The delegation includes six Rwandan women selected last year to take part in the TechWomen exchange program.
These Rwandans joined representatives from across Africa and the Middle East in connecting with mentors from technology firms including Facebook, Juniper Networks, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, LinkedIn, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe L.L.P, Twitter, and Walmart eCommerce.
While in Rwanda, the group will visit and meet with girls in the hopes of sowing interest in theworld’s dynamic technology and science fields.
Delegation members plan to visit Rwandan schools, including Akilah Institute for Women, Gashora Girls Academy, Carnegie Mellon University’s Kigali Campus and the University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology.
Other planned visits include paying respects at the Kigali Memorial Center in Gisozi and connecting with girl-centric development efforts in and around Kigali.
Delegation members will also join more than 150 young Rwandan girls at the inaugural U.S. Embassy Kigali Girls Technology Fair Feb. 5 at the U.S. Embassy in Kacyiru.
This invitation only event will introduce girls from 30 different Rwandan secondary schools to the TechWomen delegation and the Rwandan TechWomen alumnae, giving those girls a chance to hear first-hand how these successful women got their starts and successes in the technology fields.
The trip coincides with a visit from Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Evan Ryan, who will accompany the TechWomen delegation on several programs in the country. Ryan is scheduled also to attend the inaugural U.S. Embassy Kigali Girls Technology Fair Feb. 5. (End)