WISE · Women in Science & Engineering · Lagos 2026
A half-day event in Lagos for 200 girls aged 12–16 who love making things with their hands — and have never been told that can become a career.
In Lagos right now, there are girls who take apart radios to see how they work. Girls who fix things before anyone asks them to. Girls who build — and have no idea that is worth anything.
About the Event
We are going to Lagos in June to change that. Girls Who Build is a half-day trades discovery session for 200 girls who are curious, practical, and hands-on — girls who have never had a room built for them.
We are bringing a female entrepreneur, Lagos technical colleges, and hands-on circuit building kits so every girl leaves having built something real, connected to a real pathway, and holding a swag bag that says: you matter, and this path is yours.
This is not a lecture. It is a conversation. Every girl gets to speak. Every girl gets to build. Every girl gets a letter to her future self to open in one year.
Every girl leaves understanding that trades — electrical, welding, carpentry, fabrication, HVAC — are real, respected, well-paid career paths that are wide open to women.
Every girl who wants to take the next step has a direct name, number, or pathway to a trade school or program — not a vague pointer, a real connection.
Every girl has seen at least one woman who looks like her who built a business and a life through a trade. Not a theory. A person. In the room.
Program Plan
An intimate trades discovery session designed around conversation, not performance.
The room opens — not with statistics, but with a story. One real moment. One woman who chose a trade and never looked back. The girls are told immediately: "You will not sit and listen today. You will talk. You will ask. You will be heard."
A female entrepreneur who built her business from a trade speaks for 15 minutes — then opens to 45 minutes of unfiltered questions directly from the girls. Real dialogue, no moderator filter.
Representatives from 2–3 Lagos technical colleges each get 5 minutes to present. Admissions requirements explained simply; scholarships and fee support flagged. Each rep stays available for the rest of the session for 1:1 conversations.
Girls split into groups of 15–20, each with one facilitator. Not a panel — a circle. Every girl talks. Three rounds of questions: What do you think when you hear the word "trade"? If money wasn't a barrier, what would you build? Who can help you remove it?
All speakers and trade school reps return to the front. Girls ask anything — publicly as via written cards collected by volunteers. No question too small. No moderation. This segment is deliberately uncomfortable — that's the point.
Every girl fills out a commitment card — one trade she's curious about, one question she still has, one step she'll take that week. Cards are collected by WISE for 7-day follow-up. Every girl receives a WISE swag bag as she leaves — a tangible reminder that she was here, she was chosen, and she matters. Every girl gets a letter to her future self.
Our Speakers
Every woman here chose trades when no one told her she could. They are not symbols — they are people. In the room. Speaking directly to girls who look like them.
Founder & CEO, Detroit Voltage
Post-exit cofounder of beauty-tech startup, ShearShare
Founder and CEO of ChurchSpace
Community Partners
We are partnering with Lagos-based vocational and technical training institutions to bring hands-on trade pathways to Girls Who Build participants.
Support the Mission
Every contribution goes directly to making this day happen — kits, food, facilitators, swag, and logistics on the ground in Lagos. No amount is too small. $200 CAD here and there adds up fast.
"There is a 13-year-old girl in Lagos who has been taking things apart her whole life and has never once been told that is a gift. We are going to tell her. Will you help us get there?"
Frequently Asked Questions
Get in Touch
Address
Lagos, Nigeria
Technical College, Lagos
Exact venue TBC — June 2026
Donation Confirmations
After a Nigeria bank transfer, WhatsApp us a screenshot so we can confirm receipt and thank you personally.
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