Q&A with Malawi’s Miss Geek Africa 2025 Star, Ms. Shyreen Kalulu

Meet Ms. Shyreen Kalulu, a fourth-year Bachelor of Science student majoring in Information Systems. She has just been crowned Malawi’s national winner of the Miss Geek Africa 2025 competition and will represent the country at the continental finals to be held in Kigali, Rwanda on 20th October, 2025.

As she prepares to take the stage among Africa’s brightest young innovators, we sat down with her for a quick Q&A to learn more about her journey, her project, and what drives her passion for technology.

1. Congratulations Shyreen! Please tell us a bit about yourself and your journey as a student at UNIMA

My name is Shyreen Kalulu, and I am a student at the University of Malawi studying Information Systems. My journey has been full of growth and discovery. Being at UNIMA has challenged me to think beyond the classroom and pushed me to create technological ideas that has a possibility of solving real problems faced by communities

2. What inspired you to pursue Information Systems? Have you always been passionate about technology, or did that interest grow during your time at the university?

Technology was never my passion at first. I was more interested in medicine before joining UNIMA. When I look back, I think it was because everyone wanted that field after secondary school. It was some sort of indirect peer pressure. When I came to UNIMA, being a Bachelor of Science student left me with many choices. At first, I wanted to major in Chemistry so that in future I could study Pharmacy. But along the way, I decided to take a different path. I wanted to do something that most boys were doing but there were only a few girls. That is when I chose Information Systems. The continuing students and lecturers did a great job of orienting us and showing us what Information Systems is really about. That is when I began to love it. The more I learned, the more my passion for tech grew naturally. What inspired me even more is that this program is not only about app and mobile development, but also about management, entrepreneurship, building confidence, and creating ideas. It felt like the perfect combination for me.

3. Could you tell us about the innovation you presented for the Miss Geek Africa competition?

I presented AMINA (Automated Maternal Intelligence and Notification Assistant). It’s an AI-powered health assistant designed for pregnant and postpartum women. What makes AMINA unique is that it works on basic phones without the need for internet, which makes it accessible to the majority of women in rural areas.

4. What specific community challenge does your project aim to address?

AMINA addresses maternal mortality and complications during and after childbirth. Many women in Africa die from preventable ailments because they do not recognise warning signs early enough or cannot access proper information. My project bridges this gap by giving them timely health advice and reminders through SMS, USSD, and voice calls.

5. In simple terms, how does your solution work?

It works like a personal health assistant on a basic phone. A woman registers by dialing a USSD code, then AMINA checks in with her through SMS or voice calls. For example, it may ask if she feels dizzy or has bleeding, and then give advice or connect her to a nurse if needed. It also reminds her about delivery preparations and sends alerts to her emergency contacts if something seems wrong.

6. What are you looking forward to in the Miss Geek Africa competition?

I am excited to share my ideas with others, learn from fellow innovators, and gain mentorship that will help me turn this imagination into reality. I am also looking forward to representing Malawi and showing that local solutions can have a global impact.

7. What does participating in Miss Geek Africa mean to you as a young woman in STEM?

It means breaking barriers and being a voice for young women who want to innovate. For me, it’s not just about competing, but also about learning and inspiring other girls to see that they too can use technological ideas to make a difference.

8. Beyond Miss Geek Africa, what are your long-term goals in technology and innovation?

I want to continue creating tech ideas that solve community challenges, especially in health and education. My long-term goal is to grow as a technology entrepreneur and support other young innovators in Malawi and across Africa.

9. What role has the University of Malawi played in your achievement?

UNIMA has been the foundation of my journey. It gave me the knowledge, skills, and mentorship I needed to develop AMINA. But beyond academics, UNIMA has also been the channel that connected me to opportunities like this one. It was through my UNIMA email that I learned about the Miss Geek Africa competition. For those who think UNIMA only gives education, they are wrong, it also gives us opportunities, channels, and connections. At first, I did not fully understand what they meant when they called UNIMA “the Home of Academic Freedom,” but now I do.