Cairo-based AlMakinah and Global Shapers Giza to offer coding bootcamp scholarships to Egyptian women

AlMakinah, a Cairo-based coding bootcamp that helps people learn software development has teamed up once again with Global Shpaers Giza Hub to launch the second edition of their female-focused program. But what’s different this time is that all the participants of the program will be offered full scholarships.

The program called Gearup Women Edition 2019 will take place in January next year to help 15 women learn the basics of front-end development. The program will run for two-months over weekends and applications are now open for deserving women who have until late next month to apply using this link.

The applicants will go through a screening process which apart from the application also includes an online pitch video, online tech assessment and an in-person interview. Accepted participants will be required to deposit a commitment fee of 1,000 EGP ($55) which will be refunded after they complete the program.

From the 15 women who will complete this program, AlMakinah will select 7 for its flagship program that teaches full stack web development. These 7 women will attend the program on daily basis for 14 weeks to learn all layers of software development. After graduation, the participants can receive job opportunities with salaries starting at 5,500 EGP ($300) monthly, which is what entry-levels developers earn in the country.

The scholarships are being provided through Global Sharpers Giza Hub, who have received a grant of 20,000 Swiss Francs ($20,000) from P&G Global and the World Economic Forum to make this happen.

AlMakinah and Global Shapers Giza Hub had teamed up last year as well, along with the Cairo Hub to raise some money in a crowdfunding campaign, and provide partial scholarships to some of the participants of its first GearUp Women Edition.

Egypt’s 25% female unemployment is one of the highest in the world, according to World Bank data. Programs like GearUp could definitely help bring it down. Yes, they look very small when you consider size of the problem but it is always the little drops of water that make the mighty ocean.