What is Taungana? Taungana is a movement that empowers rural African high school girls with the opportunity to access and explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Entrepreneurship & Mathematics (STEM). Taungana seeks to create a supportive ecosystem that encourages sustained female student engagement in STEM. We achieve our goals in the following ways: 1. Fellowship Program: A high school fellowship that is initiated by the flagship STEM Expo, a one week multiindustry immersion and entrepreneurship program. Ambassadors (rural high school girls) are supported with a mentor network and with
ongoing outreach events in their communities. 2. Networking platform: An online community for STEM practice and thought leaders that fosters solutions to industry challenges. 3. Business intelligence: Data from rural Africa is analysed to better understand STEM engagement barriers enabling targeted interventions and informing sustainable resource strategies for the movement. What problems do we focus on? Only 1 in every 4 scientists qualified to deal with the key issues of poverty, sanitation and hygiene globally is a woman.
Access to science, technology, engineering, (entrepreneurship) and maths (STEM) education and advancement channels is limited for rural Africa. 63% of sub-Saharan Africa is classified as rural, poverty stricken communities &women are the primary caregivers. Untapped female talent from these geographies is underrepresented in STEM with no opportunity to diversify the pool of scientists needed for sustainable development.
“Sci Bono is a place of science what captivated me more was the mind ball. It made me want to find out more, what else can I do with my body parts (pump water with my heart?)!” Taungana ambassador 2014
Meldance Gora, age 17
What impact have we had so far? 2014: Inaugural STEM Expo with 30 rural high school girls (Ambassadors) in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Ambassadors represented: 3 African countries: South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe.18 provinces. 22 rural communities. 2015: February - First STEM Outreach Event in Tlhona, rural Limpopo, South Africa, reaching 980 learners from 19 high schools.
“Actually, that inspired me to become a Civil Engineer so that I can build the bridges in planet Mars.” Taungana ambassador 2014
Nokwanda Radebe, age 16
We would love to hear from you! Join the movement! Donate: Are you or your organization interested in supporting Taungana to encourage and support more girls to pursue careers in STEM. Please get in touch with us and we can discuss how powerful your support can be. Partner: We are always excited to talk to organizations that may want to partner with us in innovative ways to encourage and support more women to move into STEM careers. Volunteer: Want to join our team? Get in touch!
Sandra sandra@taungana.org +27 820704758 “…the initiative will go a long way in contributing to the development of Africa because it focused on fields which are critical if communities were to attain meaningful advancement.” First Secretary for Education at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa,
Ms Emmerentiana Bweupe
Nomso nomso@taungana.org +27 718729237