PES Women in Power (WiP) always inspires the career advancement, networking and education of women in the energy industry. IEEE PES WiP is impacting the lives of young engineers throughout the world.  Chelangat K. Mercy from Kenya, WiP R8-Africa representative, shares her motivation behind “lifetime association” with IEEE, PES and WiP:

“My name is Chelangat K. Mercy. I was born and raised from a humble background in Sotik, Bomet County, Kenya – an environment that challenged me to be a better woman every day. I graduated from Moi University with a B.Eng in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (2017).

One of the best decisions I made in life was signing up for the IEEE Kenya ESEK Symposium, where I presented my final year project, which was still at its early stages. I graduated having successfully implemented the Internet of Things (IoT) Based Smart Electric Meter thanks to a few insights I garnered from the intellectuals I interacted with.

This was the beginning of my lifetime association with IEEE. Towards the end of 2017, I had the opportunity to attend the East Africa Students and Young Professionals (EASYP) Congress at CEDAT, Makerere University, where we were empowered to advance our careers for sustainable development. It was hosted by the IEEE Uganda sub-section, with UIPE – Uganda Institute of Professional Engineers and the Resilient Africa Network being the co-hosts.

During that time, I had earned myself an internship with Industrial Promotion Services (K) as a Rural Electrification Intern. Later on I was reinstated as Rural Projects Development Officer, where we sought to catalyse growth in access to electricity by addressing fundamental challenges of transforming the energy landscape through combining new business models and renewable energy technologies to the bottom of the pyramid consumers who are not served by the conventional centralized local grid.

I am currently working with OfGen as a Solar PV Trainee. During my part-time, I am conducting research on the Internet of Services as an integrated tool for effective decentralized power systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is in relation to sustainable development goals, with a focus on SDG 7, which seeks to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. In my quest as a humanitarian engineer, I involve myself with Peace Ambassadors Integration Organization in order to give back to the community.

I recently became a member of the African Women Energy Entrepreneurs Framework (AWEEF) whose main aim is to unlock the opportunities for women in sustainable energy. These memberships have been a boost to my well needed professional growth. As a sustainable energy enthusiast, I joined the Power Energy Society to enhance my career expertise, passion and network. I am the acting Secretary, Publicity Marketing and Historian Committee of IEEE Kenya Section.

One day as I was looking through the IEEE Facebook pages, I came across a call for volunteers to take part in the R8 PES WiP representation. I expressed my interest to support PES and WiP and to my amazement, I was selected. Recently, I was selected to be global PES Day ambassador for the Women in Engineering affinity group in my local IEEE unit. I celebrated the day with my fellows all around the world.

I am a nature lover with a passion for environmental conservation. During my free time, I like to write and publish a few blogs at techfanatica.wordpress.com. I meditate a lot. I love animals and get friendlier around dogs and cats! I also love cooking and trying out different cuisines. Towards my old age, I want to smile through the pages of my passport reminiscing of the destinations reached and memories made. My passion is to travel across the world and breathe the air of places!”

Sainab Ninalowo
IEEE PES WiP Chair