A tech hub for young women in Mombasa offers entry into the world of IT to girls and young women from all walks of life, whatever their background.

It’s quiet at Pwani Teknowgalz, a tech training centre located in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa.

A handful of young women are engrossed in activities on their laptops.

By rights, Latifa Noor, 25-year-old software developer, should not be here.

”My journey before all this before becoming a software developer, started way back in highschool. A group of women came to our school with a project called STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Maths). That is when I fell in love with technology and even created my first application. It was a prototype app. We went for competitions and became the third team in our school. After school I started working. I didn’t have a lot being brought up by a single parent. I had a lot of challenges going to university and college,” Noor said.

After high school, she had to find work as a sales assistant. She came across Pwani Teknowgalz while looking for ways to pursue her interest in technology. The non-profit works to empower girls and young women in marginalised communities in Kenya by providing them with employable practical STEM skills.

“Since I had finished my computer classes, I had to sit out(side) other people’s classes who were pursuing website development. So I used to stay outside these classrooms and eavesdrop, just to hear what the teacher was talking about. Back then it was Ruth Kaveke and Aisha, the founders. They used to teach website development and Python classes, and it was 10,000 Kenya shillings ($63) per month at that time. I didn’t have that money,” Noor added.

Pwani Teknowgalz, run by founder and Executive Director Ruth Kaveke. Her ultimate goal is to enable the trainees to be self-sufficient and make a positive impact on the digital economy.

Kaveke’s own motivational story can be traced back to being one of only 14 women out of 60 IT students in her class at Technical university of Mombasa. A “harrowing experience as an IT intern in a male-dominated office” further strengthened her resolve to create an environment where women like Noor could be given opportunities in the field of technology.

Kaveke was greatly inspired by Noor’s determination and persistence and decided to sponsor her. The young student became the first Pwani Teknowgalz beneficiary. Thanks to support from Kenyan corporates and other sponsors, Teknowgalz has been able to take on more non-paying participants.

”I pushed myself to get here, and it was so hard, and so painful, you know, listening to what other students are being taught, and I am just outside eavesdropping. I was the first beneficiary at Pwani Techknowgalz back then,” said Noor.

Noor has since returned to the program in the role of mentor, enabling her to instruct attendees in 3D printing, website construction, and digital marketing. PSYCp, her mental health application that supports people with mental health challenges by using pure technology, is still under development – and perhaps best represents her determination.

“After two years, I started my own organisation, it’s a mental health organisation, and I wanted to use purely technology because of so many things that were happening. People who are committing suicide (would) post it on social media, and because I learnt and understood the importance of technology, and how to solve it, that is why I started my organization. But it has not been a walk in the park,” Noor said.

The first physical location of the centre was in Swahili Port, which was offered as a safe space with a community of techies and artists. The organisation has since moved to a new space but despite receiving thousands of applications, it is only able to train 12 to 18 girls at a time, due to capacity constraints. Participants are trained in all aspects of computer technology, including website development.

bird story agency