SYEDA MALAIKA RIZVI
PAKISTAN, 18
Project: Girls Coders Pakistan
Basic Human Needs: Education, Health, Safety
In November 2016 Malaika discovered Girls Make Games (GMG) – a U.S.-based organization working to increase educational access by encouraging girls to develop video games. Her experience traveling from her home in Lahore, Pakistan to Boston for GMG’s 2017 Summer STEM program was lifechanging. When invited back in 2018, she couldn’t return due to a lack of funds. Malaika realized many girls in Pakistan couldn’t afford any opportunity to travel or learn about STEM as she had in 2017. She spent the next year researching various STEM initiatives, developing a computer science curriculum and campaigning for a dedicated STEM program in her school. In August 2018 Malaika launched Girl Coders Pakistan (GCP) – an initiative to bridge the STEM gender gap in Pakistan. GCP uses experiential learning to introduce a variety of STEM topics to girls so they can pave a career path that resonates with them. GCP has educated hundreds of girls in Lahore on computer science and their curricula is currently being used by the International School of Lahore. Malaika was selected as one of 25 changemakers worldwide for the 2019-2020 World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Learners’ Voice Fellowship Program. In September 2020 Malaika registered GCP with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, and in October, signed an MoU with her school to lead GCP’s STEM programs and implement their curricula. In 2021, Malaika plans to expand GCP into other areas of Pakistan, and launch monthly workshops and a 3-month program for students to dive deeper into certain STEM areas.