Edzai C. Zvobwo, CEO of MathsGenius Ledership Institute giving a presentation as a good practice on gender equality in education with a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). He shares what MGLI has been doing with regards to Girl empowerment. The Protocol is in line with the Millenium Development goals.

1. THE SADC GENDER PROTOCOL
SUMMIT 2014
MATHSGENIUS LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Date: 22 April 2014
Presenter: Edzai C. Zvobwo
Title: CEO
50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA

2. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
Who am I?

3. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
I found my ancestor!

4. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
SYNOPSIS
MathsGenius Leadership Institute (MGLI) is an
Afro-centric, quantitative leadership institution.
Our Vision
STEM excellence for 65% of all African learners by
2025.
*Mathematical excellence will be determined by
academic achievement of greater than or equal
to 50% in nationally tested examinations.

5. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
SYNOPSIS
Our Mission
To develop quality, pro-active African quantitative
leaders driven to solve the continent’s problems
in a scientific yet local way.

6. 50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
SYNOPSIS
We aim to achieve this by:
 Stimulating STEM interest and reinforcing
positive attitudes and behaviours towards the
subjects in previously disadvantaged
communities.
 Promoting and enhancing critical and creative
thinking in communities through diversified
information dissemination, training and support
tools.
 Collaborating with strategic stakeholders for
optimal impact.

7. OBJECTIVES
 A general positive shift in the attitude towards STEM by
girls from previously disadvantaged communities and
general sentiment that STEM can be done by anyone.
 More girls choosing STEM subjects and not dropping out.
 Communities, family, teachers and fellow learners being
more knowledgeable, gender-sensitive and enhancing
girls’ chances of success in STEM.
 Girls functioning optimally in STEM classes and careers
as a result of the problem solving frameworks in MGLI
books.
50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA

8. BACKGROUND
50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
Not enough
female STEM
experts and
trained
leaders in
Africa due to
the lack of:
Quality African
leadership training
institutions focused on
girl empowerment
Motivation and
information
dissemination
and utilisation
that ANYONE
CAN DO STEM
and/or become a
leader
Access to funds by
Africa’s young
female movers and
shakers
Promotion of
critical and
creative thinking
and pro-activity
in African
communities

9. Why MathsGenius Leadership Institute?
MathsGenius Leadership Institute 2014 ©
MGLI
Most
students
fully
funded
Measurable
Impact and
international
reach
ICT-
enabled
technologie
s
Strategic
partnershi
ps
Gender-
sensitive
curriculum and
learning
journey
Proven girl
empowerment
frameworks
Institutionalis
ed, transfera
ble and
replicable
knowledge
Niche, focused
quantitative
leadership
training
50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA

10. KEY ACTIVITIES
50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
MGLI Projects
MathsGenius Leadership Institute 2014 ©
MGLI Projects
Information
dissemination
Training Support
Spreading the word that
Everyone can pursue
STEM subjects and
careers regardless of
gender. Promoting
critical thinking
Imparting skills on how
to succeed in STEM and
its application in life
Enhancing learners
chances of success
through various support
mechanisms

11. KEY ACTIVITIES
50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
Information
dissemination
Outreach Programmes:
1. SABC Education Outreach
programmes
2. Slots in SABC National and
Community radio stations
for motivational talks
3. Motivational talks and
maths lessons on DSTV’s
Mindset Learning Channel
4. Presentations at Inter-
Ministerial youth
empowerment functions
5. Donation of empowerment
material to churches and
schools
Research:
1. Part of MISTRA
Mathematics research
team
2. National and local
newspaper articles on
girl child
empowerment in
STEM and leadership
3. Bespoke research
and data analysis for
individuals , schools
and corporate
companies
4. Gender equality
evaluations
Book Publications:
1. The Mathematical
Genius in You
2. GirlChild Rise Up in
STEM
3. Artisanship, the
path to greatness
4. Essential Numeracy
for quantitative
decision making
5. GirlChild Rise Up in
Leadership
(pending)

12. KEY ACTIVITIES: Books
50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA

13. KEY ACTIVITIES
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14. KEY ACTIVITIES
50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA
Training
Leadership & Career Guidance
Training
1. Self Management
2. Career Guidance
3. Entrepreneurship
4. Strategy and Decision making
5. Measuring impact
6. Programme and project evaluation
7. Ethics and Anti-corruption
Mathematics Training
1. South African Mathematics
Foundation Olympiad Training
for teachers and students
2. Mathematical thinking and
problem solving training
3. Maths exam techniques
4. Data Analysis and Statistics
5. Introduction to programming

15. KEY ACTIVITIES
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Suppor
t
Networks
1. Free Online maths Q&A Portal
2. Free online find a tutor service
3. MathsGenius Facebook page for
learners to ask questions
4. Private networking portal for MGLI
alumni
5. Networking sessions for learners to
meet role models
6. MathsGenius Blog that regularly
encourages learners to achieve
success in mathematics
7. MathsGenius YouTube Channel
8. MathsGenius website
www.mathsgenius.co.za
9. Strategic partnerships
Sponsorships
1. Official Co-Sponsor of the South
African National Mathematics
Challenge for Grade 4-7 run by
SAMF.
2. GirlChild Rise Up in STEM
competition
3. Local MathsGenius
Competitions
4. Donations of books to the public
at public events

16. KEY ACTIVITIES: Online Support
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Cell: +2778 585 8937
Website: http://www.mathsgenius.co.za/
Email: info@mathsgenius.co.za
Blog: http://mathsgee.com/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UClgKi9k
RW76uUuno9yroTPA
FacebookPage: https://www.facebook.com/pages/M
athsgenius/178902912170274
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/MathsGenius/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/edzaizvobwo

17. RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS
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Amount local
currency
(Rand)
Amount in
Rand
Gender specific allocation 200 000 200 000
•GirlChild Rise Up in STEM
poster competition
•GirlChild Rise Up in Leadership
•Women Leader Profile Campaign
600 000 600 000
Amount contributed in cash
or in kind by partner
organisations (please
specify)
250 000 250 000

18. BENEFICIARIES
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Direct Indirect
Name of group Women Men Total Women Men Total
SABC Radio
Audience
? ? 26 million
weekly
? ? >26
million
weekly
SABC TV
Audience
30 million
weekly
>30
million
weekly
SABC Education
Outreach
100 000
annually
>100 000
annually
Churches and
schools
100 000
annually
>100 000
annually
Newspaper
Articles
5 million
weekly
>5 million
weekly
Online
Publications
? ?
Total ~62 million ~62
million

19. CHALLENGES
 The major challenge that MGLI is facing is that its physical
training sessions’ reach is not fully complementing its
information dissemination efforts. Millions are being
reached through radio, TV and print materials but MGLI
currently does not have capacity to follow up with
community training sessions, this is reducing the impact on
behavior change.
 The lack of availability of funds is hampering the training of
community girl-child STEM activists who can become
agents of change in their communities.
 There are not enough female STEM leaders doing enough
to assist in demystifying the subjects. Currently MGLI has
witnessed what is termed the “Queen Bee effect” which is
a case of successful STEM practitioners basking in the
glory of being the few elite and not fully opening up to help
upcoming stars. It is more of a status-quo problem.
50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA

20. MONITORING AND
EVALUATION
MGLI uses mixed methods to monitor and evaluate
performance ranging from:
 Online sentiment analysis
Number of book downloads and demand of services
Traffic to blogs and websites
Direct feedback from beneficiaries
Enquiries about MGLI services
Number of girls choosing STEM subjects after
exposure to MGLI intervention.
Attitude and behaviour change towards STEM
Quantitative data
50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA

21. LESSON LEARNED AND
INNOVATION
 For MGLI to achieve its ultimate goal of equal
opportunity and representation of girls and
boys in STEM subjects and careers MGLI has
to have as many partners at the grass-roots
level as possible including non-educational
organizations.
 Monitoring and evaluation should have been
factored in from the onset. In the planning
phase we should have clearly spelt out the
indicators for evaluation, we eventually did
and this created problems of positive bias and
retrospective analysis.50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA

22. LEARNING AND SHARING WITH
OTHER COUNCILS
MGLI:
 Publishes most of its research findings in
newspapers and through press releases
online.
 Updates its Blog with research findings.
 Collaborates in research with MISTRA
(Mapungubwe Institute of Strategic
Reflection).
 Disseminates findings through books, TV and
Radio.
 Sharing of best practice with educational
practitioners.50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA

23. SUSTAINABILITY AND
REPLICATION
 The three phases of MGLI operations can be
replicated anywhere in the world as:
 Information dissemination uses effective and efficient
standard methods like radio, TV, print and online
content. The content is generic and is not dependent
on geographical location and/or development level of
the country.
 The training requires willing individuals who will be
agents of change in their communities.
 MGLI support systems are online and can be
accessed from anywhere, the girl-child STEM activists
will be the local support leaders in conjunction with
schools and partner organizations.50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA

24. KEY PRIORITIES FOR 2014
 Focusing on training more members of the
community on the MGLI’s Community-Wide
Problem Solving Approach to Mathematics
Intervention and Support (PSAMIS).
 Maintaining high levels of information
dissemination across Africa.
 Increase collaboration with other
organisations.
50/50 BY 2015: DEMANDING A STRONG POST 2015 AGENDA

25. Sister Boogie time!
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