FOUNDERS’ CORNER
The second quarter of 2025 has been a season of growth and increased impact at the Visiola Foundation. With more students reached through our STEM programs and community outreach initiatives, we are witnessing the power of access and opportunity in transforming lives. As young African girls engage in high-quality STEM education and experiential learning, their confidence, creativity, and problem-solving skills continue to flourish. These efforts align with our commitment to closing the gender gap in STEM and nurturing the next generation of innovators driving inclusive economic growth across the continent. his season also marks an exciting milestone in our leadership journey with the appointment of a new Chief Operating Officer. Her expertise and vision will play a key role in strengthening our operations and scaling our impact across the continent
Following a strong start to the year, the second quarter was marked by further meaningful progress and engagement. From May to July, our After-School STEM Clubs for Girls (ASCG) impacted 1384 junior and senior secondary school students across 35 Government Secondary Schools in Abuja. Through this program, we educate, train, mentor, and inspire students to see challenges in their communities as opportunities to create solutions using science, technology, engineering, and math. 37 students graduated from our Coding Boot Camp for Women. These initiatives are helping to equip young women with the skills and confidence they need to thrive in STEM fields and become problem solvers in their communities.
We hope you enjoy reading about our students’ achievements in the second quarter of this year. Stay connected with us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more updates on our work and impact.
Warm Regards,
Ladé
Our Activities in Q2 2025
Q1= May, June and July
- 37 African Women From Kenya, Nigeria, And Uganda Graduate From Our Bootcamp
The Visiola Foundation’s Hybrid Coding Bootcamp was an intensive twelve-week training program that prepared participants for diverse roles in the tech industry, from programming and data analysis to design and entrepreneurship. The boot camp was held on March 17 – June 6, 2025. It ran from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (WAT) daily, Monday to Friday, and classes were held in-person and via Zoom. Participants were taught four different tracks: UI/UX Design, Frontend Web Development, Backend Web Development, and Data Analytics. In addition to the formal technical instruction, students received mentoring and coaching from seasoned professionals through The Visiola Foundation’s Tech Mentor Hangouts, including Oyeleye Ogunsanya (Design Lead at Risevest) and Bunmi Odumade (Founder/Senior Engineering Leader at TechBees).
They worked on individual assignments and group challenges that enhanced their learning, critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving abilities. The aim of the boot camp was to encourage more women to pursue technical careers by empowering them with vital knowledge to facilitate their success. The camp ended with a hybrid closing competition where participants presented their final group projects.
The group projects are summarized below:
- Group 1 – Serenity: a digital mental health support platform for the workplace.
- Group 2 – Spenic: a web-based fertility companion designed exclusively for African Men.
- Group 3 – Learnflex: an educational website focused on digital learning.
At the end of the closing competition, Group 1 (Serenity) emerged as the winner of the competition. Outstanding students were also recognized in each track: Pascaline Okonkwo for Data Analytics, Victoria Owotunse for UI/UX Design, Okiemute Idjerhe-Oharisi for Frontend Web Development, and Aisha Adamu for Backend Web Development. Additionally, we were pleased to have Leslie Isah (Product Designer), Ngozi Aguluka (Software Developer), and Samuel Ekpoto (Full stack Developer) serve as judges during the closing competition.
In-person CBC Students
Powwow Session with Mrs. Lade Araba
UI/UX Design Students working on their projects
Victoria (27), Best in UI/UX Design track
2025 Hybrid Coding Boot Camp (CBC) Students
2. 1384 Girls Participated In After-School Stem Clubs
We held our After-School STEM Clubs for Girls in 25 Government Secondary Schools (GSS) and 10 Government Junior Secondary Schools. During this session, students were taught how to design and build snap circuits and robots. The program ran for 9 weeks. The club sessions started on Monday, May 5, 2025, and ran until Friday, July 4, 2025, for 9 weeks. Lessons were taught every week at a stipulated time. Students actively participated during lessons and provided feedback on class activities within a set deadline. Weekly tasks were assigned, which the students were mandated to turn in by the end of the week.
To achieve this great feat, The Visiola Foundation, in partnership with the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB) and FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), runs STEM clubs for girls in 25 Government Senior Secondary Schools and 10 Government Junior Secondary Schools in the Federal Capital Territory. The schools include MSS Maitama, ADSS Asokoro, GDSS Karu, GDSS Wuse II, GSS Wuse Zone 3, GSS Tudun Wada, GSS Dei-Dei, GSS Jabi, GGSS Duste, GSS Jibi, GSS Apo, GSS Life Camp, GSS Lugbe, GSS Nyanya, GSS Bwari, GSS Gwarinpa, GSS Garki, GSS Mabushi, GSS Kubwa, GSS Kagini, GDSS Bwari, GSS Karu, GSS Kuje, GSS Gwagwalada, GDSS Dutse, GSS Byazhin, JSS Lugbe, JSS Wuse Zone 3, JSS Dutse Alhaji, JSS Karu, JSS Nyanya, JSS Gwarinpa, MJSS Maitama, JSS Kubwa, and JSS Kado Kuchi.
JSS Students building a circuit
GSS Students building a robot
JSS Students building a circuit
GSS Students programming their robot
After-School STEM Clubs for Girls – June 18 Outreach
On June 18, 2025, our team organized a STEM outreach program, at Government Secondary School, Kuje, impacting 246 students. The event, themed “Robotics for Her: Designing, Building, Leading,” featured interactive, hands-on sessions in Robotics and Electronics, where students delved into practical applications, fostering creativity and problem-solving skills.
Through this program, we ignited curiosity, built confidence, and encouraged participants to envision themselves as future innovators and tech leaders.
Pictures From The Outreach
Students showcasing their completed circuits
An Instructor assisting students in building an elevator
Students presenting their project
Students express excitement after completing their project
Students building a circuit
Students happily displaying props
3.The Visiola Foundation Appoints Jacqueline Malenga as COO
The Visiola Foundation has appointed Jacqueline Malenga as Chief Operating Officer (COO) to boost the African non-profit’s mission of increasing access to life-transforming science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and experiential learning opportunities for girls and young women from underserved communities across the African continent.
An entrepreneur, senior executive, science graduate and CISCO certified network engineer, Jacqueline will leverage her experience to develop and lead the overall implementation of the Foundation’s programs and activities, budget implementation, fundraising for long-term sustainability, as well as serve as an ambassador for the organization.
Ms. Jacqueline (COO) and the VF Team
Ms. Jacqueline (COO) and Mrs. Lade Araba (Co-Founder & President of the Visiola Foundation)