Celebrating Girls in STEM: Success of Our Girls Coding Club

One year ago, we launched our Girls Coding Club with a simple mission: to create a supportive environment where girls could explore coding, robotics, and technology free from stereotypes and barriers. Today, we're proud to celebrate the remarkable achievements of this initiative and the talented young women who are part of it.

What began with 15 participants has grown to over 100 girls from 25 schools across Kampala. The club meets weekly for coding sessions, workshops, and mentorship from women in technology fields.

The impact has been significant:

• Club members have developed 12 mobile apps addressing local challenges, from health education to market price tracking
• Our team won first place in the national Girls in ICT competition
• Three members received scholarships to attend the African Girls Can Code Initiative in Rwanda
• 90% of participants report increased confidence in their technical abilities
• 85% now express interest in pursuing STEM careers, compared to 30% before joining the club

"Before joining the Girls Coding Club, I thought programming was only for boys," says Patricia, age 16. "Now I know I can be just as good at coding, and I'm planning to study computer science at university."

The success of the club highlights the importance of creating inclusive spaces where girls can develop their technical skills without facing gender stereotypes or biases. By providing role models, peer support, and hands-on learning opportunities, we're helping to close the gender gap in STEM education and careers.

We're excited to expand the Girls Coding Club to more schools in the coming year and to launch similar initiatives in other regions of Uganda. Our goal is to reach 500 girls by the end of 2023.

Special thanks to our partners and mentors who have supported this initiative and to the remarkable young women who continue to inspire us with their creativity, determination, and brilliance.