CEMASTEA Hosts WAAW Foundation’s 2025 Fellows Summit
The Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) is proudly hosting the 2025 WAAW Foundation Fellows Summit in Karen, Nairobi — a transformative gathering of young women leaders in STEM from across the continent.
🚀 Opening Ceremony: A Commitment to Girls in STEM
During the summit’s opening, Prof. Amb. Julius Bitok, Principal Secretary of the State Department of Basic Education, reaffirmed the Ministry of Education’s dedication to strengthening STEM education through Kenya’s STEM Education Policy and Strategy Framework. He emphasized the importance to nurture critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and problem-solving among learners in alignment with the Competency-Based Education (CBE). “For the girl child, our commitment is even stronger,” Prof. Bitok noted as he highlighted the barriers faced by girls in marginalized regions and celebrated Kenya’s trailblazing women in ICT, health, engineering, and space science.
Prof. Amb. Julius Bitok, Principal Secretary of the State Department of Basic Education, Ministry of Education - Kenya during the opening ceremony of the 2025 WAAW Foundation Fellows Summit at CEMASTEA - Karen, Nairobi - a transformative gathering of young women leaders in STEM from across the continent.
Mrs. Jacinta L. Akatsa, the C.E.O CEMASTEA during the opening ceremony of the 2025 WAAW Foundation Fellows Summit at CEMASTEA - Karen, Nairobi - a transformative gathering of young women leaders in STEM from across the continent.
WAAW Executive Director, Timi Onafeso Too during the opening ceremony of the 2025 WAAW Foundation Fellows Summit at CEMASTEA - Karen, Nairobi - a transformative gathering of young women leaders in STEM from across the continent.
👩🏽🔬 About WAAW Foundation: Two Decades of Impact
The Working to Advance STEM Education for African Women (WAAW) Foundation is a nonprofit organization devoted to empowering African women and girls in STEM. For nearly 20 years, WAAW has built a robust pipeline of women leaders through initiatives such as:
- College to Secondary School Outreach Program
- STEM Teacher Training
- Scholarship Programs
- University STEM Chapters
- Adopt-a-School Program
These programs equip participants with the tools to lead innovation and drive change in their communities.
🌱 Theme: STEM for Sustainable Development
This year’s summit convened under the theme “STEM for Sustainable Development”, bringing together fellows from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, and Kenya. Over the course of the week, participants engaged in:
- Leadership development workshops
- Hands-on STEM sessions
- Strategy meetings
- Collaborative activities
The goal: to empower fellows to return to their campuses and communities with fresh skills, innovative ideas, and strengthened networks — ready to inspire the next generation of girls in STEM.
🤝 Cross-Country Collaboration & Visioning
The summit also served as a vibrant platform for cross-country exchange, enabling young leaders to share experiences, co-create outreach strategies, and explore ways to enhance digital inclusion and leverage technology to solve pressing social challenges.
🎙️ A Launchpad for Sustainable Leadership
Speaking at the summit, WAAW Foundation’s Executive Director Timi Onafeso Too, described the event as: “A launchpad for sustainable leadership.” WAAW’s mission remains steadfast: to invest in women, amplify their voices, and empower them to shape Africa’s future. The Nairobi Summit is a testament to this vision — ensuring young women are not just participants in the global technology revolution, but leaders driving it forward.
Group photo captured during the opening ceremony of the 2025 WAAW Foundation Fellows Summit at CEMASTEA, Karen with Prof. Amb. Julius Bitok, Principal Secretary, State Department of Basic Education, CEO of CEMASTEA, Mrs. Jacinta L. Akatsa and Executive Director of WAAW Foundation, Timi Onafeso Too. This summit marks a transformative convergence of young women leaders in STEM from across Africa, united in their mission to drive innovation and sustainable development.