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About us

Words That Count is an initiative that documents stories of successful African women in STEM fields to present the various prospects on the STEM spectrum to young girls mapping their careers in STEM. 

The scarcity of female role models in the STEM field makes it hard to close the gender gap. Knowing such women personally might be hard but having a media platform where many of them can be found for reference mitigates the challenge. While compiling their stories, the women featured realize how far they have come on their journey and are encouraged to scale greater heights. This platform also inadvertently helps these women overcome impostor syndrome as they retrospect on their STEM journey.

Annual report
Organisational chart

Mission

To promote STEM among African women and girls through story-sharing, confidence-building, and projection of all possible career paths on the STEM spectrum for those passionate about STEM.

Vision

To be the ideal builders of a STEM-oriented Africa which is intentional about providing quality education to young women and girls and uplifting them to pursue their dream careers in STEM.

What we value

Integrity

We maintain honesty and transparency in the stories featured to bring out a realistic picture to our target audience.

Diversity

We appreciate and respect African women from different cultural and economic backgrounds.

Support for women

We delight in helping African women rise above the stereotypes imposed by culture and society.

Professionalism

We care about every aspect of what we do and work to maintain the high standards we set

STEM Advocacy

We proudly amplify the voice of STEM in Africa and work to attract more women into it.

Our awesome team

Winnie Nakiyingi is a Statistician currently working as a Statistics Consultant for Axiom-DK, a humanitarian consultancy based in Denmark. She is also a Research Assistant for Data & Quantum at Quantum Leap Africa, under the AIMS Research and Innovation Center in Kigali, Rwanda. Winnie received her earlier education in Uganda under the sponsorship of Starcross Community from the United States of America, until bachelors level where she pursued a degree in Economics and Statistics from Makerere University. She secured a full masters scholarship at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS). She also received scholarships for a research-based masters degree at the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. Winnie has working experience in Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, and Rwanda, in different STEM-related positions. All this experience, plus Winnie’s discomfort as a young girl in a science class with only 5% females raised questions about how she could contribute to SDGs 4 and 5, achieving quality education and gender equality in the African STEM sphere. In her own words, “Owing to my gender, I was perceived by society as incapable of amounting to much. With my background, I, unfortunately, didn’t know any women pursuing what I was passionate about as a career so I internalized this fear.” Not wanting this to be the case for another girl after her, Winnie founded Words That Count. Winnie’s other passion is bridging the gap between natural and social sciences through collaborations between policymakers, diplomats, and scientists/researchers. She strongly believes that research findings should be communicated in a way that speaks to policymakers for research to have its intended impact. In spearheading such science diplomacy engagements, she was invited as the only African woman to the inaugural Immersion Program of the Science Diplomacy Week organized by the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) and the United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR). More recently, she has been selected as one of the prestigious Women In Africa (WIA) Young Leaders 2023 laureates.
Winnie NakiyingFounder & Content Director
Winnie Nakiying
Olivia is a Lecturer at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), under the Department of Mathematics. Olivia holds a PhD in Mathematics from Makerere University, an MSc in Mathematical Sciences from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Ghana, and a BSc. Education (Mathematics and Physics) from MUST. With her PhD, Olivia was recognized as the youngest female mathematician to obtain a PhD in Mathematics at Makerere University at the age of 31, in 2022. Olivia is involved in several projects, including a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Stockholm University under the Michael Passare Postdoc Award. She is also an active member of the Uganda Women Mathematicians Association (UGAWOM) which consists of women mathematicians with masters and PhDs in Mathematics and related careers; to inspire more girls into STEM subjects and careers, especially mathematics. She has a great passion for the education of the girl child and seeing girls excelling in STEM subjects. Olivia has recently successfully organized her first workshop titled “Women in Sage-Uganda workshop” with objectives like; creating a space for female mathematicians to work together, launching new contacts and mentorship networks for young women embarking on mathematical research, and teaching new programming skills to African female mathematicians. She is currently part of the steering committee for the Women in Sage-Africa; which was formed during the recently concluded Women in Sage-Uganda workshop. This committee consists of five members from five countries namely; Uganda, Switzerland, France, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso. The committee aims to ensure the continuity of the Women in Sage workshops within the African continent.
Winnie NakiyingiCo-Founder and Head of Mentorship
Aside his role as the Chief Editor, Kweku is also a distinctive mentorship associate. He has vast experience as a mathematics educator and mentor, assisting students in preparing for their International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), A-Level, and Math Olympiad. His penchant for quantitative analysis has seen him work as the Quantitative Analysis Team Lead at the Bureau for Market and Social Research for a brief period. He worked as a data analyst at the Center for the Development of People, where he created a framework for collecting, analyzing, and storing data. Additionally, he worked as an Outreach volunteer, educating women on sexual and reproductive health, the safe use of contraceptives, and maternal mortality and morbidity control. These days, when he is not assisting with mentorship and/or seeing to his duties as the Chief Editor, he likes to conduct research in the broad area of econometrics, finance, and predictive analytics at the University of Leicester, UK where he is a postgraduate research student in the field of Economics. He is keenly interested in machine learning, data analysis, and the economics of education and technology. Kweku is a lifelong learner with a strong work ethic and a penchant for high-quality work, an NLP enthusiast, and is looking to delve deeper into the broad area of LLMs.
Kweku YamoahChief Editor
Kweku Yamoah
Denis is a highly organized and detail-oriented Administrative Assistant with a strong educational background in Business Statistics from Kyambogo University. He brings a unique blend of analytical skills and administrative expertise to his role. His professional experience is marked by his dedication to enhancing office efficiency and productivity. He excels in managing schedules, coordinating meetings, and maintaining records with precision. His exceptional communication skills make him a valuable team player, ensuring seamless communication both within the organization and with external stakeholders. With his career background and passion for administrative excellence, Denis is an invaluable asset to Words That Count’s vision and mission.
Denis LumuAdministrative Assistant
Denis Lumu
As a seasoned sales professional with over five years of experience in the poultry industry, Jackie has honed her skills in the ever-evolving realm of digital and social media marketing. Jackie understands the pivotal role that online platforms play in today's business landscape and has successfully leveraged digital marketing strategies to boost brand visibility and engagement. Her proficiency in creating compelling content, managing online advertising campaigns, and analyzing data to make informed marketing decisions has resulted in significant growth in Words That Count’s online brand presence and audience engagement. She recognizes the importance of staying current with the latest digital trends and algorithms to adapt strategies effectively and maximize results. By blending her extensive background in poultry feed sales with her digital and social media marketing expertise, she is uniquely positioned to drive brand awareness and sales growth for her employer in the poultry industry. Jackie is dedicated to harnessing the power of digital platforms to connect with poultry farmers and deliver valuable insights and solutions tailored to meet their specific needs.
Jackie Nalugwa Social Media Manager
Jackie Nalugwa
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Our awesome team

Winnie Nakiyingi

Founder & Content Director
Winnie Nakiyingi is a Statistician currently working as a Statistics Consultant for Axiom-DK, a humanitarian consultancy based in Denmark. She is also a Research Assistant for Data & Quantum at Quantum Leap Africa, under the AIMS Research and Innovation Center in Kigali, Rwanda. Winnie received her earlier education in Uganda under the sponsorship of Starcross Community from the United States of America, until bachelors level where she pursued a degree in Economics and Statistics from Makerere University. She secured a full masters scholarship at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS). She also received scholarships for a research-based masters degree at the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. Winnie has working experience in Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, and Rwanda, in different STEM-related positions. All this experience, plus Winnie’s discomfort as a young girl in a science class with only 5% females raised questions about how she could contribute to SDGs 4 and 5, achieving quality education and gender equality in the African STEM sphere. In her own words, “Owing to my gender, I was perceived by society as incapable of amounting to much. With my background, I, unfortunately, didn’t know any women pursuing what I was passionate about as a career so I internalized this fear.” Not wanting this to be the case for another girl after her, Winnie founded Words That Count. Winnie’s other passion is bridging the gap between natural and social sciences through collaborations between policymakers, diplomats, and scientists/researchers. She strongly believes that research findings should be communicated in a way that speaks to policymakers for research to have its intended impact. In spearheading such science diplomacy engagements, she was invited as the only African woman to the inaugural Immersion Program of the Science Diplomacy Week organized by the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) and the United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR). More recently, she has been selected as one of the prestigious Women In Africa (WIA) Young Leaders 2023 laureates.
Olivia Nabawanda (PhD)

Co-Founder and Head of Mentorship
Olivia is a Lecturer at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), under the Department of Mathematics. Olivia holds a PhD in Mathematics from Makerere University, an MSc in Mathematical Sciences from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Ghana, and a BSc. Education (Mathematics and Physics) from MUST. With her PhD, Olivia was recognized as the youngest female mathematician to obtain a PhD in Mathematics at Makerere University at the age of 31, in 2022. Olivia is involved in several projects, including a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Stockholm University under the Michael Passare Postdoc Award. She is also an active member of the Uganda Women Mathematicians Association (UGAWOM) which consists of women mathematicians with masters and PhDs in Mathematics and related careers; to inspire more girls into STEM subjects and careers, especially mathematics. She has a great passion for the education of the girl child and seeing girls excelling in STEM subjects. Olivia has recently successfully organized her first workshop titled “Women in Sage-Uganda workshop” with objectives like; creating a space for female mathematicians to work together, launching new contacts and mentorship networks for young women embarking on mathematical research, and teaching new programming skills to African female mathematicians. She is currently part of the steering committee for the Women in Sage-Africa; which was formed during the recently concluded Women in Sage-Uganda workshop. This committee consists of five members from five countries namely; Uganda, Switzerland, France, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso. The committee aims to ensure the continuity of the Women in Sage workshops within the African continent.
Kweku Yamoah

Chief Editor
Aside his role as the Chief Editor, Kweku is also a distinctive mentorship associate. He has vast experience as a mathematics educator and mentor, assisting students in preparing for their International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), A-Level, and Math Olympiad. His penchant for quantitative analysis has seen him work as the Quantitative Analysis Team Lead at the Bureau for Market and Social Research for a brief period. He worked as a data analyst at the Center for the Development of People, where he created a framework for collecting, analyzing, and storing data. Additionally, he worked as an Outreach volunteer, educating women on sexual and reproductive health, the safe use of contraceptives, and maternal mortality and morbidity control. These days, when he is not assisting with mentorship and/or seeing to his duties as the Chief Editor, he likes to conduct research in the broad area of econometrics, finance, and predictive analytics at the University of Leicester, UK where he is a postgraduate research student in the field of Economics. He is keenly interested in machine learning, data analysis, and the economics of education and technology. Kweku is a lifelong learner with a strong work ethic and a penchant for high-quality work, an NLP enthusiast, and is looking to delve deeper into the broad area of LLMs.
Jackie Nalugwa

Social Media Manager
As a seasoned sales professional with over five years of experience in the poultry industry, Jackie has honed her skills in the ever-evolving realm of digital and social media marketing. Jackie understands the pivotal role that online platforms play in today's business landscape and has successfully leveraged digital marketing strategies to boost brand visibility and engagement. Her proficiency in creating compelling content, managing online advertising campaigns, and analyzing data to make informed marketing decisions has resulted in significant growth in Words That Count’s online brand presence and audience engagement. She recognizes the importance of staying current with the latest digital trends and algorithms to adapt strategies effectively and maximize results. By blending her extensive background in poultry feed sales with her digital and social media marketing expertise, she is uniquely positioned to drive brand awareness and sales growth for her employer in the poultry industry. Jackie is dedicated to harnessing the power of digital platforms to connect with poultry farmers and deliver valuable insights and solutions tailored to meet their specific needs.
Denis Lumu

Administrative Assistant
Denis is a highly organized and detail-oriented Administrative Assistant with a strong educational background in Business Statistics from Kyambogo University. He brings a unique blend of analytical skills and administrative expertise to his role. His professional experience is marked by his dedication to enhancing office efficiency and productivity. He excels in managing schedules, coordinating meetings, and maintaining records with precision. His exceptional communication skills make him a valuable team player, ensuring seamless communication both within the organization and with external stakeholders. With his career background and passion for administrative excellence, Denis is an invaluable asset to Words That Count’s vision and mission.
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