Black Sisters in STEM founder Nyamekye Wilson is hosting the inaugural Humanitarian and Benevolence Tour in Ghana and Nigeria starting this month, with efforts centering diasporic connection and elevation.
The over-month-long tour will take place from November 10 through December 12, spanning several event types. Black Sisters in STEM is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Black women in achieving college-level and professional success in STEM fields — aka those in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Wilson explained that the Humanitarian and Benevolence Tour is a result of the mission and work her nonprofit has established. Moreover, the Empowered Campus Tour will be a significant part of the Humanitarian and Benevolence Tour.
A notable event within the latter is a self-care-focused networking event held at Accra’s Polish’d Beauty Bar on December 4. The Humanitarian and Benevolence Tour will also include philanthropic efforts in Nigeria, supporting the No Hunger Food Bank in Abuja, and Virtuous Pads, a feminine hygiene brand combating period poverty. A press release describes the overarching tour as “a cross-continental movement centered on youth employment, financial literacy, digital innovation, and economic mobility.”
Meanwhile, Wilson says the Empowered Campus Tour has around 1,000 registered student attendees across five leading universities — the University of Ghana, the University of Cape Coast, Ashesi University, Lagos State University, and the University of Abuja. At those campus engagements, attendees will have the opportunity to network with peers by participating in games and activities. Wilson will spearhead a masterclass and award four $1,000 scholarships per school. Additionally, all guests will receive a full year’s sponsorship to pursue GitHub certifications, and the opportunity to submit their resumes, which Black Sisters in STEM will share with its local and international corporate partners.
What Else Is There To Know About The Humanitarian And Benevolence Tour?
Although Black Sisters in STEM is women-focused, the Humanitarian and Benevolence Tour welcomes everyone to make connections and uplift others.
“I think it’s very important that our American Dream also includes rebuilding and going back to where our parents left, to make sure that there are opportunities for those within the countries that we’re from,” said Wilson, a first-generation Ghanaian-American born and bred in Newark, New Jersey. “This tour is really a vision of productivity and socio-economic mobility. And [it’s] not just [about] aid, but we’re really going to inspire people to activate.”
Regarding her personal push for the Humanitarian and Benevolence Tour, Wilson added, “[It’s about] taking all that I’ve gained — the benefits of my American citizenship and passport, and all that I’ve learned, all that’s been given to me through this system. And being able to make an impact for my family, for my communities, and for people who look like me. Especially young Black women, but really youth in general.”
“We tend to do most of our stuff digitally as Black Sisters in STEM. But this is a way for us to really get in front of so many of our students that we talk to and work with throughout the year, and be able to see them live,” she added, regarding the Empowered Campus Tour stops. “Our goal is to equip students with opportunities, skills, and networks that propel them forward and towards leadership and innovation.”
