Beneficiary Stories | 02 December 2022

Grant Recipient Spotlight: Girl’s Fly Programme Africa (GFPA) Foundation

ISTAT Foundation Grant Supports Girl’s Aviation and Space Technology Camp for Students in South Africa

By Katie Minarik and GFPA Foundation

Girl’s Fly Programme Africa (GFPA) Foundation hosted its Girl’s Aviation and Space Technology (GAST) camp in South Africa with the support of 2022 ISTAT Foundation grant funds. The camp attendees included participants from many areas of South Africa aged 14 to 18, and included introductions to careers in aviation and space technology, solving an innovation challenge using human centric design thinking and other STEM-related topics.

There were many hands-on learning opportunities with activities like drone flying, building and coding robots and a robotics challenge. Refilwe Ledwaba, the founder of GFPA Foundation and the first Black female helicopter pilot in South Africa, spoke to the attendees about career opportunities within the aviation industry. The camp also notably emphasized cultural diversity by hosting an evening for the camp participants to wear their traditional attires and teach and celebrate their unique backgrounds with each other.

After the close of the camp, the GFPA team and Ledwaba reported that many of the young learners were considering careers within the aerospace industry and expressed their appreciation for the support from the ISTAT Foundation: “Thank you to ISTAT Foundation for the grant. The grant we received was instrumental in the success of our programmes including the aviation and space technology camp, and various aerospace workshops. The resources we acquired through the grant will continue to support our mission of creating an Africa where every girl is educated, included and empowered. “

To learn more about the GAST camp, consider reading their recent update here. You can also hear firsthand accounts from the campers in their highlight videos: