2019 Annual Report Index
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2019 ANNUAL REPORT INDEX Letter from Our CEO 04 Our Approach 05 Creating a world in Our Values 06 About Mawazo 07 which the voices Our Ideas On The Move 08 and ideas of African Our Programmes 10 PhD Scholars Programme 11 women help shape Mawazo Learning Exchange 18 the future of the Public Engagement Programme 20 Policy Programme 25 continent. Conferences and Workshops 26 - Dr. Rose M. Mutiso Publications and Media 30 CEO & Co-Founder of the Mawazo Institute Awards and Grants 33 Financial Report 34 The Mawazo Board 36 The Mawazo Team 38 Our Partners 42 4 2019 ANNUAL REPORT, MAWAZO INSTITUTE 2019 ANNUAL REPORT, MAWAZO INSTITUTE 5 Letter from the CEO Our Approach Leveraging academia and women to generate new ideas for Africa To our Mawazo family, As an organisation founded By two young scientists, Mawazo views science as a powerful tool for transforming society and culture, and academia as a source for the fresh ideas needed to tackle Writing this in the middle of an unexpected gloBal Africa’s big challenges. At Mawazo, we: crisis and the tragic loss of many lives as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is my hope that this Report finds you well. As we try to understand and respond to a rapidly changing public health crisis impacting every sector of our society, Mawazo is committed Y E N I F G to playing its role in the region’s response. This T A includes doing our part to insulate Both our team N G and beneficiaries from the impacts of COVID-19, E E supporting the ecosystem we work in, and serving D I as a source for locally-relevant, and much needed science communication. An approach that we have summarised in a statement on our website detailing D our COVID-19 response for 2020. T E R Bearing all this in mind, I can’t help but feel a renewed V E O sense of pride for everything we accomplished in L P 2019. We not only expanded our dedicated team of O P staff, but also welcomed our inaugural board (pg P S U 36). With the support of this expanded team, we research sector. In a country in which only 11% of were able to make significant progress in deepening PhD students graduate on time, this is no small feat. our programmatic reach, fundraising portfolio and In the ‘Our Ideas on the Move’ section, we paint a operational strategies. Changes that have helped picture of our PhD Scholars’ contributions to the make Mawazo nimbler and more resilient this year. gloBal scientific community, as well as Mawazo’s own reach, helping us visualize what’s possible Find women with In 2019, we also made several foundational when we invest in young women in East Africa (pg 8.) ideas, from PhD advancements and graduated the first cohort of PhD scholars to early- Scholars—a group of 10 young, innovative Kenyan Looking back at 2019, I can say that the community career academics Help them develop women whose research is tackling pressing local of people supporting Mawazo not only grew, but also and researchers. their ideas by issues from climate change, to rapid urbanisation, increased in depth. Growth of this kind is not always providing research, Support their career to the threat of zoonotic viruses (pg 12). I remain guaranteed, But always welcome. From the Bottom funding, training and development through encouraged By the efforts of our 2018 PhD Scholars of my heart, I thank you all for believing in our vision other support. professional and Help them share who since completing their fellowship year in May and committing your support to it. leadership training, their ideas with 2019, have continued to soar from success to mentorship, and policymakers success. networks. and the public by offering training and With our support, they have received additional platforms for policy grants to continue their research and professional outreach and public training, attracted awards and recognition from engagement. their peers, and for some, completed their doctoral Rose M. Mutiso, Ph.D. degrees, establishing themselves firmly in Kenya’s CEO and Co-Founder 6 2019 ANNUAL REPORT, MAWAZO INSTITUTE Our Values About Mawazo An African and woman-led organisation, with unique insights into the challenges that we seek to address. Collaboration The Mawazo Institute is non-profit research We are collaborative and institute based in Nairobi, Kenya. In Kiswahili, partnership driven — as “mawazo” means “ideas.” Our mission to a team and within our Respect support the next generation of female scholars and thought leaders in East Africa, and to get ecosystem. We treat policymakers and the general public engaged everyone with with their work. We envision a world in which the dignity. ideas and voices of African women are amplified to shape the future of the continent. Integrity Our Founder’s Story We are principled, Mawazo was founded in 2017 By Dr. Rose transparent, and Purpose M. Mutiso, a Materials Scientist By training, consistent in all we do. We are bold and ambitious. We and Rachel Strohm, a Social Scientist, who work hard and with conviction. met while pursuing undergraduate studies at We are optimistic about our work Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, USA. As and its impact. they advanced in their careers, both Rose and Rachel found that they were fewer women, in particular African women, engaged in high level policy discussions, important public debates, Independence and academic leadership. Given the gendered- impacts of many of today’s socio-economic Our grantees set their own research challenges—from food and water security, to agendas and their fndings are not Excellence energy access, to education, health care, and influenced By funders, or others We raise the standard through creativity, migration—they both felt an urgent need to innovation, and rigor. We are curious, ensure that women’s talents, ideas, perspectives, and skills were infused into tknowledge sectors. adaptable, value growth, and are continually learning. With a focus on African development, our founders believe that young, dynamic, African women are Key to unlocking a more secure and equitable future for the continent, and that academia can help generate new ideas for the continent. This is why Mawazo invests in the next generation of African women, supporting early- career researchers to become thought leaders and changemakers in academia, industry, civil society, and the public sector. 8 2019 ANNUAL REPORT, MAWAZO INSTITUTE 2019 ANNUAL REPORT, MAWAZO INSTITUTE 9 Mawazo’s staff, scholars and board are part of Our Ideas On a global community of researchers and subject- matter experts who are fnding platforms to share their ideas and research, and connect with other The Move like-minded individuals. EDINBURGH, UK CAMBRIDGE, UK LONDON, UK PARIS, FRANCE AUGSBURG, GERMANY CAMBRIDGE, USA 1 EVENT HOSTED VIRTUALLY MEXICO CITY, MEXICO MUMBAI, INDIA LAKIPIA COUNTY, KENYA DAKAR, SENEGAL 10 awards NAIROBI, KENYA Given to Mawazo PhD Scholars 8 events DAR-ES-SALAAM, TANZANIA Organised by Mawazo Staff 1 workshop BLANTYRE, MALAWI Organised by Mawazo PhD Scholars 37 conferences & workshops Attended By Mawazo and Mawazo PhD Scholars CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA 10 2019 ANNUAL REPORT, MAWAZO INSTITUTE 11 YY E N Our Programmes IIFF G TT A N G E E Providing academic and career D I support to early career female The PhD Scholar’s D D T E and African researchers E R V R V O EE O L PP Our programmes provide resources to LOO PP P SSUU Programme academics, researchers, and people interested in science throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. We focus on helping young African women to launch careers in academia and research, working with On average, women make up less than one-third from six African countries. Our 10 PhD Scholars them to build their core expertise and equipping of researchers in African countries, and much are pioneering knowledge around health them to be public-facing scholars who are poised less in many countries like Kenya where they outcomes, urban development, climate change, to influence policy and public discourse with only make up 25% of researchers1. The result is migration, cultural preservation, and agriculture, their ideas. Our core programmes target Kenya that women’s perspectives continue to be locked with research that is both urgent and compelling. and the East African region, complementing out of knowledge production and problem- the worK of other national, regional, and gloBal solving on many issues. To help remedy this Over the course of the programme year, Mawazo actors offering support to African researchers, under-representation, Mawazo launched the disBursed over $86,000 in grants and stipends universities, and research institutions. PhD Scholars Programme in 2018. to Scholars, providing a much-needed source of local funding for researchers. We also provided The PhD Scholars Programme The programme provides a one-year, non- the PhD Scholars with invaluable mentorship provides research funding and residential fellowship for African women who and networking opportunities, while attracting professional development training are under 40 and pursuing PhD studies in East new funding to the programme that will help to young women pursuing doctoral Africa, within any discipline in STEM and the ensure its sustainability. research in STEM and the social social sciences. Scholars also receive grants to sciences in East Africa. support their research, conference travel, and We are encouraged By the results from our first access to ongoing training for their professional year and looK forward to welcoming the second The Mawazo Learning Exchange development. By supporting innovative young cohort of PhD Scholars, supported By funding (formerly the ‘Training & Resources’ women in this way, Mawazo hopes to amplify our from the Wiliam and Flora Hewlett Foundation Programme) is our open online Scholars’ engaging research, and position them and the International Development Research platform that provides e-learning as leading experts, thinkers, and innovators Centre (IDRC).