[Ruth Mtuwa teaching secondary school students at Providence Secondary School, Malawi, the basics of electronics under the FemEng collaboration.? Photo: Ruth Mtuwa]
Ruth Mtuwa (23 years old) is an engineer and entrepreneur from Malawi with experience in the technology industry. She is a biomedical engineering graduate from Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) and is a licensed drone pilot with a Trusted Operator Program (TOP) certificate levels 1 and 2 in drone and data technology.
In 2021, Ruth co-founded and became the Managing Director of , a company leveraging drone technology to develop solutions to sustainable development challenges affecting her community. Through innovation, Ruth’s company aims to produce actionable intelligence and collaborate with innovators to move beyond data and build localized solutions to socio-economic challenges affecting people’s lives.
DroneX Technologies focuses on three main work areas: data, agriculture, health and environment/climate change and waste management. In agriculture, the company developed a hybrid drone for precision agriculture to optimize output; in health, a cholera geo-database that could be utilized for contact tracing; in waste management, a partnership with EcoAges Waste Solutions, which is a startup company that deals with waste management to provide insight on landfill management.
In addition to her work with DroneX, Ruth also served as a biomedical engineering consultant for the California Polytechnic State University Oxygen Generator Project, an initiative to develop an easy-to-use oxygen generation system powered by clean, renewable energy. Ruth’s passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has inspired her to take on leadership roles within the industry, where she is an avid advocate for STEM education for young people, including female engineers in Africa.
There is a growing interest in STEM education among young girls and women in Africa. This is evident in the celebration of women scientists and young women scientists across the continent. However, women remain underrepresented in STEM, both globally and across the continent.
To reduce the gender gap in STEM education on the continent, African countries must take initiatives early to demystify STEM and get girls interested in the field. Programmes encouraging girls and women to pursue STEM education with various academic options, including online education courses, should be introduced to increase accessibility for young women.
Reflecting on her start, Ruth says her passion for STEM was ignited as a secondary school student in Malawi. She visited the Polytechnic University (now the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences) and its mechanical engineering workshops. “I saw how the engineers were making machines [produced locally] that were ‘low cost,’ and that served the same purpose as the imported ones. When I learned that we had many non-functioning machines in hospitals, I saw an opportunity. I thought there must be a way to have the machines in the hospitals made in Malawi.”
She is immensely proud of her work as a trainer with FemEng, a programme that aims to encourage more girls in high school to take up engineering through simple STEM projects. “The response from the girls we worked with was truly phenomenal. It sparked my own interest in becoming a passionate advocate for STEM education. I now run social projects and teach STEM to children, especially through drone technology, and this experience has also shaped my approach to business,” she said.
Ruth takes pride in mentoring young talent in STEM fields in the hopes of helping to shape the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers. “Through all these efforts, I hope to inspire more young people, especially girls, to explore the world of STEM and to make a positive impact on their communities and the world. I believe in the power of mentorship and how small actions can make a significant impact.”
Her biggest challenge has been limited access to financial resources. When starting her company, she teamed up with local business partners to increase access to capital, and together, they leveraged their existing partnerships to achieve their goals. Ruth said her company also faced a challenge when the innovative technologies they produced initially received a slow reception. “This has required a lot of patience and perseverance in educating and convincing others about the benefits of the technology. Despite the challenges, I remain optimistic about the future and the potential for growth in the STEM field in Africa.”
Ruth believes STEM has immense potential and could be leveraged in tackling systemic challenges, such as the impact of climate change and overpopulation. “There are tremendous opportunities in STEM across the continent. These initiatives are incredibly important as they provide access to resources and technologies that were previously unavailable in many communities.” She believes that by encouraging young people to pursue STEM education, Africa can ensure it has the talent and skills it needs to compete in the global economy.
As women comprise half of the world’s population, getting girls and women into STEM is a matter of human rights and smart economics. Adopting gender inclusion in?STEM increases creativity and provides gender-sensitive perspectives during product development. Ruth says, “With the rapid pace of technological advancements and the growing need for innovative solutions, there has never been a better time for young Africans to pursue STEM fields and make a meaningful impact on their communities.”
Ruth’s work in Malawi highlights how STEM education contributes to accelerating progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa. Her actions make it clear that there are enormous opportunities in leveraging innovation to tackle pressing issues impacting the continent, harnessing skills and resources already available locally.?