How the Mawazo Institute helped launch a Kenyan IT scientist’s career as an entrepreneur
Image credit: Dorcas Mwigereri
Author: Naliaka Odera
Before joining the Mawazo Fellowship Programme in 2023, Dorcas Mwigereri was already an accomplished youth activist and the founder of a company called Solar Jiji Technologies, which utilised her ongoing PhD research. What she lacked was a sense of direction, a strategy to elevate her business and research journey and additional funding to complete her research.
What Dorcas found with Mawazo was so much more. When she joined a research project that required an expensive laptop, she felt like she had run out of options. She sought advice and support from Mawazo and her appointed Mentor, who connected her with the Emergent Ventures Grant, a partner organisation. Through the Grant, she was able to purchase a laptop that would better support her research goals, and also accessed additional funding for her company. During her time as a Mawazo Fellow, Dorcas received funding from both Delta 40 and Emergent Ventures.
Image Credit: Mawazo Institute
She also found her mentor, Dr. Rose Mutiso, to be an invaluable support in her research career. Dr. Rose introduced Dorcas directly to an expert in her field, who was able to advise her on aligning her research and being more intentional. Additionally, Dr. Rose provided great encouragement and support with personal issues. Dorcas shared “I have received mentorship elsewhere but I must say that none matched the support that Dr. Rose gave.”
Between the capacity building Dorcas received from Delta 40 and Emergent Ventures, as well as the financial support, the impact of the Fellowship has extended beyond her PhD journey to bolster her business. Going through the courses on the MLEx platform, while challenging, also had a significant impact on Dorcas’ research journey. “The first module especially impacted me. I learned how to simplify my research and communicate it to people who are not in the same field.” That training further aided Dorcas when Mawazo connected her with national media for a live panel interview on KTN News in March 2024.
As she nears the end of her PhD journey, Dorcas declares, “Mawazo has been a game changer.” Her goals post the Fellowship are to continue as both an entrepreneur and an academic, now equipped with the extra skills and resources provided by Mawazo.
The Call for Applications for the 2025 Mawazo Fellowship Programme Cohort is now open until Sunday November 24th, 2024, find out more here and apply.