Serial entreneur Mariéme Jamme, launches #iamtheCODE – an initiative to support young African women in STEM

Senegal’s, Mariéme Jamme, one of Africa’s most influential woman tech entrepreneur launches movement to mobilize governments, businesses and investors to support young women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, and Design (STEM).

Mariéme Jamme, announced the launch of #iamtheCODE, an African-led, global movement to mobilize governments, businesses and investors to support young women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, arts, and design (STEM).

“My heart bleeds every time I read about the 65 million children worldwide who do not have access to education. It is not difficult to predict what the future holds for millions of young girls in Africa who never had the opportunity to go to school – just like me” Jamme said.

“Like those girls, I did not have the chance to attend school. But at 16, I had to teach myself how to read and write, and how to code, with Basic English skills. All over the world, we must do something urgently to empower girls that are facing similar circumstances, and #iamtheCODE will help change the fate of many girls and be an authoritative movement in Africa that will hold governments accountable and support meaningful girls programs to deliver result and create real impact at grassroots level.”

“I am totally determined to correct failures and position #iamtheCODE as the forefront movement to support governments, businesses, investors in STEM so we can end programs that promise meaningful actions with little results. It is our responsibility, moral imperative, obligation and commitment to give these girls the CODE to a better life. They in turn will inspire and empower others in Africa” Jamme added.

#iamtheCODE will help tackle inequality through building their capacity, and enabling them to improve their employability opportunities and become self reliant.

Through its partners, the initiative will provide a comprehensive program that integrates within the ecosystem of organizations working to empower young girls in Africa. The movement aims to reach more than 150,000 girls by 2030, training hundreds of girls per year. It will mobilize undergraduate students, and bring marginalized girls, young women graduates into existing code clubs where they can learn how to code and improve with the best coding courses. It will also offer them digital leadership training and real time mentoring.

The initiative has the methodology and resources to create impact on vulnerable communities. The deliverables will be measured through numbers of young women empowered through STEM, stakeholders engaged and job opportunities created.

To achieve that, #iamtheCODE has solicited the support of a number of renowned advisers and supporters, including:
– Zach Sims, Founder of Codecademy,
– Belinda Parmar Founder of The Empathy Business,
– Ravi Karkara, UN Women’s Senior Advisor,
– Abdulsalam Haykal, CEO of Transtek Systems,
– Ashish Thakkar, Founder of Mara Group,
– Macky Sall, President of Senegal,
– Tony O. Elumelu, Founder of Heirs Holdings & The Tony Elumelu Foundation
– Jean-Philippe Courtois President, Microsoft of International.

About Mariéme Jamme: Mariéme Jamme, a serial entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of Spot One Global solutions, a company that specializes in helping technology companies establish markets in Africa, Europe the Middle East and Asia. She is also the founder of The Africa gathering initiative – a social network that is specifically designed to enable African business experts, entrepreneurs and like-minded individuals to share their expertise and experiences for the purpose of long term sustainability, development and growth.

She builds on her experience at JJiguene Tech Hub (First women in tech Network), which she founded in Senegal. Graduates of this hub became entrepreneurs or consultants for the private sector or the government, improved their employability opportunities and were able to gain computer science training. Some of them are advising African governments and Businesses on STEM policies.

She has personally mentored hundreds of young women technology leaders in the Middle East and Africa, specifically in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda.