The closing ceremony of “May Al-Shawaf” program

Upon a special invitation, our firm, represented by Ms. Ola Hussein Yaqoob and Ms. Duaa Farahat Abdulqadir, is pleased to attend the closing ceremony of  “May Al-Shawaf” program organized by IOT Kids in collaboration with Mr. Khaled Al-Khaldi, as a tribute honoring the legacy of his late mother, Mrs. May Qadri Azat Al-Shawaf. The event took place on Thursday, February 2, 2024, at The Station Foundation for Entrepreneurship in karada-Baghdad. This event marked a significant milestone in the journey of young ambitious girls as the program aims to empower girls aged 10 to 16 in the fields of technology and artificial intelligence to enhance their skills and understanding of the technology world.

The ceremony began with an inspirational welcome speech by the event host, Ms. Ghada Ahmed, emphasizing the significance of the “May Al-Shawaf” program in empowering girls and guiding them toward advanced technology fields. Following that, Mr. Mohammed Khaled Alazawi, one of the founders of IOT Kids, then delivered a welcoming speech,and highlighting that 12 girls out of 100 participants qualified for the final stage. These girls showcased their innovative projects, presenting them to a specialized judging panel with expertise from reputable organizations.

The participating girls excelled in their innovative projects, detailing advancements in programming and artificial intelligence before the judging panel, that included  Ms. Israa Al-Juboori (UNICEF Youth and Adolescents Program Manager), Mr. Ammar Al-Khateeb (Co-founder and CEO of Uplevel), Ms. Mariam Al-Lami (Economic Advisor at the Dutch Embassy in iraq), Ms. Rana Mufeed (Head of Corporate Sustainability at Zain Iraq), and Mr. Ziad Shaaban (CEO of the Continuing Education Center at the American University in Iraq).

Moreover, Ms. Fatima Jassim, the program director, expressed that the program required months of training and education, involving significant efforts from the IOT Kids team and parents to select the 12 outstanding girls qualified for the final stage. Each girl shared the buckthought inspiration behind her project’s idea, presenting a short video explaining its benefits and innovations.

The three winners were announced, with appreciative awards presented to:

1. Dhuha Emad – Diabetes Diagnosis Project
2. Umniyah Mohamed – Mediminder Project
3. Hajar Mohammed – Smart School Project

Closing the ceremony, with the presence of Dr. Saad Ahmed Al-Jumaili, the Director of the Ministry of Education’s Office overseeing gifted and talented schools in Iraq, Mr. Ali Taher, the Director of “Makers” institution, delivered words of thanks and appreciation to the participating girls, emphasizing the importance of activating the role of young women in entrepreneurship. Additionally, Awards were distributed to the 12 girls who qualified for the final stage, each receiving a participation certificate, a commemorative prize, and certificates of appreciation.

The event concluded with a celebratory memorial photo session for the organizing team, judging panel, and participating girls, highlighting the unique experience and success achieved. Our firm extends sincere thanks and appreciation to IOT Kids center for the outstanding event and the gracious invitation to the closing ceremony. As an Iraqi firm we value the efforts in empowering girls in the fields of technology and artificial intelligence in Iraq, and we look forward to more of these important events that promote motivation and innovation.