The Little Engineer and The African Section Ninety Nines International Organisation of Women Pilots – locally known as the Ninety Nines – formed a partnership with Airbus. As a result, they will launch The Airbus Little Engineer (ALE) interactive digital programme in Malawi.
The ALE programme first launched in 2012 and reached at least 1080 ten to sixteen years old learners from urban and rural areas across the Southern African country. In 2019, it reached more than 5800 learners. The programme hosted 30 learners that year from areas of Gaborone, Ramotswa and Bobirwa, while operating in 12 other countries.
Purpose Of The ALE-Malawi
The Airbus Little Engineer and The Ninety Nines are aiming at educating the young generation (of 10 and 16 years old) living within Malawi through promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Aviation. The ALE programme is carried out through a series of interactive online 3D modeling workshops with the main goal of encouraging learners to understand and embrace technology and ignite a passion that could grow into an exciting STEM career.
Governor Ivana Alvares-Marshal of the African Section Ninety Nines International Organisation of Women Pilots said that, “This is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and ICAO Next Generation of Aviation Professional.”
Through organising such workshops, like The ALE, The Ninety Nines is living up to its motto which is; to promote the advancement of aviation for women through education, scholarship and mutual support whilst honouring their unique history and sharing their passion for flight.