ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2018
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. In the three months the application was open in 2018, students applied to join the Class of 2018 on 285 campuses across 57 nations. 30 campuses worldwide (just 11%) were selected to host the 402 Millennium Fellows in the global pilot this year.
The Class of 2018 is bold, innovative, and inclusive. During the Millennium Fellowship, Millennium Fellows' dedicated 48,785 hours and their 214 unique projects positively impacted the lives of 393,449 people worldwide.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT ABIGAEL OMENEKE ANAZA-MARK, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2018.
University of Ibadan | Ibadan, Nigeria | Advancing SDG 5 & UNAI 10
" Being a Millenium Fellow excites me so much because it is one dream come true for me. I am truly happy that my application was found worthy of being selected for this positionas a Millennium fellow. This opportunity will set me on course to pursue my cause in advancing capacities for the girl-child knowing fully well that my work is being recognized and monitored on a global level. This improves the impact and in the long run bring about the change I want to see. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: She-SOLVES
She-SOLVES is an organization that aims to train young women to bring theory to practice in addressing social challenges. This we hope to achieve through engaging in hands-on project that involves the application of science and technology.The organization has started with young women in Secondary schools and will overtime spread to slums and rural areas. We believe that peace and security can replace strife and insecurity that is often expressed when the issue of gender balance is to be discussed. We understand that many organisations and government parastatals have begun to ensure that workers and leaders consist of a healthy mix of men and women, however many of them do this to look good and inclusive on the global scene.
To this end, we believe that women should not be leaders for the sake of gender balance. The space of women should not be sought for, rather women should merit their positions. They can be the best candidates in their spaces. How can this be effected?
All over the world, many societies and institutions are now being governed directly or indirectly by science and technology. Science and technology have overtime proven to be useful in addressing many social problems. We believe that by awakening the solving spirit in young women through hands-on project, the place of women will be less contended for in leadership, decision making, policy formulation and so on. We understand that many women as well who merit certain promotions are prevented from climbing the ladder of organizational success we want to change this narrative as well.
In the few months of our operation, we have been able to through our volunteers collect sachets of water in a female hall in the University of Ibadan. These LPDE sachets which ordinarily would be thrown into bins and transported to the incinerator where it would contribute to greenhouse gases emissions through burning are now being put to good use. Many floorless homes in some rural communities will have access to being floored with our tiles/paving stones made from LPDE.
Further, the secondary school girls have been challenged to think and bring up solutions to challenges in the community. About three ideas will be piloted next January; one on solar electricity, another on agriculture, and the third on waste upcycling.
We hope to scale to about 2 other secondary schools in the state next with three volunteers to a school.
About the Millennium Fellow
I am a young woman studying biochemistry and passionate about bringing about a change in my immediate environment. The disadvantages girls and women face has been of utmost concern to me recently. This birthed the project SHE-SOLVES which focuses on empowering women through science and technology. I am also a writer and budding journalist and with this tool create a change.
