Caroline Nyaga is the Founder of Women in STEAM Initiative, an organisation dedicated to empowering girls and young women in Kenya with STEM and digital skills, while creating pathways to future-ready careers.
Caroline’s passion for this work grew from her experience teaching Chemistry and Biology in schools across Kenya and visiting schools where she saw firsthand how limited exposure shaped girls’ perceptions of STEM. She recalls meeting a bright girl who believed that “STEM is for boys” simply because she had never seen a woman working in science or technology. That moment strengthened Caroline’s commitment to creating opportunities where girls could experience STEM, meet role models and begin to see themselves as future scientists, technologists and innovators.
Through Women in STEAM Initiative, Caroline leads hands-on STEM clubs, coding and robotics workshops, digital literacy training, mentorship programmes and STEM storytelling competitions. The initiative works closely with schools, particularly in rural and underserved communities, where access to technology and STEM opportunities can be limited.
One of Caroline’s proudest experiences has been leading STEM bootcamps in Chogoria and Chuka, bringing robotics, coding and digital tools to girls who had never interacted with such technology. During one bootcamp, she met a Form 2 student who had never used a laptop and believed STEM was only for gifted students. With Caroline’s guidance, the girl learned basic coding and robotics, eventually creating her own Scratch programme and using Arduino to light an LED. She later joined the mentorship programme and became a Community Champion, helping inspire other girls in her school.
To date, Women in STEAM Initiative has partnered with seven schools across Kenya and directly impacted approximately 1,500 girls through STEM clubs, bootcamps, competitions and mentorship. The initiative has also trained 145 students through its holiday STEM bootcamps, with more than 70% successfully completing their first coding, robotics or digital literacy projects.
Caroline is passionate about creating a future where geography, gender or lack of exposure does not determine who gets to participate in STEM. Her vision is to empower one million girls and young women across Kenya over the next decade, while expanding STEM clubs, developing young female STEM ambassadors and strengthening partnerships that make hands-on STEM education accessible nationwide.
