Emerging Cameroonian women leaders on US mentorship trip

Some five Cameroon participants in the TechWomen program sponsored by the American people through the U.S. Department of State were this week welcomed by the U.S.

Some five Cameroon participants in the TechWomen program sponsored by the American people through the U.S. Department of State were this week welcomed by the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer in Cameroon Roberto Quiroz II, Cultural Affairs Specialist Gladys Shang Viban, and Cultural Affairs Assistant Olivia Mukam for a pre-departure orientation session.

The participants will spend five weeks in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay area, where they will engage in project-based mentorships at leading companies headquartered in the region.

These include Semantec, Twitter, Santa Clara University, and Oracle Solaris. The program will provide professional development workshops and networking events; and include a visit to Washington, D.C. for targeted meetings and special events.

Cultural Affairs Specialist Gladys Shang Viban encouraged the young women to put their best foot forward, to explore new avenues and bring back to Cameroon lessons learned. This is Cameroon second batch of women in this prestigious program.

The TechWomen program brings emerging women leaders from Africa and the Middle East together with their professional counterparts in the United States for a mentorship and exchange program to empower, connect, and support the next generation of women leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton first announced the TechWomen initiative on April 28, 2010 during President Obama’s Entrepreneurship Summit.

In June 2011, TechWomen launched with 37 participants from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and the Palestinian Territories. In 2012, the program expanded to include women from Tunisia and Yemen.

In 2013, the cohort doubled in size with the addition of women from Cameroon, Kenya, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.