Tag Archives: Africa

November 14, 2014 · 4:59 pm

Recording TechWomen

During October, Everwise was pleased and honored to host two TechWomen Emerging Leaders: Mai Temraz (of Palestine) and Seham Al Jaafreh (of Jordan) in San Francisco. One of the projects we three worked on all month was making a series of videos about mentoring – featuring Seham and Mai speaking in Arabic. I have been processing the videos, adding music and animation. Six of the seven recordings are already posted on YouTube:

Everwise: Mentoring in Arab Culture (In Arabic), Featuring Seham Al Jaafreh
Everwise: Mentoring Feedback (In Arabic), Featuring Mai Temraz
Everwise: Mentoring Recommendations and Resources (In Arabic), Featuring Mai Temraz
Everwise: Questions for Your Mentor? (In Arabic), Featuring Mai Temraz
Everwise: Mentoring Introductions (In Arabic), Featuring Mai Termaz
Everwise: Why Be a Mentor? (In Arabic), Featuring Seham Al Jaafreh

15 November update: Why Mentoring? (In Arabic), Featuring Seham Al Jaafreh, has now been posted – that is the whole initial video set!

These videos present mentoring in simple words, communicating to potential mentors and proteges. If you are interested in mentoring but do not understand exactly how it can work for your circumstances, this series is for you. Mentoring is new to many cultures, and not all languages even have a word for the practice.

In addition to these videos, Mai and I were audio-recorded by StoryCorps at the San Francisco Main Public Library. Also, a picture including Seham and me was featured on the TechWomen banner on display at the US State Department in Washington DC. It was a well-recorded month!

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Tagged as Africa, Jordan, Mentoring, Middle East, Palestine, San Francisco, technical women, TechWomen

November 5, 2014 · 6:12 am

TechWomen in Washington DC – Day 4

Yesterday, the TechWomen visited the US State Department, including a formal lunch at the Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room. This is one of my favorite events during the TechWomen program! I was honored to sit next to the fascinating Ambassador Catherine M. Russell of the US State Department Office of Global Women’s Issues at lunch. I was very proud of Everwise Emerging Leaders Seham Al Jaafreh (Jordan) and Mai Temraz (Palestine) for both speaking to US government dignitaries and officials during group discussions. Mai was one of two Emerging Leaders asked to be on the luncheon panel. They have both started their post-TechWomen journeys to see some more of the USA: Seham to New York City, and Mai to Chicago. I already miss them both very much. Their intelligence, energy, and vibrant enthusiasm are an inspiration.

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Tagged as Africa, Jordan, Mentoring, Middle East, Palestine, technical women, TechWomen

November 3, 2014 · 5:54 pm

TechWomen in Washington DC – Days 2 and 3

Yesterday, eleven of the TechWomen visited to the National Zoo together. The ladies from Kenya left early (since, as they said, they see many of these animals on the way to work every day). In the afternoon, we all went on a Potomac River Cruise at sunset. Today was our first day of meetings at the US State Department. I was very proud of Everwise Emerging Leader Mai Temraz (Palestine) for addressing Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State David Thorne. Mai talked about the importance of professional women being persistent and open with their government (and with their husbands!) about their vision and accomplishments – to get the support they need.

I took the opportunity of US Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith meeting with the TechWomen to present her with a deck of the Notable Women in Computing playing cards. She loved them! My favorite quotes from her talk:

“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”
“If not us, who?”
“Things don’t magically happen, people do things.”

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Tagged as Africa, Mentoring, Middle East, Palestine, technical women, TechWomen

November 2, 2014 · 5:06 am

Touring the Capital with TechWomen – Day 1

Yesterday, a group of between five and ten TechWomen Emerging Leaders from Africa and the Middle East and I toured Washington DC, seeing the Smithsonian (Air & Space, American History, and Natural History) and Washington Monument, and a very big dog. We had dinner at the excellent Food Corner Kabob House (all halal!) with several other groups of TechWomen out and about. We then walked through a cold wind to the White House and Lincoln Memorial at night. It was inspiring to join in their enthusiasm for this remarkable place!

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Tagged as Africa, Jordan, Mentoring, Middle East, Palestine, technical women, TechWomen

November 1, 2014 · 5:49 am

TechWomen in Washington DC

My TechWomen Emerging Leaders Seham Al Jaafreh (Jordan) and Mai Temraz (Palestine) did a great job on their final presentations to the Everwise teams – live in San Francisco, and calling in from New York and Minneapolis, on Thursday. Yesterday, we traveled to the nation’s capital, and today we start our meetings and tours in Washington D.C.

During our short month together, Mai passed two amateur radio operators exam levels (the first Palestinian woman to do so!), Seham won a big funding award then remotely managed her Mutah Knowledge Station team in Jordan to complete the follow up requirements, and together we created seven videos in Arabic about mentoring for Everwise, to be posted on YouTube. I am so proud of Mai and Seham!

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Tagged as Africa, Jordan, Middle East, Palestine, San Francisco, technical women, TechWomen

October 18, 2014 · 7:41 pm

New Tablecloths from Africa

I just picked up my two new tablecloths and sets of napkins from Alterations by Ioana (in Willow Glen, San Jose, California). I challenged Ioana to take the two lovely bolts of polished cotton I bought in Rwanda with the TechWomen delegation in February 2014, and turn them into something that would fit my formal dining table. By adding panels to the sides and using the pattered selvage as the border, Ioana did a great job!

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Tagged as Africa, House Work, Rwanda, San Jose, technical women, TechWomen

October 7, 2014 · 7:45 am

TechWomen Opening Day 2014!

Yesterday was the TechWomen 2014 opening event for participants from 16 countries in Africa and the Middle East (plus the USA!) – generously hosted by Juniper Networks again in Sunnyvale, California. During the next five weeks, I will be the Professional Mentor for Seham Jaafreh from Jordan – working together at Everwise In San Francisco. Lucy Keoni will also be working with Seham as her Cultural Mentor.

Assistant US Secretary of State Evan Ryan made the welcome announcement that the countries included in TechWomen 2015 will be extended to South Central Asia!