MEDO Magazine

The Empowerment Edition

Women in STEM Africa!

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SPACE

Join MEDO’s historic Space Programme focused on Young Women in STEM that will see the launch of Africa’s first private satellite into orbit in 2016.

Space Prep: One-day electronics workshops that happen once a month in Cape Town.

Space Trek: One-week workshop bootcamp that will experiment with satellite payloads.

Space Launch: The final group of young women will design and programme the payload for the satellite ready to be launched. #MEDOSpace Got to www.medo.space to learn more.

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Content MEDO Magazine 2016

Cover Stories P6

Women in STEM Africa!

P12

Space Trek Success

P16

Empowerment through STEM

Features P5

Media Buzz

P10

Meet our Space Graduates

P20

Building the economy through Space

P26

Powerful words by Councillor Xanthea Limberg

P30

MEDO photo diary

P34

How to get involved

Empowerment through STEM: Let’s build robots! | P16

Editorials P16

Judi Sandrock: Why buy a satellite?

P24

Peter Burdin: Taking on Trafalgar!

P30

Azola Qhina: Being mobile, skills on the move.

Publisher: MEDO

Being Mobile: rolling out the wheels of knowledge | P30

Editor: Carla de Klerk Photographer: Karl Schoemaker, Work at Play Photography & Design Contributors: Judi Sandrock, Peter Burdin, Azola Qhina Printer: CTP Printers. Tel: +27 +21 929 6200 www.medo.co.za

@MEDOnews MEDOcentre MEDOcentre Tel: +27 010 500 5000 Become involved with MEDO’s Space Programme! | P34

P. O. Box 2331 Houghton, 2041 South Africa Copyright 2016

MEDO 3

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EDITORIAL

From the Space Programme manager

Carla de Klerk

EDITORIAL

Let’s talk STEM empowerment The future of the world, much less South Africa is becoming STEM focused. So the fact of the matter is that should we not evolve with the times and continue to produce less and less engineers, designers and technicians, we are going to exclude ourselves from the global economy. The beauty of most STEM fields is that it is not reliant on nature or natural resources, it is, however, reliant on innovation. If you look at the current problem South Africa faces with draughts and extreme heat, to a farmer, it means devastation; where an engineer or scientist looks at the problem with the goal of finding a solution. Just look at the latest news in space exploration, NASA has started growing vegetables in space and is looking to harvesting natural resources from the moon. We need to start looking further than the problems at hand, and for that we need the a youth with a problem-solving mindset.

That is all very well and wonderful to say, however; currently the odds are stacked against Africa to use this economic evolution to our advantage.

Africa as a continent have launched but a handful of satellites with South Africa towering with a record of three successful

launches into orbit.

When we look at statistics where only 10% of the most recent high school graduates passed maths and science with university exemption and every year less and less students even choose to pursue maths and science each year, we are faced with a sobering problem.

As a continent we have a STEM problem across genders, however only 7% of all STEM related careers are currently held by women. If we continue the path we are on, not only will we have a small pool of changemakers but all of those will be male.

This is why we run a women in STEM programme. We need to start somewhere, and we need to fight for young innovators and scientists. STEM will control the new global economy. It represents the art of innovation and solutions and as a continent we need to jump on that train.

Read through this special edition of a STEM focused MEDO magazine to learn more about the work we’ve been doing, and the exciting things we will be doing this year.

We chose to enforce change with a space programme. Let’s aim high and reach for the stars!

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ime t t x ne Till

MEDO (the Meta Economic Development Agency) has been involved with Economic Development of all spheres since 2011. All our projects follow our motto: Building the Economy one job at a time. In this endeavour, we have worked with entrepreneurs ready to engage in international trade, those wanting to supply to corporates and even persons merely looking for advise to start a business.

Our newest programme, a Young Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) programme was launched in 2015 after we became the first private entity to acquire a satellite and launch in Africa. We focus on developing the technical skills and innovative mindsets of young women between grades 9-11 to encourage them to pursue STEM subjects and careers.

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WOMEN IN STEM

FEATURE

MEDO NEWS

Media Buzz

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In the area of access there is an innovative initiative to launch noncommercial satellites into space with the help of school girls that is being pioneered by MEDO in Cape Town, South Africa. This inspiring initiative and others like it will go a long way towards renewing interest in STEM training among teenage school girls: literally helping them understand that the sky is the limit.

What the leading world media is saying:

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These girls never imagined that before finishing high school they would be launching sub orbital satellites into space. This project changed their lives and that feat is made possible thanks to MEDO. -El Pais, 2016 (Spain)

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Satellite shows sky is no limit for South African women in science.

-Times Live, 2016 (South Africa)

-CNBC Africa, 2016 (Africa)

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A local space programme aimed at encouraging young women to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) will culminate with the launch of the first privately owned satellite from Africa.

-Business Day Live, 2016 (South Africa)

Space Trek programme focused on “ The getting more women involved in the sciences

is an admirabe cause in itself. We support any initiative that assists both men and women particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds with opportunities to develop knowledge of critical skills desperately sought by employers.

-DA.org, 2016 (South Africa)

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The MEDO programme has been designed to inspire young women to consider science, technology, engineering, and maths as a career.

These careers represent eight of the top 10 occupations in demand in the country.

-SABC News, 2015 (South Africa)

DID YOU KNOW? Between the period of January to March 2016, MEDO reached a total of R3 232 216,00 in Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) with regards to PR value.

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Lift off! Africa’s first ever private satellite is to be launched in mid 2016. What makes this exciting story all the more extraordinary, is that it is South African schoolgirls who are helping to construct the payload for the satellite.

-The South African, 2016 (United Kingdom)

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Women In STEM for Africa

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MEDO has become the first private company in Africa to attain a satellite and launch. We also have goals of sending a satellite up each year until 2020. Currently South Africa has a total of only 3 satellites that have been sent into orbit, so we are not only pushing the boundaries of firsts, we are effectively pushing the country’s space development culture. This does not come easy, however and over the past year we have encountered many challenges, which can only mean finding more solutions.

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hy do we focus specifically on Young Women in STEM? In 2014 only 9% of school leavers chose to pursue STEM subjects after school. In the 2015 matric examinations only 10% of matriculants passed Maths and Science with university exemption, where only 23% of matriculants passed Maths with more than 30%. It is predicted that by 2020 80% of all careers will be STEM related.

It is a fact, we are moving into a technological era. More and more our lives become dependent on technology, smart phones and apps. The global economy is moving away from traditional economic impactors such as “the farmer” or “the miner”. We are now looking at innovative solutions, how can we overcome water and food security challenges. NASA is experimenting with growing lettuce and tomatoes in space, and there are even talks of starting to mine the moon and even comets to stop wasting our own precious and dwindling supplies of minerals. The future is definitely exciting. We are, however, faced with an alarming gap as there are less than 10% young women interested in STEM subjects, which translates directly back into the workforce as only 7% of STEM careers in South Africa are held by women.

Although there is a STEM problem across all genders, we need to start somewhere and we need to take a stand to ensure that we as a country and continent aren’t left behind in the global economy.

This is why we have developed a programme to inspire young women into STEM by literally having them reach for the stars. We have a huge chasm to cross, so we need a very compelling project, one that is awe inspiring. In the last three years small format satellites have come into their own as a means to collect data of our planet quickly, cheaply and effectively. Our beneficiaries, the young women, will have an active hand in sending up the first private African satellites by designing its payloads, where university graduates will build it. We plan on launching the first of these satellites in the second quarter of 2016.

Talking about results and goals, we want to empower young women with a passion and excitement for STEM subjects. We want to send these young women back to their schools as STEM ambassadors, hopefully affecting the students around them with their infectious excitement for these subjects. Nwabisa Sitole, Space Trek graduate and future electrical engineer commented, “I feel inspired, I never imagined myself doing these kinds of things, a girl from a township doing these big and amazing things learning from world renowned astronomers. Words cannot describe how powerful I feel right now.” Sometimes big things start with something as little as a confidence boost, which in the long run will enable young women to follow stereotypically “hard” and “male dominated” fields.

The MEDO Space Programme is put together in three phases.

The first phase of the Space Programme is Space Prep. These are one day workshops delivered at local high schools. Young women grades 9-11 are introduced to satellite concepts and taught the basics of electronics by building a jiggybot, essentially a small robot. We do this through our mobile learning centre, a truck sponsored by ISUZU Trucks which is kitted out to facilitate a workshop of 16 young women.

The second phase of the Space Programme is Space Trek.

Space Trek is a one week intensive bootcamp during which 20-30 young women design the experiments they’d like MEDOsat to perform, as well as build and launch their own small satellite a CricketSat which they launch with high altitude weather balloons. The bootcamp is theory focused and practical driven.

Then for the third phase we will be working with Space Trek graduates and space science university students to start designing and implementing the payloads for the MEDO satellites. This gives the women practical experience at university level and also sets up a programme for them to work towards when they themselves become university graduates.

With our partnership with the renowned Morehead Space Science Centre in Kentucky, USA’s Dr Benjamin Malphrus and Space Trek Director, Jennifer Carter, we have been fortunate to have been given access to their tried and tested methods and intellectual property from their experience from running Space Trek USA successfully for the past 5 years. For the first Space Trek workshop in January 2016, both Dr Malphrus and Ms Carter were present to walk us through the process to ensure a successful bootcamp. Being the only company granted permission to use the Space Trek concept worldwide, we are in fact implementing one of the most successful and prestigious programmes in Africa, which is a true honour.

In terms of finding participants, schools have actually been extremely helpful. We are at a fortunate position that we are working with schools to inspire rather than acting as competition to educate.

Currently we facilitate 45 Space Prep workshops per year on Saturdays, impacting a potential 700 young women. Last year between June and November, we reached 120 individuals, this year we are looking at 2000 with the help of local universities by training and sending out graduate students to facilitate workshops. For Space Trek, we plan to host 6 bootcamps a year, reaching 180 individuals annually.

We are working towards impacting as many individuals across Africa as possible. We are currently forging partnerships with universities across the continent and looking to roll out as far and wide possible as we can only affect change by enabling the masses.

Walking away from the workshops and bootcamps we have run to date, most of the participants decide to follow STEM related degrees after high school. More than that, however, these students go back to school with an energy and vigour for their subjects having goals for the future. We are also following these women with an immense interest to see where they will end up. In the long run, we want to produce engineers, in the short run, however, we need to up our matric passing rate to start setting the youth up for success, regardless of the fields they pursue.

There is a lot of work to be done in both Africa and South Africa especially when it seems the statistics are squared against us. Our aim for the year is to impact as many individuals as possible so that we can affect a generation of passionate young minds to contribute to the economy not only with skills, but with solutions. We are definitely up to that challenge, this is our private sector solution.

This article was originally published for the World Economic Forum Agenda Blog.

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“ We bought the First Private Satellite in Africa. Why?

MEDO has bought the first privately owned satellite in Africa with plans to buy one a year until 2020 and is even looking to perform the first launch from African soil.

MEDO CEO Judi Sandrock explains the exciting project: we’ve got great engineers in 10 years time who can become Why are we doing this? market leaders. Nowadays it’s not someone with a spanner who’s “Why have we bought Africa’s first privately owned satellite, putting together a truck, it’s robots, with people who monitor and apart from what I believe to be very cool? Well, what we do is programme it. We need to go up the value chain, and that is why development. We are MEDO, the Meta Economic Development we are focusing on Women in STEM, and why we are focusing on Organisation. Whether we do socio-economic development people who haven’t entered the workplace yet. or international trade programmes, we aim to empower small A STEM problem? businesses through knowledge management. So if we do “At MEDO we don’t like looking into something as a problem, economic development, why are we bothering with STEM but rather in terms of solutions. But the thing is, South Africa (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)? Well, what we does have a challenge because only 7.6% of pupils passed have found is that when people need assistance in building their Maths with more than 60% and only 5.5% passed Science with businesses, they need it most early on. What we have found more than 60%. This means that unless through research, as well as our own you are in those very low percentiles, you programmes including our start-up It is predicted that 80% of all future can’t get into a technikon or university. We focused programme on foundation blame the government, the education business skills, is that we need to start jobs are STEM related, with almost can’t system or teachers, what we need to do is assistance a lot earlier than the startup phase. We need to start earlier double the pay of non-STEM related actually find a solution, and this is a private sector solution. What the programme and because we find a lot of businesses just don’t have the right technical skills careers. So what we are trying to do the satellite is all about, is to inspire so that and this can refer to either employer is to give these young women the we have more people doing well in Science and Maths at school not only to become or employee. So the problem we best chance out there. engineers, but teachers and a whole array are facing on the one hand, is the of other professions. It is predicted that 80% need to manufacture more, but then of all future jobs are STEM related, with almost double the pay of again we don’t have the people to track those dots as we don’t non-STEM related careers. So what we are trying to do is to give have the small business owners who have the technical ability these young women the best chance out there. to build those manufacturing plants to start those manufacturing So we are doing all of this with the Satellite? businesses. So that is exactly what we are doing here with “We need to emphasise that this is a long-term project, this MEDO, it’s about what we are doing pre-matric so that in five one satellite is most definitely not just another flash in the pan. years’ time we’ve got people who are starting businesses and If you look at the programme, we have three stages, Space being employed by these businesses that have been started.

Prep is the first of those which is all about electronics and How are we doing this? learning to put electronics together by building small jiggybot “We work closely with our partner of this project, ISUZU robots. Stage one is to get the interest going and we will host Trucks South Africa who are extremely passionate about the these workshops at least four times a month. The next step is programme. It started around the issue that they are struggling Space Trek, a week-long bootcamp where we will take a group to find Maths and Science interns who further may become of young women to the bush to start designing and testing the technicians they want to hire. To add to that, they are looking payload for the satellite. We will test this by launching highfor bursary students, but our Science and Maths pool is just not altitude weather balloons that go 8km up in the air. Finally then, big enough. ISUZU Trucks South Africa are busy expanding their we will come together with the young women who are still operation, selling more trucks to the continent. Now to grow, you interested to build the final payload for the satellite to be ready need more manpower, which is why ISUZU Trucks South Africa for launch in 2016. We have plans of launching one satellite is so invested in Enterprise and Supplier Development. If you look per year until 2020 so after next year’s satellite has fulfilled its at ISUZU, a Japanese company, it is key to look at the Japanese function and has burnt out, we are not going to disappear into mentality of working 20 years in advance. So what’s happening the sideline with this issue. is that the team from ISUZU Trucks South Africa is looking at Be sure to visit www.medo.space to learn more. what we are doing now with people who are grade 10, so that

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WOMEN IN STEM

FEATURE

MEDO NEWS

When the sky is the limit Esihle Mazingi (16) from Siphamandla Secondary School in Cape Town recently took part in the Space Trek bootcamp that saw 14 young women design, build and launch their very own satellites into the atmosphere using weather balloons.

Carla de klerk interviewed Esihle to hear her thoughts on the programme, STEM and the future.

Tell us a bit more about Space Trek: What have you learnt about satellites?

I applied to Space Trek because the idea of the I know satellites can be any size, they don’t whole experience of being with different people and have to be big in order to function and send back the knowledge that I was going to gain excited me. I valuable data. I also learnt that satellites can be used wanted to learn more about satellites and how they for hundreds of things that are extremely useful. Not are put together, what they can do and how long they only did I learn to put a satellite together, I also learnt can work, but I have never built, seen or worked with to interpret the data from it into valuable information, satellites, so it was something completely new and which I think is an extremely valuable skill to have. exciting and I never thought I’d get to do something Why do you think young women are less like this so I am really extremely glad that I was chosen. inclined to follow a STEM (Science, At Space Trek, I have learnt a lot of things, and I Technology, Engineering and Maths) related spent the whole week together with a group of other degree and career? girls, and we were being taught There are not many to assemble a cricket sat which women in these fields and that was launched later on during I feel empowered that I have discourages other young women the week. We spent the days from following careers in STEM. built a satellite from scratch learning how to master skills This mindset needs to change and sent up that satellite. It is to build the CricketSat all while because STEM needs more also learning to work in teams, women to join it for it to be well something that only people in in a very fast-paced learning maintained. I would like the rest big companies and big important of Africa to know that anyone environment. Most of the positions do, and when you as a can follow a career in STEM things we did and learnt were frustrating and we had a limited 16-year-old do it yourself it is really regardless of their gender. It just amount of time to do these takes brains, effort and a little bit hard to believe. things and we were feeling the of luck. pressure. The week has taught me that you can do Have you come out of Space Trek excited for anything you put your mind to. the future?

What did you enjoy about Space Trek?

Space Trek has opened my mind to a lot of fields, I enjoyed spending time with the girls, and learning possibilities and careers, especially in astronomy as interactively showed me that it can actually be fun to satellites can be used for so many things. There are learn. I enjoyed learning how to assemble electronics, engineers, technicians, designers and thousands of particularly the practical work that we did, because it people involved in sending up satellites and it is really was very different from learning in school. Instead of an exciting career opportunity. just reading through the textbook, we actually took the I feel empowered that I have built a satellite from time to learn the aspects schematically and in real life, scratch and sent up that satellite. It is something and we got to assemble these things rather than just that only people in big companies and big important to see it in a book where someone did it and took a positions do, and when you as a 16-year-old do it picture of it. yourself it is really hard to believe, but I did it and I feel I learnt that even though I work at a very fast pace, so amazing because that makes me believe that I have it is easy to make mistakes when you are working with the power to do anything I set my mind to. small parts and you have to be patient enough with Where to from here? yourself to know that mistakes happen. You can always I was initially considering a career in Mathematics, fix it rather than blame yourself, because you are only but after this past experience I’m thinking of pursuing hurting yourself by lowering your self-esteem.

Astronomy and satellite engineering.

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Space Trek Success!

11 January, 2016 saw 14 young women from local Cape Town high schools present findings from mini satellites they themselves built and launched as part of the second phase of the MEDO Space Programme, Space Trek. The audience that consisted of parents, business men and women and even university professors were all amazed by these innovative 16 and 17 year-olds, and that is only the start of it…

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une 2015 saw MEDO, The Meta Economic Development Organisation, launching an ambitious Space Programme with the aim of encouraging young women to enter STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) related fields. Working with sponsors, ISUZU Trucks South Africa, MEDO also bought the first privately owned satellite in Africa with the goal of having female high school learners designing its payload. The programme was launched in partnership with Morehead State University in Kentucky, USA, a highly recognised research and development centre in nano-satellite technologies.

Morehead State University runs a similar project, Space Trek, which has seen positive results in encouraging young women to enter what is still perceived by many as male orientated fields or careers.

MEDO’s programme was developed in response to the organisation’s observation that many corporates it works with experience a lack of skilled STEM employees – particularly female employees. “It is predicted that 80% of all future jobs are STEM related, with almost double the pay of non-STEM related careers.

So what we are trying to do is to give these young women the best chance out there,” MEDO CEO Judi Sandrock explains.

The programme has been divided into three stages, starting with Space Prep workshops. These workshops are four hour events held every Saturday in MEDO’s mobile lab – the Treppie

Truck – which is equipped with room for 16 learners, smart TV, Internet access and an independent power supply for a week’s operation. This was successfully launched on 16 June 2015 and has to date reached 120 young women at their local high schools where they learnt the basics of electro-mechanics by building a mini robot, or Jiggybot, from scratch using components including an LED, resistor, battery, switch, an unbalanced motor and four solid wires as legs soldered together. Space Prep will continue to run throughout the year.

The second stage of the programme is Space Trek, a weeklong intensive boot camp – the first of which was held from 5 to 11 January 2016 at High Africa Conference Centre in Worcester.

This camp saw 14 selected young women learning about telecommunications, satellite construction, calibration, and data analysis. Workshops and lectures were led by Jennifer Carter, Space Trek USA Director as well as an all-female team from both South Africa and the USA. Each day consisted of a series of group activities, guest presentations and had a dedicated theme designed to further the learners’ knowledge in STEM and to provide them with the necessary experience to develop the payload for Africa’s first privately owned satellite.

Day one of the boot camp explained the mission introduction and the information on the Earth’s atmosphere. Day two was

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dedicated to electricity, components, schematics, multimeter and participate in an intensive brainstorming process to decide the soldering. Day three taught CricketSat construction and calibration. kind of payload the satellite will carry. Once launched, all learners who have participated in the various programmes, will be able to Day four educated the girls on telecommunications. Day five participate in a programme where the will be able to communicate saw them launching the CricketSat, which the learners built from with the satellite and experiment with communication and data scratch, into suborbital space with the help of weather balloons.

The learners manned the ground station gathering while it is in orbit. themselves and gathered the data which “This South African Women in STEM programme aims to make a they later analysed. On the last day of the This South African Women in sustainable, measurable impact in Africa boot camp, the young women presented STEM programme aims to make and understands that South Africa’s future their findings to scientists, professors and business men and women in Cape Town. a sustainable, measurable impact depends highly on people with STEM At the presentation day on the 11th of focused careers. Every year fewer learners in Africa and understands that are selecting STEM subjects required to January 2016, Jennifer Carter – Morehead address the country’s critical skills shortage.

State University and SpaceTrek USA Director, South Africa’s future depends It is important that we focus on developing as well as Professor Benjamin Malphrus highly on people with STEM a significant number of young people – Space Science Center, Director and Department Chair Program Earth and Space with STEM focused careers in order to focused careers.

Sciences of Morehead State University – compete internationally. Currently STEM focused careers are dominated by men thus the Women in STEM gave short presentations where after members of SpaceTrek USA programme aims to inspire young women to pursue careers that alumni did a presentation of what SpaceTrek meant for them. are considered as non-traditional female paths, particularly STEM,” The third phase of the programme is the launch of the actual Judi confirms the goal of the programme. satellite, MEDOsat1, which will happen in the second quarter of 2016 from the Mojave Desert in the USA. The learners will Visit www.medo.space to learn more.

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WOMEN IN STEM

FEATURE

MEDO NEWS

Science is FUN! Bhanekazi Thandwa (17) from Dr Nelson Mandela High School in Cape Town recently took part in the Space Trek bootcamp that saw 14 young women design, build and launch their very own satellites into the atmosphere using weather balloons. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience so Carla de Klerk talked with with Bhanekazi to hear her thoughts on the whole experience and find out what’s next for her.

Why did you want to be part of Space trek?

Did you ever imagine yourself experimenting I found the first Space Prep session, where we had with satellites? to build a Jiggybot really interesting and I wanted to Yes, but I thought it was only one of my crazy know and experience more about electronics, as I ideas, I never imagined it would become a reality have taken it as a consideration for a career. I really so soon. My favourite part about Space Trek was wanted to explore this field further so that I can hone building and launching the CricketSats. We had my skills in these areas. This experience really helped to build the CricketSat from scratch by building a me in giving me ideas about my career choices. I also complex circuit board. We put the parts together love physics so I wanted to learn about the physical and we learnt how to solder to ensure the current geography of the world and experience more greater works. We first tested the satellites on ground base things of science through the biggest programme of using a computer, reading the data it was sending via this likeness in the world. radio waves. We launched the CricketSats into the What did you learn at Space Trek? atmosphere, recording the frequencies as the balloon In this camp we learnt a lot as we got the chance rose higher into the sky. I’ve learnt that satellites to learn through practical work. Now I know how are very useful. I can say that without satellites electricity works! It was a great we wouldn’t have much to experience and great prep for do, earth and life would be the workplace one day as this boring as there would I used to think that physics incredibly experience will help us a lot be no cellphones, tv, GPS or in the future. At Space Trek I and engineering were only worldwide news. experienced more about the So what is waiting for geography of physics, I used to for males, so Space Trek has you in the future? think physics was boring, and I used to think that physics opened my eyes that I can when I got to experience more and engineering were only stand my ground and pursue for males, so Space Trek has and learn more here, I learnt that physics can actually be fun opened my eyes that I can science. especially if you learn through stand my ground and pursue practicals. Learning through science. It’s so fun and everyday practicals it is much easier than theory because in you get to explore something new, create something theory everything seems much harder because you new, you create magic with your own hands. There is aren’t actually interacting with the work. also a lot to gain to pursue science as there are so my I learnt about space, and temperature and how opportunities career-wise in STEM related fields. You things work in space. I learnt about the geography of create, you make and you find solutions to things and physics, how we can measure altitude and how we you can even fix stuff in your own house! can measure temperature and frequency at the same After this experience I feel so empowered time. And I learnt to socialise and work with other because I am the first person in my family to do people in a group dynamic, I also learnt more things physics, to actively choose to pursue physics, and I’m about myself and I feel like I’m walking away much one of the few who got to experience this amazing more knowledgable. opportunity and to make mind blowing things like my I am generally a shy person but the week forced own satellite with my own hands. Most girls shy away me to step out of my comfort zone to socialise as from Science as they think it is too difficult for them, well as learn to the best of my abilities. I am not often but I want to tell them that STEM related careers are outspoken but I tried socialising and making friends great choices, it might be a bit tough, but it will be fun who have now become sisters to me. and challenging.

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Power

WOMEN IN STEM

FEATURE

The science of

MEDO NEWS

When mentioning the word “empowerment”, especially in a politically active country like South Africa, thoughts often turn to gender, race, religion and minorities. People often think of quotas, numbers and requirements instead of thinking about the individuals the term pertains to. Author Steve Maraboli defines empowerment as “the ability to refine, improve and enhance your life without co-dependency.” This is what empowerment should mean, the ability to be independent, and even more importantly, to be strong. We don’t look at empowerment as catch phrase, we see it as individuals finding the will and power to take control of their own destinies.

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n writing an academic piece titled Empowerment, Participation and Social Work, Robert Adams describes the process of empowerment as “The capacity of individuals, groups and/or communities to take control of their circumstances, exercise power and achieve their own goals, and the process by which, individually and collectively, they are able to help themselves and others to maximise the quality of their lives.” In short, that is exactly what MEDO strives to do, enabling people to maximise the quality of their lives, and by default thus influencing those around them to do the same. South Africa is a country with one of the biggest wage gaps in the world, with top CEOs earning up to 725 times more than an average worker’s salary. That is a lot of zeros if you were to take on the math. Currently South Africa has an unemployment rate of about 25-30% which is more or less a quarter of the country. If you then also imagine that the top jobs can earn more than 700 times than an average salary of those who are employed, there is clearly a very big and problematic gap forming.

At MEDO, we always say that we don’t focus on the negative, we look for solutions, which is exactly why we take a groundup approach to economic development that aims to give the individuals we reach the power and responsibility to tackle these

above mentioned gaps in their own capacities.

Looking at our Space Programme for high school women for example, we don’t give our participants bursaries or promise them job security in the future, we give them the opportunity to attend workshops focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills, which is believed to be where the economy will revolve around in about five years. The biggest comment we receive after a Space Prep workshop, a one day workshop at local high schools on basic electronics and robotics, is that the young women say that they suddenly believe anything is possible, that they really can pursue any of their dreams. With these workshops intensely focused on STEM we do not necessarily want to push them to become engineers, we want them to start thinking of opportunities and thus truly believe that the possibilities are endless. Renowned businessman Rich deVos explains, “The only thing that stands between a person and what they want in life is the will to try it and the faith to believe it is possible.”

After our Space Trek one week bootcamp that saw 14 young women effectively launch small satellites into the atmosphere using weather balloons, the overwhelming response was “I never thought I would ever have been able to do this”. We even had a few girls deciding very sternly to pursue careers in astronomy and work their way up to becoming astronauts. And why not? Yes, Africa may not have an astronaut programme at the moment, but who’s to say one of these bright minds won’t set a range of events in motion to get there? Half of NASA’s newest class of asronauts are women, for the first time in history. Things are busy happening in the world (and of course off it as well) and we need to start thinking long-term, and we believe we are nurturing the changemakers of tomorrow by empowering them with inspiration and confidence. Steve Maraboli explains exactly what it is we are after, “Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.”

Economic development has many spheres, factors and requirements, however in all these often academic terms we should never forget about the individuals impacted. As Jon Krakauer says, “It’s not always necessary to be strong, but to feel strong.” And one should never underestimate the power of strong individuals.

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Taking on Trafalgar MEDO is one of the few companies in the world that can proudly say “we have an office on Trafalgar Square, London”.

With our partnership with UK Trade Commisioner Thobile Mazibuko and South Africa House, we have London open to us with a space in one of the most sought after areas in the entire world. Why are we expanding to London? Peter Burdin, our UK representative explains the oppotunities for UK/Africa partnerships.

There’s a buzz about the UK these days with more than 600,000 new businesses set to launch this year. That’s approximately one new company launched every minute of every day.

According to StartUp Britain, a UK government-backed national enterprise campaign, new entrepreneurs are responding in droves to the call for an ‘enterprise led’ recovery following the recession.

This trend of entrepreneurialism has been gaining strength for several years. Some 440,000 startups were registered as companies in 2011. By 2014 this had grown to a record-breaking 580,000 startups a year with many of them looking for new markets around the world to partner with. Well over half of all the startups in Europe are created in the UK which gives a sense of the economic power of the UK as the world’s fifth largest economy and in particular its capital London as a global business hub.

Many Londoners feel their city has taken over from New York as the world’s financial heart. There’s an energy on the streets and an entrepreneurial spirit which has seen unemployment fall to just 5.1% - its lowest level for a decade- and has led some economists to describe the UK economy as a “jobs-creating machine”.

It’s a far cry from the London I arrived in as a young BBC reporter in the 1980s. That might have been the decade of the Young Urban Professionals -the so-called Yuppies- but the UK was not an entrepreneurial society in those days. The Trades Unions wielded enormous power over business and government. As a young reporter the hottest assignment wasn’t covering wars or international news stories, it was reporting on the latest strikes which threatened to bring the country to a grinding halt.

Then the UK appeared to be in terminal decline. Somehow that trend was reversed and today the UK is open for business with a vibrancy that I could never have imagined when I was reporting from

the picket lines of the latest Miners’ strike or another downing of tools at British Leyland’s car assembly plant.

There is now an entrepreneurial pulse which reverberates around the capital. Go to the Institute of Directors in Pall Mall and you’ll see scores of business people discussing new deals. Take a walk to Shoreditch in London’s east end and watch all the young innovators rushing to work in their business incubators, or just attend one of the numerous hangouts and hookups which are taking place every day in the tech hubs across the city.

With so much going on there are numerous opportunities for forging links with African businesses. The UK has always had a fascination with Africa and it’s possible to attend conferences about the continent every day of the week. The Royal African Society is now a leading forum for discussions on Africa, likewise the School of Oriental and African Studies, the Frontline Club and many others cater for this fascination with Africa.

In the world of business young entrepreneurs like the Ugandan Eunice Baguma Ball is typical of this new trend. Her Africa Technology Business Group is an umbrella organisation for young people seeking to set up tech innovations between the UK and Africa. The UK has few natural resources of its own - it needs to trade with the world to survive and prosper and that’s why Startup Britain is training budding entrepreneurs how to export their goods and services outside of Britain. New groups like Fast Forward Africa and Business In Africa Pays are UK-based accelerators which are dedicated making sure that African startups benefit from this scramble for new markets. Fast Forward Africa’s Andrew Fassnidge says the group’s existence is a recognition that technology is driving economic development and creating demand for new products and services across the continent. It aims to encourage and assist

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entrepreneurs in the UK to launch ventures in Africa and to partner with existing tech hubs in Africa. Andrew points to the importance of the UK to Africa’s startup entrepreneurs: “With London being one of the leading financial centres in the world, there are many sources of funding for start-ups. Obviously there is seed, angel investors, private funds and venture capital. Crowdfunding is very popular in UK and is one of the advantages that the UK startup ecosystem has over that in Africa, as entrepreneurs have other options and do not have to accept an unfavourable funding deals. UK start-ups have the power to raise their own cash at their own valuations. These are some of the benefits hopefully we can begin to help African startups take advantage of.” African entrepreneurs are taking advantage of these trends. Last year alone the online funding platform VC4Africa reported that the total capital investment in African startups was more than double the previous year’s figures.

The news headlines make grim reading for Africa this year - the Chinese slowdown is said to be reducing demand for the continent’s raw materials, the oil price has hit the continent’s largest economy of Nigeria badly, and South Africa’s internal political squabbles are said to make it an unattractive destination for investors. But if we look beyond the headlines Africa is marching to a different beat one in which young African entrepreneurs are riding a revolution in digital and mobile technology and are creating new opportunities for themselves and jobs for their communities.

The most successful sectors are e-commerce, clean and renewable technologies, e-health and financial services and that lead investors to Kenya’s so-called silicon savannah, Uganda, Nigeria and

South Africa.

All Africa commentators are keen to point out that the continent is a complex geographical entity of fifty-four different countries.

One of Africa’s angel investors is 4Di Capital. It’s co-founder Justin Stanford has invested in a number of South African startups and says investors are looking to future opportunities even more than existing ones. He says: “Africa is the last frontier. There are billions of people who are becoming consumers and there’s lots of growth.

Technology and the internet hasn’t penetrated deeply and this creates a lot of opportunity”.

I recall covering South Africa’s miracle liberation in 1994 when after years of Apartheid’s iron grip Mr Nelson Mandela was elected the country’s first democratically-elected President, then scrambling to the airport the next day from the joy of his inauguration at Union Buildings in Pretoria to fly to a terrible place called Rwanda where some 800,000 people had just been killed by machetes in the genocide which shocked the world. Just twentytwo years later Rwanda is now upheld as one of the international community’s favourite investment destinations.

Its no accident that the World Economic Forum for Africa has decided to host its annual Forum in Kigali this year, nor that the Global African Investment Summit has chosen Rwanda as the location for its Africa gathering. Something is definitely stirring around the continent. There are still challenges and plenty of work to do but all those people in London and around the world who called this 21st century “Africa’s Century” are still confident that the continent will prove them right.

“With so much going on there are numerous opportunities for forging links with African businesses.

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WOMEN IN STEM

FEATURE

MEDO NEWS

A Spacial Economy And the benefits thereof

Before the 1980s, the solitary state of Kentucky in the USA was known for its agriculture, coal and bourbon trade. With the arrival of two automobile giants GM Motors and Toyota, the state was transformed over the next two decades into a tech hub with its primary GDP pouring in from satellite development. Currently Kentucky is the third largest producer of space tech and one of the largest exporters of aerospace and automobile technology. The state’s median household income nearly quadrupled in a 10-year period and is still climbing strong today. The state redefined itself from agriculture and mining to tech which is truly an inspiration to South Africa. It also just so happens that Kentucky is the home of Morehead State University, MEDO’s partner in Space Trek. Carla de klerk investigates the state and what it can teach South Africa.

K

entucky’s export market is booming, and technology manufacturing is leading the way. Promisingly, members of that sector see economic sunny skies for at least the next decade. The total value of all products manufactured in Kentucky and sold abroad in 2014 was $27.5 billion That’s a nearly 9 percent increase from 2013, and it continues a trend in Kentucky export growth, which now routinely establishes new highs. Since 2011, the value of goods exported from the state has grown 36.8 percent. Half of Kentucky’s exports are transportation equipment, divided between $7.8 billion in aerospace parts and products, and $5.9 billion in motor vehicles, parts, bodies and trailers.

“Aerospace is an enormous part of the US economy, which is still one of the world’s major economies. Aerospace and defence aerospace technologies account for about 15% of the US GDP, that is 15% of one of the world’s largest economies. Kentucky, is generally known for thorough bred horses, coal, bourbon, they are also now in aerospace. As of 2013 they became known as an aerospace state in terms of it being the primary economic driver and it had a lot to do with the automotive industry and aerospace currently is over a trillion dollar industry in the state of Kentucky.

And that allows them to currently enjoy a rank of the third in the US, with Washington State with Boeing, California with Silicone Valley and Kentucky now as number three in the US in terms of aerospace exports. Part of this is owing to microtech technology work in micro electronics and this was also pushed forward by the automotive industry. If you look at leading automobiles today, GM and ISUZU, there’s something like 25-30 micro devices in every single vehicle and a tremendous amount of number of micro electronics. Half a dozen maybe ten or twelve micro controllers and micro processors, so the same technology that has revolutionised the telecommunications industry with cellphones has revolutionised the automobile industry and it has also bled out to other industries to help out the aerospace industry.” Dr Ben Malphrus, director of Morehead State University’s Space Science Centre explains the technology boom*.

A space economy built on an automobile industry? It is also thus no suprise that ISUZU Trucks is sponsoring South Africa’s first Space Programme. “Why is ISUZU trucks involved in a project like this? If you know from driving past them on the road, these trucks have lots of technology in them. They require many types of electrical inputs from many engineers. They need maths,

science, technology, design etc. And the only reason I can stand here and run a successful company, is because we have those type of people in our midst. A lot of the people in the general market place don’t see under the skin what happens. Whatever you see, observe or sit on today, that product got brought to you somehow, generally by truck. We are a Japanese-based company that are in 150 countries in the world, and in most places we are market leaders in our field and ISUZU is very well represented. So from this perspective for us, I’m recruiting for the next generation, who’ll be standing here in my job and all the other people in my company,” ISUZU Trucks CEO Craig Uren explains.

Looking at South African employment statistics, a quarter of the country is unemployed. Also, at the 2016 State of the Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma indicated that there will be an influx of importing individuals in scarce skills realted areas.

What technology sales mean to Kentucky’s economy, is 127,000 export-related jobs in the commonwealth paying an average of $56,000 per year including benefits. Among those are 50,200 jobs directly tied to exports that pay an average of $68,100 per year. Kentucky’s median household income for the five-year period from 2009 to 2013 was $43,036, according to the Census Bureau*. Now that is inspirational, imagine if we could utilise training to create that magnitude of jobs in scarce skills areas in South Africa.

Pumping billions of dollars into Kentucky’s economy and providing thousands of jobs, the aerospace/aviation footprint is expanding in almost every sector, from parts manufacturing to supply, from air freight service to education and workforce development. “We’re not developing enough engineers. We’ve actually lost some opportunities to bring some international and national engineering firms into Kentucky because we don’t have enough engineers. So we need to fix that. But then we also need more technology-oriented students who are willing to go into advanced manufacturing. And of course, mechanics. Boeing has identified a need for about 25,000 pilots a year for the next 20 years or more and an equal number of mechanics. For every pilot sitting in the cockpit seat there are about 6,000 jobs standing behind him that made the airplane, make the system work and everything else that ties into it. Our economy hugely depends on aviation,” Robert Riggs, pilot, flight instructor, a founder and current board member of the Kentucky Aviation Association explains the potential of developing STEM skills*.

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Images: Top: Dr Benjamin Malphrus, Director for the Morehead Space Science Center working hard at MEDO’s groundstation for Space Trek.

Middle: ISUZU Trucks SA COO, Craig Uren.

Bottom: MEDO’s mobile learning centre, Treppie is sponsored by ISUZU Trucks and is kitted with technology to have internet accesss and to be power depenent regardless of its location.

“What we’re doing is building a new industry in Kentucky around entrepreneurial space — not aerospace — it’s entrepreneurial space,” Kris Kimel, Kentucky Science and Technology Corp (KTSTC) emphasising the importance of small satellite development*.

Dr Malphrus, satellite aficionado and Morehead State Space Science Center explains the use of these nano satellites, “These small satellites have a gazillion applications. They can respond to radio frequency identification, or RFID, signals. This allows them to fly over warehouses and scan the inventory from outer space. Another potential application would see the satellites scanning entire fleets of seagoing ships so shipping firms know exactly where everything is.” Just imagine the possibilities should we embrace satellite technology as MEDO has in South Africa!

“The smallest satellites, called cube satellites, can also take images of things like natural disasters, refreshing every 15 minutes, where Google refreshes every 18 months. All this work is done at Morehead’s state-funded $16 million Space Science Centre building, which is helping the state become known as a widely recognised magnet for aerospace innovation.” Dr Malphrus explains*. “Kentucky is becoming an aerospace hub.”

At the Space Science Centre in Morehead, students and scientists work hand-in-hand to develop nano satellites. On the university level, some of the state’s premier programs include Eastern Kentucky University’s comprehensive aviation program, including a top-ranked professional pilots program.

Even high school students are joining the aerospace ranks. The Institute of Aerospace Education (IAE) is a nonprofit devoted to improving student success in the vital science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and fostering the growth of aerospace careers in Kentucky. The organization interacts directly with students in 23 high schools, providing hands-on experiences by partnering with state agencies, educational institutions and corporations*.

Thanks to a skilled workforce, excellent training programmess, strong logistics and a focus on innovation, Kentucky’s aerospace industry is expected to reach even greater heights. “This is a very exciting time for our state,” Malphrus says. “The sky is truly the limit for what we can do.”

Starting with something as small as a partnership with ISUZU Trucks, we are setting up an entire generation of young women for success. After all, training is only the start in order to mimic Kentucky’s inspirational story of a spacial economy. * Visit www.medo.co.za for full list of references.

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WOMEN IN STEM

FEATURE

MEDO NEWS

Learning to Fly Pheobyn Berdine Filander (17) from Zandvliet High School in Cape Town recently took part in the Space Trek bootcamp that saw 14 young women design, build and launch their very own satellites into the atmosphere using weather balloons. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience so Carla de Klerk sat down with Pheobyn to hear her thoughts on satellites, STEM and empowerment.

the air. The CricketSat is attached to a string and Tell us about Space Trek: then a helium balloon. So as the balloon goes up The past week has been hectic! I mean at first we the satellite will send back data through radio waves were just trying to give up becasue we didn’t know and between 4-6 kms it will eventually burst. We what to do. But we were constantly encouraged to receive that data wirelessly to a computer. How go forward. The last night was very emotional to the CricketSat works is that it chirps, spiking the give feedback on the week having gone through the waves on a speed relating to how cold or hot it is whole process. The week was awesome, I learnt a and through a mathematical calculation we convert lot of new and exciting things I wouldn’t have done that data into a temperature reading. To do this we otherwise. learnt to solder, which puts all the components of What I learnt this past week is that you can do the satellite together, we also used math equations anything you put your mind to, there were times to solve the mission as to the temperature of the when all we wanted to do was give up or we got atmosphere. We learnt about telecommunication, emotional but then there were always people who the atmosphere, radio waves and how we can use would help you. Our teachers and mentors just gave satellites in our everyday lives. off this positive energy that you could just feed off, Why do you think young which just encouragee us to women are less inclined to push ourselves to the limits. follow a STEM (Science, I enjoyed everything this past I learnt that I can be myself, Technology, Engineering week. We got to meet new that I am strong and I want other and Maths) related degree people, and learn new things. I was always someone who gave young women to know that they and career?

Most women feel they up quite easily, but through should always follow their hearts are not worthy to do those this past week I learnt to keep and never think less of themselves jobs or careers. This is wrong pushing forward and to push because women can do myself harder because I can do because their backgrounds. a man can do even if anything I want to as long as I Never forget that “good enough” anything we’re not physically as strong. put in the work. is not “good” enough. You CAN If your heart is in it you can do Have you ever imagined anything. yourself experimenting with do better!

What do you want satellites? . to say to your fellow No, I never thought I classmates and young women of South Africa could do anything like this until this past week. The about STEM, Space and exciting opportunities experience really opened my eyes to our world and like the one you are about to embark on? galaxy.

Space Trek has opened my mind so I know now What have you learnt about satellites? that I can do anything I set my mind to because I The interesting thing about satellites is that they made it through the bootcamp, and I built my own are used for communication, for weather, and if we satellite. How many other 17-year-olds can say that? want to know what is happening on the other side I learnt that I can be myself, that I am strong and I of the country you would get information from a want other young women to know that they should satellite. always follow their hearts and never think less of So you built you own CricketSat? themselves because their backgrounds. Never forget Building the CricketSat was definitely my that “good enough” is not “good” enough. You CAN favourite part of the experience. Our mission was do better! to measure the temperature up to 5 kilometres in

“

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Being Mobile:

skills on the move Azola Qhina, MEDO’s Treppie Manager focuses on building a strong entrepreneurial spirit in underserved and underserviced communities across South Africa.

In an editorial, Azola dives into the technical aspects of MEDO’s learning centre used for Space Prep and Foundation Business Skills workshops, and explains the relationship between these two amazing initiatives.

Treppie, short for entrepreneur, is a mobile learning centre that goes around the country with the aim of inspiring the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation. Having been in action since 2012, the truck has grown from an business-focused learning mechanism to currently also being the vehicle in which Space Prep one-day workshops are delivered.

Having had over four years experience with the old truck, we have come to learn what works and what the unique requirements are of the truck. We are powering all technology with Solar Cells and an Inverter, which makes us energy independent meaning we can set up shop anywhere regardless of facilities or infrastructure.

We are also using state of the art technology to ensure the fastest internet speeds possible. Apart from reaching entrepreneurs, the truck will also be used to facilitate a series of Space Prep workshops at local high schools.

We are hoping to find a truckful of enterprising young women at the high school workshops, and the fact that we will be travelling throughout South Africa, we will have the greatest ever opportunity to do so. Treppie will be in action this year three weeks per month, and will therefore hold nothing back when moving into communities. I foresee that we will help a lot of people not only better their technology skills but effectively empower them to find opportunities around them after our various workshops.

We are always delighted to bring the Treppie to underserved and underserviced communities in what we believe presents a great opportunity for us to assist in the development of emerging enterprises – a vital sector spearheading economic growth in our country. In doing this we have also created a unique opportunity for large organisations to involve themselves with these businesses and in doing so to advance their Enterprise Development and Supplier Development strategies.

The fact that Treppie reaches out to both budding entrepreneurs and high schools is a key aspect to the programme. Firstly, we establish a working relationship with the communities so that when we come in to town, residents have either heard of us or have seen us before and feel comfortable enough to come in for advice or workshops. Secondly, we have to prove that we are not just a one-stop-shop. When we have Space Prep workshops we emphasise to our young participants that innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset is key to success, we need to grow a generation of employers, not employees. So what we are doing is that we are empowering these young women with technical skills and an innovative mindset, so that when we come a few years later when they have left school, we are there to assist them in building their businesses. The idea is that we walk these excited minds through the whole process of becoming successful business people through an emphasis on skills development,

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whether focusing on technical foundation business skills in order to inspire a strong spirit of entrepreneurship.

So how do we inspire this spirit of entrepreneurship?

We spend a week in one area where we conduct Opportunity Identification workshops for the first two days. This is important because the first stage in creating a small business is to come up with an idea. Sources of ideas are varied, so we encourage people to read and keep up to date with what is happening in their respective communities by reading newspapers. From this, they get to identify what other people see as a problem and get to come up with a solution. They get to realize that if there is a problem, there’s a need and therefore, an opportunity for someone to provide a solution.

On the third day we do an Introduction to Business workshop.

This workshop helps them decide what to sell and to who, where the market is, determine pricing as well as help them network in order to build relationships with other entrepreneurs. Essentially, we share with them the practical steps that they can take to starting a business and how to articulate their offering.

The final day is the Friday Pitch. This is where the participants get to apply what they have learnt throughout the week. They get an opportunity to pitch and receive constructive feedback. This is great because they get to learn how to articulate their value proposition. In addition, it helps them to build their confidence as

well as presentation skills.

Now that they’ve gone through the workshops then what?

Depending on the stage of their businesses – they have an opportunity to apply for one of MEDO’s developmental programmes including the International Trade Programme.

However, the most important question is WHY? South Africa faces a high unemployment rate and a large entrepreneurial gap.

Entrepreneurship has increasingly become the major driver of competition, innovation and growth and it is very important for us to cultivate that spirit of entrepreneurship.

The communities that we visit have limited access to information and other resources to help them develop their ideas into sustainable businesses. For some people starting and owning a business is unimaginable because they are unable to see beyond their circumstances. Our goal is to change this mind-set. We encourage people to take that first step, to have the guts to show up and be seen. We are saying one does not have to be an MBA graduate to start a business or have a lot of money. All they need is passion, commitment, perseverance and the rest will follow. So instead of waiting to be employed, which is highly competitive, we encourage the community members to start their own businesses and create job opportunities and therefore, building the economy one job at a time.

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WOMEN IN STEM

Powerful Words FEATURE

MEDO NEWS

from a Powerful Woman

Councillor Xanthea Limberg is at the top of Cape Town’s list of “power women”. A Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services and passionate tech aficionado, Councillor Limberg recently addressed our Space Trek presentation graduates as keynote speaker for the event.

Read her powerful and inspirational address here: “I am extremely honoured to be presenting at such an event where there are so many passionate women. Not only is the calibre of young women here today extraordinary, but the work you have all been involved in, continues to amaze me.

As a public representative for the City of Cape Town, in which this STEM training and development is taking place, I thank everyone of you for positively contributing to not only ensuring that South Africa is building as a sustainable pipeline for mathematicians, scientists and engineers but that women specifically are being encouraged to participate in these fields, as we together continue to drive gender narrative. In each one of our lives, I have no doubt that we have all experienced being put into a box on the basis of one’s gender.

I have also no doubt that whether it be in our work, home or religious communities, all of you here today have experienced what it feels like to be considered a lesser human, or lower down on the priority list on the basis of your gender.

I know from my first-hand experience, in both my educational years and during the course of my political career that marginalisation rings especially true in professional fields of Science, Maths, and Technology. Therefore women ignore the field altogether or compete extremely hard in order to be considered as equally skilled and capable to their male counterparts. I need not remind any of you of the unfortunate fact that for many many decades regardless race, creed or culture, women in South Africa were collectively disadvantaged by a system designed to benefit a very small and elite group of men.

As a result, those of us in government today, and post apartheid South Africa, now have to work even harder to bridge not only the economic divides but the invisible divides of prejudice, stereotype and preconception that have a way of creeping in to our personal, business and living spaces as women.

Because of this the City of Cape Town made its commitment to the principles of equity, and anti discrimination and diversity very very clear. Not only do we have a

female premier, Helen Zille, but we also have a female executive mayor, Patricia de Lille. Through their individual strength and resilience, they provide an example of women for women throughout South Africa that notions of gender, and notions of limitations that we attach to gender are psychological constructs.

“growI lookfromforward to seeing you strength to strength, and becoming leaders of thought, technology and innovation.

As part of our commitment to building a caring society we recognise that there is not a one size fits all solution to addressing the structural disadvantages that we are confronted with. The City has worked hard to provide opportunities for young women from our targeted apprenticeship and bursary programmes that seek to develop females in areas of scarce skills such as engineering, architecture, city planning etc.

We continue to make great strides. The City of Cape Town is also taking steps to ensure that women and men who serve in their communities have in their disposal hard tools needed to express themselves as individuals. For this financial year the City is spending over 100 million rand towards our skills development programme which ensures that we’ll empower young generations to capacitate the City of Cape Town. In order to drive this overall strategy of educating young Capetonians, we have to find 5 pillars of governance to ensure the City of Cape Town is focused on achieving an opportunity city, a well run city, a caring city, inclusive city, and a safe city.

One of the elements of our well run city is bringing internet to the whole city in order to bridge the digital divide so that those who seek technologically related endeavours, do so without any hindrance.

Cape Town is leading the digital divide, leading to digital inclusion of the African continent by our fibre optic broadband

rollout plan. And because broadband connectivity, and digital inclusion are fundamental to creating an abling environment for business development, economic growth, social cohesion, our new public wifi project is a prime example of how the private sector, public and government can make progress together.

Because government cannot transform communities alone, the City has also partnered with two commercial service providers in order to provide free data to the poorest of the poor in our wireless zones. Now the hairdresser in Langa who wants to advertise her services on Gumtree can do so with ease, and the copywriter in Khayelitsha can use her work email without having to spend money at an internet cafe, and the young candidates of the STEM programme, can participate in a world renowned programme through the assistance of MEDO. All of this has become possible through our digital inclusion projects. In addition the city has incentivised development opportunities for women, to prioritise our current deficient skills need.

In conclusion, as a representative of the City of Cape Town’s political administration, I would like to like to emphasise that we are in a variety of ways committed to ensuring that all of our residents have at their disposal, the very basic tools that most of take for granted in order to empower them to climb the ladder of success and achievement. We are committed to ensuring where women like those amongst us today with an interest and aptitude in STEM, that that talent does not go to waste, but is fostered to ensure the development and betterment of future generations to come. I would also like to say because we in government understand the importance of having a feminine energy in this world, we are excited and committed to ensuring that we support MEDO in expansion of this project and to the participants. I wish you all the very best of luck, I look forward to seeing you grow from strength to strength, and becoming leaders of thought, technology and innovation, to ensure that you can transform the African continent, and the world wide globe.”

MEDO has an ongoing relationship with the City of Cape Town that involves many various projects, to learn more visit medo.co.za

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WOMEN IN STEM

FEATURE

MEDO NEWS

Imagine the Possibilities!

Brittany Bull (16) from Pelican Park High School in Cape Town recently took part in the Space Trek bootcamp that saw 14 young women design, build and launch their very own satellites into the atmosphere using weather balloons. Since Brittany joined the programme with the sole goal of empowering herself, Carla de Klerk talked to her about the experience.

My favourite part of Space Trek was the practicals Why did you decide to take part in Space Trek? and working in a team where we got to interact with I wanted to learn new things and experience what it each other and not just sit and look at the textbook would be like to pursue science and technology after the entire time and try to learn something without really school level. Until Space Prep I never imagined myself doing it. I really enjoyed learning to solder, and I never experimenting with satellites, which has helped me would have learnt it if I didn’t come to Space Trek. imagine a world of possibilities so I thought it good A few interesting things I learnt at Space Trek about to further my knowledge and skills with regards to space and satellites, is that the things that most South satellites, science and technology. Satellites are so Africans have in their home, DSTV, is made possible by important to technological advancement in the world a satellite which is really far away. It’s about 1000kms so I wanted learn more about the type of STEM field I into space and the atmosphere in which we live, the would like to pursue after high school and to empower troposphere is really small in comparison where the myself as a female in STEM for the future.

DSTV satellite is as it only expands up to 12kms.

Why do you think young women are less How does your satellite work? inclined to follow a STEM (Science, Technology, We were given a mission to measure the Engineering and Maths) related degree and temperature of the atmosphere up to five kilometres, career? so we built a CricketSat, a small satellite that was able In most societies there is still the stigma whereby to read back that requirement. The way my CricketSat women are the homemakers and are supposed to works, is that its connected do “feminine” things such as on a printed circuit board and housekeeping or teaching.

Women are equally capable as This past week at Space Trek, uses a 9V battery. The thing that measures the temperature is a men to work in STEM if they we’ve done so many new things. special kind of technology called are given the opportunity to a thermistor. As the temperature learn and obtain the necessary . rises or decreases, the rate that it resists current skills. Women need to know that it is possible with changes. That is how we would be able to measure determination and guidance to do anything. Break the temperature because the way the current flows, barriers and don’t let anyone put you in a stereotyped through the circuit would change with the temperature box. Prove the stigmas wrong! and the frequency that the waves that run through the Tell us about Space Trek: circuit would change. As the data is projected back to The past week at Space Trek, we’ve done so many new things. There was some revision from previous work a ground station we use a mathematical calculation to that I’ve done in previous grades in physical science, but turn the frequency metres into a temperature rating. The launch of the CricketSat has to happen on a clear day, most of the time we were learning about things in space using the helium balloon as a launch vehicle to send and satellites and how to build electronics. the CricketSat to the correct altitude where it will burst I enjoyed the practical side of learning. We were between four to six kilometres. first taught the theory which didn’t really make much Where to from here? sense at first. It felt as though we were thrown into the Space Trek has helped me learn that females don’t deep end, but then when we did the practical and all the only need to do a certain thing. In the community I come terms and rules and laws just ‘clicked’. from, we are taught that females should only do feminine What did you learn? jobs and do feminine things. Going into science isn’t This past week I’ve learnt so much about myself, really a thing a female should do. Space Trek showed that I don’t have the patience sometimes, that I get me that a person can do anything they set their minds really frustrated when something is hard and that I like to, and that really opened up my mind to many other speaking to other people and absorbing information possible careers I could follow after school. Currently from them. When I was with my team mate, we would I’m thinking of becoming either a doctor or a chemical continuously bounce ideas off each other and that engineer as I really enjoy biochemistry. helped me learn a lot.

“

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Photo Diary: Space Prep Space Prep is the first phase of the MEDO Space Programme. Every Saturday morning we visit local high schools to present a basic electronics workshop to a group of young science enthusiasts from the school. We introduce satellite concepts and teach the group to build and design their own small robot, a ‘jiggybot’. At the end of the day we have a race to see whose design is the fastest. Let’s go for it!

Images: Top: MEDO London representative Peter Burdin looks in at a workshop in the Treppie, the mobile learning centre.

Above: Maymoonah Stegman practicing with the solder iron.

Right: All the jiggybots are huddled together for the race.

Below: Finishing their designs, Likhona Tonisi and Thandile Phaliso test their designs before the jiggybot race.

Right corner: Lelethu Dyozayo mastering the art of the solder iron on her circuit board.

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FEATURE

Prepping for

WOMEN IN STEM MEDO NEWS

An insight to Mission Space Prep:

M

EDO’s Treppie Truck sponsored by ISUZU Trucks South Africa has been taking on the Cape Town tech industry one high school, one truck-full of young women at a time. Teaching basic electronics-focused workshops that culminate in the building of a mini robot, we are greeted with excitement and enthusiasm that can’t be measured elsewhere.

‘Treppie’, short for entrepreneur is MEDO’s socio-economic mobile incubator. Kitted with state-of-the-art technology, Treppie is able to drive into the heart of any community to offer assistance to local high schools open to a half day workshop focused on electronics. Carla de Klerk, Space Programme Manager runs the programme, “What the programme and the satellite is all about, is to inspire young women so that we have more people doing well in Science and Maths at school not only to become engineers, but teachers and a whole array of other professions. It is predicted that 80% of all future jobs in 2020 will be STEM related, with almost double the pay of non-STEM related careers. So what we are trying to do is to give these young women the best chance out there.”

Due to the under-supply of Mathematics and Science teachers in South Africa, there are insufficient STEM candidates and graduates to fill the jobs that are available. The MEDO Women in STEM programme is aimed at female high school learners from underserved communities to encourage them to study STEM subjects in their own time using internetbased learning materials. This programme does not compete with the government curriculum; it augments the courageous efforts by teachers with few resources at hand by providing after-hours workshops highlighting the learning materials available on the internet.

From 2015 to 2020 MEDO is running this programme in the Western Cape of South Africa, as the Provincial Government provides free access to internet in all public libraries.

The basis of the programme is the purchase by sister company MEDO.Space of a small format satellite and launch for 2016, followed by a series of partnered satellite projects and launches to 2020. MEDO.Space has partnered with Morehead State University in Kentucky USA on this Women in STEM programme, as they have been running a very similar one since 2009. Morehead is also a world leader in nano-satellite technology, which is why we are very excited for this partnership.

Space Prep Workshops are one day workshops delivered at high schools to young women in grades 10, 11 and 12 are introduced to small satellites, the jobs they can do and the electronics involved. The delegates solder together their own JiggyBot as a practical experience of how to build electronics. These ambassadors can apply for more demanding sessions. Workshops are held weekly on Saturdays and daily during school holidays. MEDO utilises a fully equipped mobile classroom reducing the barriers to zero. The plan is to deliver 45 workshops a year with 15 attendees in each workshop. To date, half of those attending Space Prep have decided to pursue STEM as a career. This year, we plan to impact at least 2000 female high school learners per year, through the one-day Space Prep workshops.

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Photo Diary: Space Trek Space Trek is the second phase of the MEDO Space Programme that sees chosen applicants from Space Prep design, build and launch a small satellite, a CricketSat to measure the temperature of the atmosphere up to 8km. They are also expected to present their ďŹ ndings at a formal presentation day to professors, teachers, business people and of course their parents. What an exciting project!

Images: Top: Loyisile Dlomo taking charge in her presentations on her findings and analysis.

Above: MEDO CEO Judi Sandrock opens the highly anticipated presentation day.

Right: Ayesha Salie, Sesam Mngqengqiswa and Bhanekazi Thandwa, a CricketSat team enjoying the week-long bootcamp.

Images: Above: Nikiwe Jela taking a moment with her team members in the bootcamp classroom.

Left: Dr Benjamin Malphrus and Jennifer Carter from Morehead State University helping a team read and analyse the data from their recently launched CricketSat. 32

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Images: Top left: Bhanekazi Thandwa and Pheobyn Filander listening intently to the presentations of their teammates.

Top right: Amanda Lutshetu having fun in her presentation.

Above: Nikiwe Jela, Siphelele Mangnana and Pheobyn Filander take a well-deserved break after their launch and analysis.

Left: And lift off! All the CricketSats were launched one at a time using weather balloons that flew up to 8 km!

Images: Above: Dr Benjamin Malphrus and Siphelele Mangnana working hard at capturing the data from her CricketSat. Right: The bootcamp works primarily as a classroom setup in which participants learn the basics of electronics, radio communication and satellite development before picking up their soldering irons to build their CricketSats.

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WOMEN IN STEM

FEATURE

Become involved.

MEDO NEWS

involved.

MEDO has joined the funding organisation, GivenGain to allow excited philanthropists to form part of our exciting projects focused on economic development on all three spheres. We currently focus on the technical skills of high school women, starting entrepreneurs in hard to reach communities, and budding businesses ready to start trading internationally. This funding project is run under SEDO (Socio-Economic Development Organisation) MEDO’s Non Profit Company and has been operating since 2012. The focus of the organisation is job creation, with the focus on underserved or underserviced communities.

T

he first project that we are running the campaign is the Women in STEM Space Programme currently running in Western Cape and effectively aims to reach 2000 students a year through one day workshops that teaches them basic electronic skills to effectively build a robot. 4 Times a year we also take a select group of young women on a week-long bootcamp which is electronics and telecommunication intensive and sees them launching small self-built satellites with the help of high altitude balloons. MEDO has bought the first privately owned satellite (and will be launching one every year until 2020, and this acts as driving force to the programme.

The second project is 1.stop.capetown Treppie Tours where we bring business development workshops to underserved communities in the City of Cape Town bringing entrepreneurship and enterprise development. Treppie (short for “Entrepreneur”) is a mobile business centre and training facility. The team delivers Opportunity Recognition workshops and one-day Introduction to Business workshops, business skills training and introductions to markets. In eleven weeks of Treppie Tours the team has assisted 1 160 aspiring entrepreneurs. The MEDO Centre in Cape Town provides a full suite of support, delivering the MEDO International Trade and Supplier Development Programmes.

Six visits to Great Britain have introduced Treppie beneficiaries to international opportunities, and supplier engagements have been facilitated across South Africa.

The final project is of course our famed International Trade Programme. MEDO has been running the International Trade Programme between South Africa and the United Kingdom successfully since 2011. This programme is the most effective and successful to be run from South Africa (DTI sources) as entrepreneurs are key to economic growth. The values portrayed through the programme are aligned with corporate cultures and brands wanting to support the success of small businesses in South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Follow the link on below to MEDO’s exciting projects where you can choose a funding option that will fit your wallet and needs, whether it be a double digit amount or even the sponsoring of a whole programme. See how you can play a part in building South Africa’s economy one job at a time. www.givengain.com/search/medo/campaigns 34

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in the

news

MEDO kick starts sa’s MOst

far rEachED privatE sEctOr prOjEct

In June 2015 MEDO launched the ‘Woman in Stem Space Programme’ to encourage young woman in SA to enter STEM fields.

January 2016 saw the next phase of this programme begin.

14 young school girls were selected from 120 graduates that attended the MEDO Space Prep programme throughout various schools in the Cape, to take part in the Spacetrek Bootcamp. This was held at the High Africa Conference Centre in Worcester – in attendance from Morehead State University (USA) was Jennifer Carter and Dr Benjamin Malphrus and two Spacetrek USA alumni’s.

Below is just some of the awesome coverage received to date, demonstrating the passionate enthusiasm shown by the media for this programme.

The PR value for companies involved is invaluable, with over R11 million in PR value obtained so far and we’ve really only just gotten started.

Enjoy MEDO space programme in the spotlight.

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SUBSCRIBE! ADVERTISE! FOLLOW! CONNECT! If you’d like to have the next edition of MEDO delivered to your doorstep or have a couple copies ready in your office, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We also offer advertising packages for both our print and online media.

Otherwise, should you have a query or are merely looking to connect, we would love to hear from you!

medonews / medospace MEDOnews medo.co.za 010 500 5000 36

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