November Internal Newsletter
November...What a beautiful month you were🤩
Empowering Young Voices and Pioneering Africa’s Tech Future
Earlier this month, the Africa Tech Festival brought together thousands of innovators from the technology, telecommunications, and digital transformation sectors, fostering collaboration and sparking hope for Africa’s future. Here are some standout moments:
✨ Shaping the Future with Visionary Leadership
Our Founding Managing Director, Shalane Yuen, captivated audiences during a panel discussion titled "The AI Talent Crunch: Solutions for Skills Gaps and Training Needs." She highlighted the value of foundational and complementary skills paired with the human touch to address Africa’s AI talent gaps. Her insights resonated deeply, sparking essential conversations about the continent’s evolving workforce needs.
✨ Celebrating Innovation and Collaboration
The YALI Alumni Expo stood out as the festival’s centrepiece, showcasing transformative innovations and ideas from Education Changemakers and YALI alumni. These inspiring individuals demonstrated the creativity and resilience shaping Africa’s future, underlining the importance of community-led initiatives.
The 2024 Africa Tech Festival and YALI Trade & Expo were nothing short of extraordinary, surpassing all expectations. Olona Tywabi, our Communications Manager captured the magic of the event perfectly: “Witnessing Africa come to life in such an inspiring way was truly awe-inspiring. You had to be there to fully appreciate it—it was phenomenal.” This celebration of innovation, collaboration, and potential showcased the transformative power of African ingenuity on a global stage.
At the YALI Alumni Expo & Tradeshow 2024, Mzwandile Msimanga, our Special Projects & Partnerships Manager shared a transformative message: “The most impactful solutions were born from community-driven efforts, not confined to boardrooms.” Under the theme Innovating, Initiating, and Impacting, he urged participants to collaborate meaningfully and focus on actions that create lasting change. His words served as a rallying cry to elevate grassroots perspectives and prioritize authentic partnerships.
As the week ended, we celebrated the connections made and the bold ideas shared. The momentum generated at these events reminded us of the power of collaboration to drive progress. Let’s carry forward this energy and commitment to building a brighter, more inclusive future.
Welcome to the TNF Family Milisa!
We’re excited to introduce our Monitoring, Evaluating, Research and Learning (MERL) Manager, Milisa Janda - a seasoned evaluator and researcher with over a decade of experience in the education sector. Milisa’s impressive career spans numerous education initiatives across Africa, with a focus on teacher development, literacy interventions, and digital learning.
Currently, Milisa is completing her Master of Arts in e-Science at Wits University, further building on her MPhil in Monitoring and Evaluation from Stellenbosch University and a Bachelor of Arts in Black Studies from Amherst College, Massachusetts.
Milisa is passionate about the transformative power of education. Her work is driven by a deep commitment to creating meaningful change in underserved communities, ensuring that every learner can thrive.
Outside of her impactful work, Milisa enjoys diving into fiction, watching documentaries, and tackling 1000+ piece puzzles—because no challenge is too big for her!
Milisa is inspired by the words of Ijeoma Umebinyuo:
"We are aware of the many reasons to fall apart, to break apart, to never rise again, but we have lived in the glory of standing with our face towards the sun again and again."
Welcome to the team Milisa!
Creating Safer, Supportive School Environments for All 💭
In November, at Bonwelong Primary School in Ivory Park, Johannesburg, we took significant steps toward fostering safer and more supportive environments for both learners and teachers facing mental health challenges. In partnership with My Online Therapist (MOT), our Psychosocial Support Programme successfully trained a group of Psychosocial Care Agents to provide life-saving support to those in need.
Through hands-on workshops, trauma-sensitive techniques, and teacher empowerment strategies, these agents are now equipped with the knowledge and skills to become pillars of hope, understanding, and support within their school communities.
The aim is simple: ensure no one faces mental health challenges alone. By empowering those on the front lines—our teachers and caregivers—we’re building a future where every child and teacher feels seen, heard, and supported.
What role can each of us play in this mission? Whether through advocacy, kindness, or active listening, we all have the power to contribute to a healthier, more compassionate learning environment.
Celebrating Albertina Cossa and the Upcoming Arrival of Her Baby!
We also had the joy of celebrating our dear colleague, Albertina Cossa, as she prepares to welcome her little one into the world. The baby shower was an unforgettable occasion, filled with laughter, fun games, and heartfelt moments.
It was a beautiful time for the team to come together and share our best wishes with Betty and her growing family. Several members of the TNF team offered thoughtful advice, and one piece stood out: “There is no formula, do what you think is best for your baby.” It was a reminder of the importance of trusting our instincts and embracing the unique journey of parenthood.
We are all excited to see Betty embark on this new chapter, and we wish her and her baby nothing but love, joy, and countless blessings.
Celebrating Innovation: Women and Girls in Tech at the 2024 Coding Competition
This year’s Coding Competition, proudly presented by the Trevor Noah Foundation in partnership with Edunova, was an event to remember! Learners from our Khulani Schools Program (KSP) schools—Eqinisweni Secondary School, Siyabonga Secondary School, and Willow Crescent Secondary School—came together to showcase their incredible coding talents.
The theme, Women and Girls in Tech, was a powerful reminder of the vital role women and girls play in technology. It sparked creativity and innovation among our young learners, encouraging them to think critically about how technology can drive change in their communities.
The competition featured three exciting tasks that challenged the students to think outside the box:
Poster Creation: Students showcased their understanding of a website’s purpose through a creative poster design.
Scratch Project: Learners developed a game that either empowered or marketed their website, incorporating tech and creativity.
Website Creation: Students presented websites focused on addressing key issues affecting women and girls in tech, with a particular focus on empowerment and equality.
The energy, creativity, and innovation demonstrated by the students were truly inspiring. We are so proud of all the learners who participated and look forward to seeing how they continue to break barriers in the tech world!
