PLP Africa hackathon powers 3 startups to scale innovative tech solutions

The event, known as CODEHER 2025, was organised by Power Learn Project (PLP) Africa in partnership with UN Women and creative economy investor Heva Fund, coinciding with this year’s International Youth Day celebrations. The 24-hour coding sprint brought together 54 young women developers, working in 18 teams, to design digital solutions for the creative and platform economy.

Globally, women hold less than 30 percent of technology jobs, with even fewer represented in leadership roles. In Africa, this gap is further widened by limited access to training, mentorship, and networks—an inequality the organisers say CODEHER is designed to address.

The three winning teams were announced in Nairobi, with the top innovators securing internship opportunities at Heva Fund to further develop their projects. Notably, one of the winning teams included a graduate of UN Women’s African Girls Can Code Initiative, who finished in second place—seen as proof of the long-term impact of sustained investment in women’s skills.

“What inspired me to join this competition was the chance to do something unique, something I had never done before—and this hackathon gave me that opportunity,” said Virginia Ndege, one of the winners.

PLP Executive Director Mumbi Ndung’u said the initiative is about more than coding competitions.
“Empowering African women to lead in the creative and platform economies means unlocking the continent’s next wave of innovation and growth. By equipping young women with skills, networks, and opportunities, we create ripples of change in their communities and in Africa’s future,” she said.

Sebastian Gatimu, Deputy Country Representative – OiC at UN Women Kenya, said the hackathon resonates with the International Youth Day 2025 theme, “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond.”
“By bringing young women to the forefront of tech innovation, we are advancing gender equality, digital inclusion, and sustainable economic growth,” he said.