What really is Africa's biggest problem? That is a tough question, where do you start - HIV AIDS, water-borne diseases, poverty, food security...the list goes on. The irony here is that Africa is possibly the riches continent in terms of natutal mineral deposits and soil fertility. So it begs the question again, what is Africa's biggest problem - well corrupt politicians aside, the biggest problem is lack of engineers.
Now you can call me biased (because I am an engineer) but if you think about every problem that Africa faces, there is engineering solution. What Africa really needs is more of its people to become engineers and work in their countries.
This is why my social innovation is just that – an organization that promotes engineering, and innovation. There is an abundance of smart people out there, and only through education and engineering can we re-engineer Africa to alleviate problems like water-borne diseases, food security, provision of electricity etc.
South African Women in Engineering (SAWomEng), my non-profit organization, focuses on attracting and retaining women into engineering. Why women, why the gender bias you ask? Female engineers globally make up less that 20% of all engineers. They have been an under-utilized resource in the worksforce. If more women were trained as engineers more solutions would likely emerge for a host of development challenges, including water quality and availability, sanitation, and resource efficiency. According to many commentators, growth in the areas of science, engineering and technology could be the catalyst for job creation, social upliftment and economic development. In order to address the massive skill shortages experienced, and simultaneously promote progressive thinking in this arena, it is vital that Africa the number of engineers, and SAWomEng is the vehicle that can create change. Go to
www.sawomeng.org.za to learn more.
The year 2020 dawns – where am I? At headquarters of course. WomEngGlobal is now a developmental agency working with empowering females around the world to study engineering. Students who graduate from the program spend a year-long internship in a province in a developing country working on implementation of water reticulation systems and sustainable energy systems. Together with local municipalities, they not only implement the projects, but they teach the community how to use the systems, and make the community self-sustaining. WomEngGlobal – creating engineering innovation to have long lasting impacts on communities.
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