Inside SkillHer SAW 2026: Where Skills Meet Possibility

 

Over 70 young women. Different backgrounds, interests and aspirations. One shared space to learn, connect and grow.

That is SkillHer SAW 2026.

The SkillHer Skills Acquisition Workshop brings young women together to develop practical skills, explore new opportunities and build the confidence to turn ideas into action. This year's programme is supported by Tech Impact Club Africa (TIC Africa) through the Future Africa Tech Leaders Campaign (FATLC) 2026 Grant, which is also supporting the continued development and testing of SkillHer Coach, our AI-powered learning companion.

But SAW is more than a series of training sessions. It is a space where women are learning new skills, asking questions, collaborating and discovering new possibilities.




Learning Skills for Today’s Opportunities

The SAW curriculum combines digital, entrepreneurial and personal development skills, giving participants a diverse set of tools they can apply to their careers, businesses and personal projects.

Research & Project Management

Through Research & Project Management, participants are learning how to approach problems, conduct research, plan activities and manage projects effectively. The sessions are helping them develop the structure and critical thinking needed to turn ideas into organised action.

Web Development & AI

Technology takes centre stage in Web Development & AI, where participants are exploring web development and the possibilities of artificial intelligence. The sessions are giving participants an opportunity to discover new tools they can use for learning, creativity, productivity and problem-solving.

Social Media Management, Graphics Design & Content Creation

The Social Media Management, Graphics Design & Content Creation sessions bring together creativity and strategy. Participants are learning how to create engaging content, communicate ideas visually and manage social media platforms with greater intention.


Sales, Marketing & Business Growth

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Sales, Marketing & Business Growth provides practical knowledge around understanding customers, communicating value, promoting products and services, and thinking strategically about business growth.

Business Structuring & Organisation

Through Business Structuring & Organisation, participants are looking beyond the idea of simply starting a business. They are learning to think about the structures, systems and organisation needed to build and sustain their ventures.


Developing the Woman Behind the Skill

SAW recognises that technical skills are only one part of empowerment.

Alongside their technical training, participants are engaging in sessions on Leadership, Personal Development, Communication, GBV Awareness, and Digital Security and Safety. These sessions create space for participants to build confidence, strengthen their communication skills, reflect on personal growth, and explore issues affecting women and girls.

Together, these sessions complement the technical curriculum, helping participants think not only about what they can do, but also about how they lead, communicate, collaborate, and navigate different spaces.

Learning in Community

One of the highlights of SAW 2026 has been the opportunity for participants to learn both virtually and in person.

The virtual sessions provide structured learning and interaction with facilitators, while the physical sessions create room for practical activities, collaboration and connection.

Women who may have started the programme as strangers are now learning together, sharing experiences and discovering common interests.

Sometimes, the most valuable lesson comes from another participant — a question, an experience or an idea that opens up a new way of thinking.

That is what makes SAW a community, not just a classroom.

                                 

The People Behind the Learning

Our facilitators and mentors continue to play an important role in the SAW experience.

Facilitators bring their knowledge and practical experience into the sessions, while mentors provide additional guidance and encouragement as participants navigate their learning journeys.

Together, they create an environment where participants can ask questions, practise new skills and learn from their mistakes.

Learning With SkillHer Coach

Another exciting part of SAW 2026 is SkillHer Coach, SkillHer's AI-powered learning companion.

With support from the FATLC grant, participants are getting the opportunity to use and test the upgraded SkillHer Coach and share feedback based on their experiences.

Their participation is helping us explore how AI can support women's learning beyond traditional training spaces and how technology can make learning more accessible, useful and engaging.



From Learning to Action

The journey does not end with the final lesson.

Through capstone projects, participants will have the opportunity to apply what they have learned to practical ideas and challenges.

The capstones will also encourage collaboration, allowing participants with different strengths to work together. Research can meet design. Technology can meet business. Content can meet marketing.

In the process, participants will practise not only their technical skills but also teamwork, communication, leadership, creativity and project management.

The Moments That Matter

The biggest highlights of SAW are often the moments that cannot be captured in a timetable.

The excitement of learning something new.

The confidence that comes from trying something for the first time.

The question that starts a meaningful conversation.

The connection between two women who may never have met otherwise.

The idea that begins as a thought and slowly becomes a project.

These moments are a reminder of why creating spaces for women to learn and grow matters.

    

The Journey Continues

There is still more to the SAW 2026 experience.

As the programme continues, participants will deepen their learning, work more closely with their peers and begin turning the skills they have acquired into practical projects through their capstone projects.

The coming stage will give participants an opportunity to apply what they have learned across research, digital skills, technology, business and personal development while working together to bring their ideas to life.

For SkillHer, this is an important part of the journey: seeing participants move from learning to doing, and from ideas to action.

We are grateful to TIC Africa and the FATLC for supporting this year's programme and helping us create more opportunities for young women while advancing SkillHer Coach.

We are equally grateful to our facilitators, mentors and programme team for making the learning experience possible.

And most importantly, we celebrate the women at the heart of SAW 2026 : women who are showing up, learning, experimenting, collaborating, building and supporting.

SAW is not just about acquiring skills. It is about creating possibilities.

This is SkillHer SAW 2026 — where skills meet possibility.

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