Nastya is 13 years old. She grew up in the shine town, the capital of Karakalpak Republic, Nukus of Uzbekistan. She participated in the Global Connections Tech Age Girl’s Project sponsored by the International Research and Exchanges Board. This project “provides encouragement, support, and training to a select group of young computer-oriented girls.”  The program provides the young women with computer and technology skills, while encouraging them to become leaders and to start projects in their own communities. For their first project, the girls created their own website.

Nastya has excellent English language skills. She filled out this questionnaire about her own experiences and her views of globalization.

1. Has globalization affected your life? Yes, globalization really affected my life.  And I start understanding, that that is very important not just for me, but for other people too. I am another person now and I watch the world from another side and try to change it.  I want to teach people on IT, leadership and help them to become big people. My life has changed.

2. Why did you want to get involved with the Tech Age Girls project? This project has helped me to become another person, to understand, that women also can be leaders and can build their future themselves. Thanks to the project I found new friends among the participants.  And now I see how strong I have changed since last year. I notice that now I prefer to get new knowledge on IT, than playing in the street.  And I try to get more and more new and interesting out of this project.  I can”t imagine my life without Techage-girls project. I get up and think about the project and go to bed thinking about it.  It makes my boring life shine. All my friends say that I am another person after the project. And I really want to keep on working at this project.

3. What do you hope to accomplish with the website? First of all I want to tell other people about me. I want to find new friends, colleagues and cooperation with organizations; witch would help me to realize my future project. I hope, that my dreams would come true……

4. What projects do you plan to do when you are finished the program? I have some ideas about cooperation with Youth organizations. I think some of them would be really interested to work with me.  I wish to open big Learning Centre in My region and continue teaching people in different spheres of IT, web-design and so on. I dream, to work and give my knowledge to the people. But this is just one of my ideas.

5. How can technology improve the status of women in your country? Technologies can help women to become leaders in their community and to lead people. They will make their future and be on the same stage with the men.  Women have a great opportunity to find new job and new friends using technologies.

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