Aira – One Child, One Idea At a Time

Aira, Kenya 2025

My experience with the TechGirls program has impacted me in a plethora of ways. If it were not for this program, I’d still be stuck in my little bubble, not knowing how to code with Python or make presentations in advanced softwares. These were skills that I was once oblivious to, but now I am always confidently recognized as the ‘tech guy’ of the group.

The program also opened doors for me to be invited to different platforms to speak about my experience. Among them were Nation TV (Kenya’s second largest TV station), and my school St. Hannah’s Girls High, but the most touching and fulfilling opportunity was sharing my experience with Mama Ngina Children’s home. There, I taught the kids about my TechGirls CAP project using a guidebook I tailored to accommodate the learning speed of the children with simple diagrams and step-by-step instructions explaining how to make water safe for drinking. I fondly remember the first time I shared my guidebook with the children, they were ecstatic, and it became a competition amongst them to have the presentation in their favourite colour. During my visit, I got a chance to teach them handy skills in making presentations, thus exposing them to these vital tools at an early age and allowing them to in turn inspire more girls and even boys to pursue STEM.

All in all, the project was a success and we are planning to expand the scope of our impact to even more girls by publishing a pamphlet as a simple guide in schools in the more needy parts of Kenya to motivate them to be innovative in tackling everyday challenges. The skills I learned through the TechGirls program helped me make these resources–most recently including a presentation for my community outreach group to articulate our ideas to stakeholders to invest in raising funds for a mission in Garissa, which is currently underway.

One can say the TechGirls program was eye-opening for me. Previously, my interest in STEM went as far as my teachers in class, but now it has grown into a yearning to sharpen my skills through researching platforms like Google Notebooks or even attending classes in Coursera. Not only were new tools exposed to me during the program, but in general the experience made the future a tangible reality, a future where I shifted my mindset to always ask what next, how I can improve my skills, or how best can I spread my message to others. One child, one idea at a time.