerator programme.
A tech and innovation specialist with 10 years' experience working at the intersection of tech and social enterprise both in the UK and Africa, Eunice explained: “Young African women do not often get to see themselves represented in the tech space. It’s difficult to aspire to what you cannot see. Our goal is to highlight role models to inspire young African women to fulfil their potential as innovators & tech leaders.”
#FoundingWomen Crowdfund from ATBN on Vimeo.
“I've been privileged to spend the past two years doing something I'm really passionate about - working to support African tech entrepreneurs. I believe technology is a powerful tool for driving development in Africa because it is enabling young Africans to create their own solutions and opportunities.”
At the beginning of the year, the inaugural #HerFutureAfrica accelerator programme was held in Accra, Ghana. Thirty-two women were selected from over 470 applicants to attend a two-day business innovation bootcamp.
http://www.herfutureafrica.org/
http://www.africatbn.com/
By Lamese Waterfield, TMTV London contributor
