3D Printing. Girls. Africa
The Youth for Technology Foundation (YTF) received confirmation in December of a grant from Women Enhancing Technology (WeTech), in partnership with Google, for 3D Africa. With this funding, YTF will operate a prototyping and engineering space with 3D printing technologies to ignite a passion for STEM in Nigerian girls. 3D Africa combines programming and entrepreneurship; empowering girls as problem solvers and inventors, helping to solve the STEM gender gap in Africa. “We believe youth are future inventors and should be equipped with the tool that will allow them to tinker, create and imagine the future as they want to see it,” said Njideka Harry, CEO and founder of YTF. “At YTF, we want to inspire a generation of curios doers. This starts with young people, and it starts with girls. We are grateful for WeTech’s support to help us provide invention and entrepreneurship education in Africa utilizing 3D printing technologies.” Grant sponsors explain organizations were chosen “for their inspiring work to involve more women and girls in computer science-related opportunities.” The 3D Africa program will help girls learn and thrive, as mathematics and engineering must be applied in order to create the 3D designs (jewelry, art, small parts) that will be printed and marketed/sold for income. The technology is realized through the science, engineering, and mathematics that encompass the entire design and production process. Read more about this work via our 3D Africa Indiegogo campaign.
