Send 150 Girls to STEM Camp in Nigeria

Dear friends,

2017 started off with a bang and the W.TEC team have been busy working on numerous projects - including our afterschool technology club for girls (the W.TEC Academy), entrepreneurship and technology programme for university students (SHE CAN WITH ICT), the Beyond Access project (which empowers librarians to use modern techniques and technology to better meet the information needs of their communities), and Safer Internet Day (where we partnered with Facebook on a fun day of learning about ways to stay safe online).

Preparations for the 2017 edition of the Girls Technology Camp is in full gear. We have been working with our partners and potential partners to make sure that this year's camps are exciting, engaging and impactful for the girls who attend. Specifically, we are:

• Revising the curriculum
• Identifying excursion venues
• Starting the pre-camp publicity

This will be the first year we organise editions of the camp outside of Lagos and we can't wait to meet the girls whose lives will be changed from attending the camp.

Data collected from 2008 to 2015 camp alumnae in 2016 indicate that:

o   76% of the girls developed stronger technology skills and more confidence as a result of attending the W.TEC Camp

o   The camp helped to clarify their future career plans for 53.3% of the girls

o   36% of the camp alumna decided to pursue technology and computer science related degrees and careers as a direct result of attending the camp and the exposure to technology it afforded them

o   34.6% of the girls were equipped with technology skills that they were using to generate an income for themselves

Thanks to your incredible support, we have now raised $23,848 towards the camps. Any more funds that we raise will help us do more at the camps and offer scholarships to more girls.

With warm regards,

Ore Lesi

Below is a testimonial from one of the parents of our 2013 camp alumnae. She shared how, following her programme at the camp, her daughter built a website for her organisation and managed it on her behalf. We look forward to more such inspiring stories.

Dear friends,

Thank you for your support for W.TEC in 2016. This year, our camp hosted 35 girls. Some success stories shared this year by our camp alumnae include:

Sophiyat (2014 camp alumnae): After attending the 2014 W.TEC Girls Technology Camp, Sophiyat volunteered as an assistant facilitator in the 2015 and 2016 camps. In 2016, she gained admission to study Computer Science at Lagos State University.

Temitope (2015 camp alumnae): Temitope graduated top of the 2015 W.TEC Camp. She returned to this year’s camp to share her experiences of being one of a handful of women in her first year Computer Engineering university class and how she ended the year as one of the best students.

Feedback has shown that 76% of our camp alumnae developed stronger technology skills and more confidence as a result of attending the camp. Therefore, we look forward to providing opportunities for 100+ girls attend the 2017 editions.

Thanks to you all, we have raised $ 5,225 so far towards next year’s Girls Technology Camp.

Our other 2016 highlights include:

• Our afterschool technology club – the W.TEC Academy – reached over 220 girls in 20 public secondary schools in Lagos
• Provided technology training for 36 librarians to support the evolution of Nigerian public libraries into modern information hubs and safe spaces where girls can access technology
• In all, W.TEC’s programmes reached 4,261 girls, women and teachers

We wish you all a wonderful Christmas and holiday season and look forward to reconnecting in 2017.

Warm regards,

Ore Lesi