Kenya Space Agency

🛰️Last week, #Space4Women brought together brilliant minds and passionate hearts from around the globe, sharing initiatives and fostering collaborations to make the space sector more inclusive. Day 2 was a celebration of the transformative power of education. Through the inspiring stories of Lily Asongfac, Ira Sharma, and Hira Fatima, we witnessed how education can unlock potential and shape brighter futures for generations to come. Ameera Ali and Angela Veitch’s presentation of the Gender Streamline Toolkit further highlighted the critical role of top-level support in driving meaningful progress toward gender equality. On Day 3, the focus shifted to entrepreneurship and raising awareness. Claire Elß represented SWAN, showcasing our initiatives alongside remarkable projects, sparking enriching discussions about what more we can do. The event was far more than just a gathering—it was a powerful reminder of our shared passion and collective resolve to drive lasting change. A heartfelt thank you to Rosso K. DIENG and Ameera Ali for their enthusiasm in joining SWAN and supporting our mission! Special thanks as well to UNOOSA, Anne-Claire Grossias, Martin Staško, Aarti Holla-Maini, Brig. Hillary Kipkosgey, and the entire team at the Kenya Space Agency for hosting such an inspiring and impactful event. Our journey was profoundly enriched by the incredible connections we made. We had the pleasure of meeting Nadia Fernanda Sánchez Gómez and Giovanna Estefania Ramírez Ruiz from Colombia, and engaging with Estel Blay, Ilaria Cinelli PhD FAsMA, and Jen Blank, analog astronauts working on remarkable Mars initiatives in the USA, Spain, and Italy. We also connected with Nora McIntyre, whose research on online training with a focus on Africa provided valuable insights into designing meaningful and impactful programs. Additionally, it was inspiring to learn from Shimrit Maman, PhD, Rosso K. DIENG, Juliet Hannay, Diviya D., Julie Ann Banatao, Charlynne Jepkosgei, MSc, Cesar Costa, Katarina Pavlovic, Njeri Maina A, Larissa Mengue, Rania Toukebri, Besma Guesmi and many others whose passion and expertise are driving change in the space sector. We return home inspired and energized by new SWAN allies, innovative tools, and fresh ideas to drive our mission forward. Together, We Soar for Greater Space Women! 🚀✨ United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), Kenya Space Agency, Ana Maria MATHEUS 🌌 #Space4Women #SWAN #GenderEquality #SpaceSector #Education #Entrepreneurship #Mentorship

♀️🇰🇪🌌 The Annual #Space4Women Expert Meeting just wrapped up in Nairobi, Kenya! When 50% of the world’s population are women, achieving gender equality and parity is not only the right thing to do, but it’s also the smart thing to do.   #UNOOSA is playing our part by inspiring women and girls to take up STEM education and rolling-out our ‘Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit for the Space Sector Toolkit’!   🌟 Here are some of the takeaways of the Expert Meeting:   💪🏾Countries came forward to champion the implementation of the Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit over the next year.   👩🏽Initial consultations took place to elaborate a toolkit to bring STEM education to women and girls in underprivileged areas.   🌐 Our Space4Women Network, of national and local focal points, expanded and will carry out more regional and national work in the future.   🏫 Participants called for more funding opportunities for women and girls, including scholarships and mentorship programmes.   🫶🏿 Finally, a massive thanks goes to the Kenya Space Agency for your efforts in hosting the meeting; the meeting did a lot to connect key stakeholders across Africa.   👉 See the Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit, funded by Canadian Space Agency | Agence spatiale canadienne, here: https://lnkd.in/dxtSyBTs   👉 And the Landmark Study on Gender Equality in the Space Sector, funded by KASA, here: https://lnkd.in/dWngkxW9   Director Aarti Holla-Maini said: "Gender biases, limited access to education, policies and attitudes that hold women and girls back, lack of mentorship – these obstacles are not going to go away with the wave of a magic wand. We will not wake up one morning to a new world with a blanket of change draped over us. We need to weave that blanket together. Education, especially for girls and women, goes to the very heart of sustainable development." Photo Credit: Kenya Space Agency

What an inspiring journey it has been! ✨ Yesterday marked the conclusion of our 5th #Space4Women Expert Meeting where we brought together inspiring women and men from all horizons, united by a shared commitment to advance the inclusion of women in STEM and the space sector. For the first time, we gathered on the African continent, in Nairobi, where we heard impactful stories and initiatives that have the power to drive change to break systemic barriers and bridge the capacity gap for women and girls from grassroots to top level. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to reunite, meet, and hear from so many extraordinary and resilient women. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience to help bring this vision to life under the leadership of our Director Aarti Holla-Maini together with our partner the Kenya Space Agency and their amazing team. I am thankful for their unwavering support and for welcoming us so warmly in their beautiful country! 🇰🇪 The discussions were powerful; forward-thinking recommendations were drafted to help advance gender equality within the space sector ensuring more equitable opportunities to unlock access to women, wherever they are; and commitments were taken to take these recommendations forward and pursue our efforts through greater collaboration. 🚀 A huge thank to all our speakers, moderators, participants, and partners who made our Expert Meeting a success! Ameera Ali Joan Chesoni Angela Veitch Hyun Ok Kim Jen Blank Rosso K. DIENG Julie Ann Banatao Dr. Elise Stephenson GAICD Rania Toukebri Estel Blay Uchenna Onwuamaegbu-Ugwu Lily Asongfac Nyambura K. Shimrit Maman, PhD Olayinka Fagbemiro Diviya D. Ira Sharma Cesar Costa Smita Francis NADIA SANCHEZ Georgina Aurelia C. Julia Milton Claire Elß Katarina Pavlovic Ilaria Cinelli PhD FAsMA Fikiswa Majola Mary Onguko Catalina Sánchez Vargas Nandi Mtethwa Hira Fatima Mindy Howard Anita Antwiwaa,PhD Susan Murabana Angela Corbari Vivianne Meta and so many more! Last but not least, a big thanks to my colleague Martin Stasko without whom our Expert Meeting would not have been what is was! #space4women2024 United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)

Join us live for the closing ceremony of the 5th Space4Women expert meeting. https://lnkd.in/ddpCuTQu

On Thursday, 28th November 2024, the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) Director General, Brigadier Hillary Kipkosgey, officially opened the inaugural Space Summit at Kenya Innovation Week (KIW). The event, which attracted over 150 participants, featured the Africa Earth Observation Challenge (AEOC) final pitching event, a panel discussion titled Pioneering the Future: Innovations and Envisioned Projects in the Space Ecosystem, and partner presentations from Alana Kruger, Innovate UK and Byron ANANGWE, Expertise France. The summit underscored the transformative potential of Kenya's and space industry in addressing socio-economic challenges and positioned the country as a premier African hub for space innovation and investment. Among the 14 African finalists, Kenyan start-ups secured the top two positions. Maryanne Gichanga of AgriTech Analytics Limited clinched first place, followed by Dickson Oduor of Aquatech Integrated Solutions. The third position went to Dr. Ifriky TADADJEU from Cameroon’s Nanosatellite Missions Design Limited. Winners were awarded cash prizes, access to high-resolution satellite data, and subscriptions to commercial GIS software. They will also benefit from a six-month mentorship program, including incubation, acceleration, and other resources provided by AEOC partners. The moderator of the panel Njeri Maina A of DEN ltd engaged the panelists Andrew Nyawade (KSA), Yankho Likaku (RIIS), Meshack Kinyua (AfriOrbit), Vivianne Meta (LocateIT_KE), John Kamara ( Adanian Labs) , Alana Kruger ( Innovate UK) and participants in discussions on key topics, including current milestones in the space sector, the application of disruptive technologies in space, and envisioned projects for the future. Participants emphasized the need for human capacity development, infrastructure investment, and strengthening partnerships to advance the space ecosystem. KSA and its partners look forward to hosting the second edition of the Space Summit at KIW 2025, aiming for even greater participation and impact. #KIW2024 #KIWAfricaEdition #AfricaInnovation David Kasibante (Space Generation Advisory Council), Nekesa J. Were (Medic) Cecil Kang'ara (The RISA Fund) Kerryn McKay Expertise France, RIIS - Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability Jacques matara Kenneth Mubea Charles Mwangi

Day 2 of the 5th #Space4Women Expert Meeting in Nairobi was action-packed with impactful discussions and inspiring sessions! Some of the highlights of the day included: •Panel Discussions: Focused on actionable initiatives for grassroots education and empowering women in space research and innovation. • Keynote Presentation: Exploring inclusive online learning, with a spotlight on Africa. • Storytelling Session: Showcased real stories driving change in space and STEM. • Capacity Building Panel: Shared tailored solutions for achieving gender equality in space and STEM fields. • A workshop segment on improving STEM education for women and girls in marginalized communities and a special session for policy makers to unlock education for girls in marginalized communities through satellite communication

The Space Summit aims to highlight opportunities within the space industry, positioning Kenya as a premier African hub for space-related businesses while fostering an environment that attracts global investments and strategic partnerships. #KIW2024AfricaEdition Kenya Space Agency Brig. Hillary Kipkosgey

End of my trip Kenya 🇰🇪 : signature of a partnership with Brig. Hillary Kipkosgey, CEO of the Kenya Space Agency, meeting with UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya Stephen Jackson and visit to AFD - Agence Française de Développement Group in Nairobi with Expertise France and Proparco teams Delphine CLERC-TOURE Marie Guillo Ambassade France Kenya Nairobi marc zolver Agathe Hume Mathieu Loubet Anne-Gael Chapuis-Mirol ARNAL Jean-françois Jean Guyonnet-Dupérat

I joined Hon. Soipan Tuya, the Cabinet Secretary for Defence of the Republic of Kenya, Ms. Aarti Holla-Maini, Director United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), Brig. Hillary Kipkosgey, Director General at the Kenya Space Agency (KSA), at the #Space4Women Experts meeting organized by the UNOOSA and KSA. This forum, being held for the first time in Africa, gives us an opportunity to foster an inclusive environment that will pave way for an increase in the number of women and girls in space sciences specifically and STEM subjects generally. #DiplomacyInActionKE

The 5th Space for Women Expert Meeting, themed "Integrating Women in Space Activities and Solutions," has kicked off! Jointly organized by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Kenya Space Agency (KSA), this landmark event is being held from 27 to 29 November 2024 at the United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi (UNON), Kenya. Building on the outcomes of previous meetings held in the United States, United Arab Emirates, Republic of Korea, and Canada, this year’s event aims to initiate the development of a toolkit for unlocking STEM education for women and girls in marginalized communities. The Expert Meeting being held in Africa for the first time was officially inaugurated by Hon. Soipan Tuya, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Defence. Also in attendance for the opening ceremony was Dr. Korir SingOei, PS State Department for Foreign Affairs, Aarti Holla-Maini, Director, UNOOSA, Brig. Hillary Kipkosgey, Ag DG, KSA, and Stéphanie Durand, Vice-President of Policy, Communications and Strategic Planning, Canadian Space Agency | Agence spatiale canadienne (joined virtually). Join us online to follow the proceedings using the links below: Day 1: https://shorturl.at/ppm9W Day 2: https://shorturl.at/TS34d Day 3: https://shorturl.at/Rf69M