January 2014

www.infodev.org twitter: @infoDev

CONTACT INFORMATION

Meet the Entrepreneurs

Akirachix Mobile Innovation

akirachix

Inspiring young women in technology by creating a powerful network across Africa

Judith Owigar, President and Operations Director, Kenya

Nairobi, Kenya

+254 60 529876, +254 94 515189

jowigar@akirachix.com

www.akirachix.com

/AkiraChix

@akirachix

CHALLENGEAlthough women represent more than half of the world’s workforce, they are often under-represented in the formal

workplace. Some sectors are experiencing significant gender gaps, ICT being one of the most prominent examples. In Kenya, only 15% of the working force in ICT are women. This can be explained by difficulties related to acquiring the education and training necessary to develop an appropriate skill set, but also by misconceptions and lack of information on what the sector is about. Women earning low incomes in particular have far fewer opportunities to enter the technological sector as they mostly settle into jobs in informal economies with low prospects for advancing in a professional career.

“WE CAN CHANGE THE IMAGE OF AFRICA BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF WOMEN

IN TECHNOLOGY.”

IDEAJudith Owigar, together with three other women, Linda Kamau, Angela Oduor, and Marie Githinji, formed Akirachix

in 2011 with the goal of promoting a new female ICT workforce in Africa. The project also aims to be socially inclusive by bringing access to technology and entrepreneurship to the most disadvantaged. To reach this goal, the team has developed a series of workshops offered in Nairobi slums. They have created activities in partnership with the academic, public, and private sectors as well as with civil society organizations. Akirachix, which stands for energetic and intellectual women, offers a number of workshops on basic skills development and interdisciplinary trainings to Kenyan women. These are complemented with a wide range of networking events, such as Mobile Garage and Girls in ICT Day, where professional women in ICT are invited to encourage young girls to consider a career in the sector.

“AKIRA IS A JAPANESE WORD MEANING ENERGY AND INTELLIGENCE. AKIRACHIX STANDS FOR ENERGETIC AND INTELLECTUAL WOMEN.”

BUSINESS MODELAkirachix is a social startup. Formed by a core team of

eight entrepreneurs (7 women and 1 man), it develops its work with the support of a large number of volunteers (usually former recipients of training courses) who provide mentoring to new students. It has also developed a strong network of key partners such as iHub, Google Rise, Computer Aid, Seneca Group, and infoDev, who support the organization in a number of ways. Akirachix originally benefited from an infoDev grant and a sponsorship from Google Rise, and the startup still mainly relies on grants and external support. Each training program has a series of different sponsors. However, Akirachix is planning to diversify its income by charging event and training participants and by offering consulting services.

Supported by:

www.infodev.org twitter: @infoDev

NEXT STEPS

KEY OUTCOMES

VALUE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERSAttending to the most vulnerable: Akirachix offers scholarships and provides education programs in schools and universities to empower women earning low incomes.

BUSINESS FACTS

Introduce a basic computer skills program for children between 9 and 12

Establish a training program in smaller cities outside of Nairobi

Support other organizations with similar visions in guiding women towards technology in Kenya or abroad

Diversify revenue through charging for training and consulting services

Consolidate and expand the network of partners and sponsors

WORKING WITH infoDev

•FUNDING FROM infoDev COVERED THE MOBILE GARAGE PROGRAM, for students across Kenya, including developer bootcamps and community building events.

•THROUGH INITIAL SUPPORT FROM infoDev, Akirachix got more organized and formalized and could hire an administrator.

•FOLLOW-ON FUNDING FROM SIDA (Swedish International Development Agency) could be obtained when Akirachix had put good structures in place.

ENTREPRENEUR’S INSIGHTS

•START A PROJECT WITH THE RESOURCES YOU HAVE: Do not wait for the perfect moment to start, it may never come.

•BUILD ON A GOOD SUPPORT NETWORK: It is crucial to develop good relationships with key stakeholders.

•DO NOT GIVE UP: Failure is a part of the learning process of an entrepreneur.

•HOLD ON TO YOUR PASSION: Having a vision of the goal you want to reach is what keeps you going.

2

1,992USERS REACHED

MAJOR DONORS

JOBS CREATED

WOMEN THAT FOUND EMPLOYMENT

NUMBER OF PEOPLE TRAINED

NUMBER OF EVENTSORGANIZED

(70% women)

(Google Rise and infoDev)

5

23

396

12 networking events