We recently featured Amanda “Chirpy” Obidike, Founder of STEMi Makers Africa, in our Women in STEAM illustrated Lifeology course.
Amanda’s first reaction was to nominate three other amazing Africans in STEAM to be highlighted, including Anne Chisa, founder of the Root of the Science podcast in South Africa, and Nathasia Muwanigwa and Natasa Lazarevic, Founders of Visibility STEM Africa where they spotlight Africans in STEM.
“These ladies offer a unique sense of collaboration and lifting others,” Amanda says. “They exude a lot of positive energy. One unique thing I have learned from them all is that as young women we can work and trust each other to communicate our ideas without fear. I have not met them in person but they have shown commitment in assisting and sharing opportunities which have been beneficial to STEMi Africa’s community. We are all championing the same cause in preparing Africans in STEAM and I a grateful e-meeting them.”
Amanda, Anne, Nathasia and Natasa inspire us as they work to amplify the voices of young Africans in STEM. Learn more about them below, and contact them if you are interested in collaboration!
“My goal is to tackle youth unemployment, gender digital-gap and poverty by boosting inclusion, innovation and empowering young Africans with real-world problem-solving skills they need to excel in STEMlucrative-pathways.” – Amanda
As the Founder of STEMi Makers Africa, Amanda Obidike has created sustainable and implementable projects in underserved Communities across 17 Sub-Saharan countries, preparing the next generation of Africans with STEM emerging opportunities to become experienced for Africa’s workforce by 2030.
Forbes Science marked her as the Nigerian changing the culture fabric for young Africans especially girls to embrace STEM. In addition to STEM, Amanda addresses topics of Entrepreneurship, Clean Energy, Data Science, and reform in Education Curriculum.
Amanda serves as a Mentor in Cherie Blair Foundation and Global thinkers for Women, where she lends her voice and knowledge, and serves as a role model for girls in West Africa. Recently, she was given the Positive Impact Award of Athena40: The World Most Innovative Women, 2020 and Role Model Finalist in Booking.com Technology Playmakers Awards, for successfully championing diversity for the girl child.
“Amanda Obidike serves as my mentor also at the Cherie Blaire foundation for women,” says Okwuchi Ikpo, who nominated Amanda for our Women in STEAM series. “I’ve learned how to build a business to ensure it is Sustainable and not eat into my capital. I have also learned from her how to persevere in times of conflict or lack. In her words, she says we need to ‘maintain our majesty’.”
Amanda inspires others by everything she does to support girls and women into STEM:
- She mentors young girls and women
- She runs an NGO called STEMi Makers Africa.
- She is also a Data Scientist who was given a Mastery award by the IBM.
- She runs a community library for children in Under-served Communities where she gives them books to read and improve their leadership character.
Amanda also writes poetry in her spare time!
Anne Chisa is an Msc. Agricultural Scientist working in a South African University. She based in South Africa but from Malawi.
“I have a passion for helping people and teaching. As a result I have been a teaching assistant at my university and I also run my own tutoring service called To the T Tutors!”
“I recently founded and host a podcast called The Root of the Science Podcast that seeks to promote Africans all over the world in STEM field. The purpose of the podcast is to highlight Africans who are in STEM fields and give them the opportunity to tell their stories about their research or projects in their own voice. In the process we inform people of the various opportunities available in STEM and inspire people to be a part of these fields.”
Fun fact: Anne also wants to be a voice over artist and loves to de-stress by cooking and baking.
Nathasia is based in Luxembourg but a Zimbabwean. She is a PhD researcher at the Luxembourg Center of Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg. She is neurobiologist and studies the molecular mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease using human stem cell derived organoids. She is also a bibliophile as well as an advocate for STEM.
She founded a platform with Natasa called Visibility STEM Africa where they spotlight Africans in STEM as well as share all around opportunities in STEM. Nathasia is the editor-in-chief and social media expert and Natasa is the tech, design and illustration coordinator. They are both involved in strategy and creating partnerships.
Do you identify as an African in STEM? Inspire the next generation by sharing your story with Visibility STEM Africa.
Natasa is based in Australia but grew up in Botswana. She is a PhD Fellow at the University of Sydney (Faculty of Medicine and Health) where she teaches anatomy and Machine Learning (Digital health and Technology). She is passionate about ehealth, machine learning and technology. Natasa is also a science illustrator!
