Africa
Women in Tech Program awards 7 women-led startups with USD 70,000
- 7 Kenyan women-led startups awarded USD 70,000 through the Women In Tech Program
- To date, 64 start-ups have participated in the Women In Tech Program and 32 have been awarded over KES 38.4 Million in seed funding
The Standard Chartered Bank and @iBizAfrica – Strathmore University, through its partnership program the Women in Tech Incubator program has today awarded 7 women-led businesses with USD 70,000 marking the successful conclusion of the 6th cohort of the incubation program.
The award ceremony, themed Leveraging Technology for Impact, was presided over by The Standard Chartered Bank Board Member, Mr. Imtiaz Khan, Standard Chartered Bank Kenya CEO, Kariuki Ngari Strathmore University Vice Chancellor, Dr. Vincent Ogutu, and @iBizAfrica Incubation Centre- Strathmore University Director, Dr. Joseph Sevilla.
The 6th cohort of the Women in Tech Program, launched in March 2023, attracted a pool of over 250 startups from sectors such as agriculture, finance, transportation, health, and the construction industry. 15 women-led startups were shortlisted to undergo a 3-month incubation training modeled around the fundamentals of business idea conceptualization, strategy formulation, the Internet of Things (IoT), marketing, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence.
Dr. Vincent Ogutu, the Vice Chancellor at Strathmore University, stated, “As we celebrate the graduation of this Women in Tech Cohort, it’s important to recognize the role of technology in our daily lives. A recent study has shown that only 14.6% of startups in Africa are founded by women; there is hope for a bigger representation. If women receive the right mentorship, training, and coaching, the tech ecosystem in Africa will thrive even more. Currently, 30.9% of all new tech roles are filled by female candidates, showing a slight increase from 29% in the previous year, according to recent statistics. Academia and the private sector need to collaborate more on programs like this that support women-led businesses”.
These 15 teams are an increase from the previous cohorts, where 10 businesses were incubated and 5 startups per cohort received funding.
Speaking during the event, Mr.Kariuki Ngari, CEO, Standard Chartered Bank Kenya & East Africa said, “Supporting women-led enterprises is a key component of our ambition to impact and influence the growth of the SME sector, and the Women in Tech programme enables us to bring this vision to life. We have been able to catalyse growth through our latest cohort and are confident that the entrepreneurs who have gone through the programme will be better positioned to take up the opportunities in across the various sectors that they serve.”
The funding recipients were picked after a rigorous judging process undertaken by accomplished industry experts in both private and public sectors, seasoned entrepreneurs, and academic thought leaders on solution innovation, availability of market opportunity, and social impact in Kenya, among other criteria.
The seven awarded women-led startups demonstrated excellence based on three main criteria:
- A female-led start-up business that solves social economic needs in Kenya
- An innovative startup that utilizes emerging technologies ie. Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, Augmented and virtual Reality; 3D & 4D Printing; Cloud Computing; Big Data; Blockchain; Drone Technology, and Biometrics.
- A business model with a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) alignment
The Women In Tech Top 7 startups for this year are as follows:
- Sign-With Us – Sign with Us is a Sign language training institution that teaches sign language to anyone around the world who has a passion for sign language, or may interact with a deaf person in their line of work.
- Saidiwa Rides – Aims to bridge the gap between unreliable public transportation and relatively expensive digital taxis with a novel driver-passenger pairing model that permits daily commuters to share taxi seats and share costs.
- Imani Health – An e-wallet that enables people to save specifically for healthcare. It breaks down large payments into piecemeal payments that one can easily pay over time before they need the healthcare service.
- Know Learning Ltd – Revolutionizes parental engagement by providing a user-friendly platform that bridges the gap between schools and parents.
- PanaCare- A healthcare company that provides affordable telemedicine services using USSD technology for consultations, remote monitoring, and health management tools without internet access.
- Rhea Soil Health Management – Rhea provides access to soil testing and agricultural extension services to smallholder farmers, analyzing soil and providing results and fertilizer recommendations through a machine learning-powered recommendation system.
- Instruct Africa -Instruct is a legal tech company that leverages tech and data to provide legal assurance to matatu drivers and bodaboda operators. Our mission is to democratize access to justice and legal tools in the informal sector.
In today’s increasingly digitized landscape, emerging technologies have become essential for startup innovators to integrate into their ventures. Notably, AI startup funding in Kenya is valued at KES 13 billion according to a recent survey. However, the adoption rate of such technologies in Kenya remains relatively low at 28.76%, falling below the global average of 35.17%.
Since its inception, the program has trained more than 64 women-led businesses leveraging on technology by offering mentorship, advisory, coaching, networking opportunities, access to seed capital, and investor forums that help mold their businesses to international standards. To date, 32 startups have been awarded over KES 1.2 million (USD 10,000) in seed funding with the first five cohorts attracting over 2,000 applications.
Harnessing the Power of IoT, AI, and Data Science for Sustainable and Productive Farming
Data-driven Agriculture
In recent years, the convergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Data Science has opened up new horizons for sustainable agricultural methods. These cutting-edge technologies have empowered farmers with real-time data, predictive analytics, and automated systems, resulting in improved resource management, better production, and less environmental impact.
To shed light on the potential of this transformative trio, @iLabAfrica organized a webinar to address the efficient application of IoT, AI, and Data Science in enabling sustainable farming methods.
The webinar brought together industry experts, researchers, and farmers to share their knowledge and experiences in leveraging IoT, AI, and Data Science for sustainable agriculture.
In his opening remarks, Dr. John Olukuru, Head of Data Science and Analytics @iLabAfrica, said that IoT, AI, and Data Science have ushered in a new era of precision farming, where data-driven decision-making holds the key to achieving sustainable and efficient agricultural practices.
“As we are all aware, the world is facing numerous challenges in the realm of food production and resource management, and it is imperative that we explore innovative solutions that enable us to feed our planet sustainably,” said Dr. Olukuru.
Dr. Olukuru further underscored the tremendous opportunity to effectively solve these challenges presented by the confluence of IoT, AI, and Data Science. Farmers may collect real-time information on crop health, weather patterns, and other critical characteristics by incorporating IoT devices like sensors, drones, and smart monitoring systems into their agricultural activities.
Maryanne Gichanga, co-founder and CEO of Agritech Analytics, presenting in the webinar, recalled that when she was growing up, the rains were plentiful, seasons were predictable, and farm produce was guaranteed, which is not the case anymore as a result of a raging climate change that has altered farming seasons.
For this, Maryanne founded Agritech Analytics with the intention of supporting small-holder farmers whose farming operations have been disrupted by unpredictable weather.
“I desire to end hunger in Africa; it is exciting to create a solution that people associate with, connecting farmers in a seamless and efficient manner by harnessing the capabilities of IoT, AI, and Data Science,” said Maryanne.
IoT has become a game changer in the field of agriculture, enabling data-driven practices that enhance productivity, resource management, and sustainability. By connecting physical objects and devices to the internet, IoT technologies provide a wealth of real-time data that can revolutionize agricultural operations.
In line with Maryanne’s initiative, Stephen Gitahi, Research and Project Coordinator, IoT and Wireless Networks Lab @iLabAfrica, stated some of the projects that their department is working on in regards to Data-driven agriculture, including A model Implementation of an IoT-based Smart watering system for crops using Long range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), which helps keep track of soil moisture levels, keep track of irrigation water reservoir levels, and quantify the amount of water used for irrigation. It can also be shared among 20 to 30 local farmers.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and data science have significantly changed traditional farming methods and made it possible for more effective, sustainable, and fruitful agricultural systems.
Paschal Kyalo, Junior Business Intelligence Analyst @iLabAfrica, shared ways in which AI and Data Science have impacted the agricultural sector, one of which is enhancing crop yield and quality through data-driven insights and optimization techniques.
“By harnessing the power of AI algorithms and data analysis, farmers can now access valuable insights into various factors that affect crop production. Historical data, weather patterns, soil conditions, and other relevant information are processed and analyzed to generate actionable recommendations. These insights help farmers optimize their farming practices, including irrigation, fertilizer application, and pest control,” said Paschal.
With the aid of AI, farmers can make well-informed decisions on when and how much to irrigate their crops based on current weather information and soil moisture levels. This precision in irrigation contributes to improved water management, reduced water wastage, and enhanced crop health.
The integration of IoT, AI, and Data Science in agriculture holds tremendous potential for a more sustainable, productive, and food-secure future.
By Wachira Kevin.
Kenyan Innovation Body unveils a digital marketplace to connect innovators and investors
In April this year, the Kenya National Innovation Agency CEO, Dr. Tonny Omwansa, officiated the launch of a one-stop shop for innovators, investors, Enterprise Support organizations (ESOs), and Customers dubbed the Kenya Innovation Bridge at the Hillpark Hotel in Upperhill.
The event organized by the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) and the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) marks the National Launch of the digital marketplace. The platform has so far been launched in the Rift, Western, Lake, and Coastal regions of Kenya, where different stakeholders have been engaged and onboarded as users.
In his remarks, KeNIA CEO Dr. Tonny Omwansa stated that the Kenya Innovation Bridge Platform is part of the interventions that the Agency is making on the individual (innovator) level. He reiterated that through the platform, innovators get access to opportunities that will enable them to scale their innovations into sustainable businesses.
“The aspiration of the Kenya Innovation Bridge is to have a platform where all elements of the Innovation ecosystem are onboard. We envision it as a literal innovation marketplace; whether an innovator is looking for mentorship, partnership, funding, or capacity-building opportunities, they can find it all there. It is a platform of boundless possibilities.” Dr. Tonny Omwansa, Chief Executive Officer, Kenya National Innovation Agency
The new platform hosts more than 2000 innovators, investors, and Enterprise Support organizations across Kenya. The platform was created with the intention of increasing the discoverability of innovations and connecting the existing and emerging innovations in Kenya to a virtual marketplace to provide linkages to investments, partnerships, and capacity-building opportunities that could transform the innovations into commercially viable products and businesses, thereby contributing to job creation and the overall economic growth of the Country. So far, over 400 connections have been made, and 120 partnerships are being pursued.
Emmanuel Kweyu, Deputy Director, @iLabAfrica, present at the event, said that, “Through the Kenya Innovation Bridge, we aim to create a boundless platform where innovators can discover opportunities for mentorship, partnerships, funding, and capacity building. It is a marketplace of endless possibilities, fostering equitable and inclusive innovation.”
Representing the UK Government, Dr. Emmeline Skinner said that the Kenya Innovation Bridge is just part of the greater partnership between KeNIA and the UK Government. Talking to innovators, Dr. Skinner emphasized that innovation is not just about technology and the latest trends. “With the innovation bridge platform, we hope to see diverse innovations from all sectors, even in service delivery, because innovation is simply a different way of doing things.”
“Innovation is equitable and inclusive. The intention of the Kenya Innovation Bridge is to ensure that we leave no one behind. Through the platform, we want to reach everyone, including women, youth, and People with Disabilities. ” Dr. Emmeline Skinner, Foreign Commonwealth Development Office
The launch of the Kenya Innovation Bridge marked a significant milestone in the country’s innovation ecosystem. With the platform now accessible in multiple regions of Kenya, it has successfully connected over 2,000 innovators, investors, and Enterprise Support organizations. The vision behind the Kenya Innovation Bridge is to create an innovation marketplace that encompasses all elements of the ecosystem, providing plenty of opportunities for mentorship, partnerships, funding, and capacity building.
15 Women-led startups selected to join Standard Chartered USD 175K Women in Tech Cohort 6 program
- The top 15 Women led startups selected to join the Women in Tech Cohort 6
- 15 Kenyan companies will access 12 weeks of incubation, which will culminate in 7 of them getting KShs 1,200,000 million in funding to grow their businesses.
Standard Chartered Kenya in partnership with @iBizAfrica- Strathmore University have today shortlisted fifteen (15) women-led startups that will be undergoing 12 weeks of business incubation training under the Women in Tech Program. This will culminate in seven of the women led businesses receiving USD 10,000 each in funding to grow their businesses.
Standard Chartered Women in Tech (WiT) supports female-led entrepreneurial teams with business management training, mentoring, and seed funding. This year’s top 15 teams were selected from a pool of over 250 startups that applied for the program from different sectors, such as agritech, fintech, the healthcare industry, mobility tech, disability tech, and the construction industry. This is an increase from the previous cohorts, where 10 businesses were incubated and 5 startups per cohort each received funding.
The shortlisting criteria were rigorous and required the selected teams to demonstrate capacity in execution, showcase potential to solve socio-economic challenges in Kenya, have a balanced skill set (team lead, business development, product development, and marketing), while ensuring that they leverage technology.
Commenting on the program, Standard Chartered’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing East Africa, Ms. Joyce Kibe, stated;
“I wish to congratulate the fifteen women-led enterprises that made it out of a pool of over 250 startups and the rigorous shortlisting criteria to join this forward-thinking, efficient, and transformative Women in Tech Cohort 6 program. As Standard Chartered, we are delighted to have scaled the number from the previous cohorts, where 10 businesses were incubated.”
She further alleged: “Our continued funding of this programme is as a result of research that indicated that female-led startups in Africa attracted less funding in 2022 compared to male-led startups in the region. Women-led enterprises were more challenged by societal bottlenecks and financing limits, so we are pleased to contribute to closing the gap through increased capacity building and focused funding toward female-led enterprises.
I therefore encourage the beneficiaries to maximize this opportunity as we empower them to champion more diversity in technology and advance entrepreneurial and leadership excellence.
Speaking during the selection of the Top 15, Dr. Joseph Sevilla, Director of @iBizAfrica- Strathmor University, said;
The Women in Tech Program has been designed to bridge the finance and capacity building gap that women entrepreneurs face, and we are proud to have partnered with Standard Chartered Bank to further champion this cause through an additional cohort.
“I therefore also congratulate the successful beneficiaries and wish to encourage them to take advantage of this programme as it will equip them with the necessary coping mechanisms and professional skills through training, mentorship, and financial literacy that will resultantly contribute to their survival and success.
He added: As Strathmore University, we are confident that the financial contribution worth US 175K made by Standard Chartered towards the Women in Tech—Cohort 6 programme will go a long way in uplifting the participation of marginalized groups, tackling inequality, and promoting greater economic inclusion for women entrepreneurs in our country. As I conclude, I appeal to more men, as they constitute the majority of the workforce in the technology ecosystem, to offer more support to women in the computing and engineering spaces by taking up mentorship roles and opening doors for them.
To align with the theme for this year, Embracing Equity in Women-Led Businesses, the business incubation training has been modeled around emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and big data, while additionally integrating the fundamentals of business idea conceptualization, strategy, formulation, and marketing, which will be key in moving businesses from incubation to sustainable ventures.
The Women in Tech Incubator Program is committed to being digital by design and supporting female entrepreneurs with technology to grow their businesses.
The 15 enterprises that will be starting the 12 weeks of mentorship @iBizAfrica the Women in Tech 2023 include: –
- Ecorich Solutions Limited -A start-up that provides cheap fertilizer. The company has developed a WasteBot decomposer device/smart recycling bin that use AI-enabled recycling to convert waste into valuable and affordable primary farm fertilizer.
- Imani Health Wallet – An e-wallet that enables people to save specifically for healthcare. It breaks down large payments into piecemeal payments that one can easily pay over time before they need the healthcare service.
- Sol Active (fusion) – A web platform where landlords can list their empty retail space for free, and brands can book it easily
- Saidiwa (squad) Rides – A hailing app that aims to bridge the gap between unreliable public transportation and relatively expensive digital taxis. It introduces a novel driver-passenger pairing model that permits daily commuters to share taxi seats and share costs.
- Ento Farm – A biotechnology company that produces protein-rich animal feed based on dried, inactive insects that are produced through the fermentation of organic waste.
- AgriTech Analytics – They build innovation capabilities of start ups and aspiring start ups in Kenyan universities to help geospatial information systems and AgriTech students develop rare and valuable tech skills needed to come up with profitable and sustainable solutions.
- Techtenum Minds LTD – An E-learning platform that aspires to raise subject matter experts by bridging the practical skill gap between traditional academic curriculum and latest job market needs.
- MyAfya Africa – A mental health organization and digi-health company dedicated to revolutionizing the accessibility and availability of mental health services.
- Rhea Soil Health Management Limited – An IOT soil analysis device that provides soil testing and agricultural extension services to smallholder farmers. A machine learning algorithm is then powered to make recommendations depending on the data shared.
- Know Learning Limited (Recess)- is a platform that enables parents to participate in their children’s learning processes by partnering with teachers and schools to improve the learning outcome. It additionally ensures that schools and parents are on the same page through facilitation of transparent and efficient dialogue on the child’s progress.
- Sign with us – A Sign Language Training Institution Based in Meru and Online The institution teaches sign language to anyone around the world who has a passion for it.
- Acre-insights – They use drones and satellites to collect high-resolution data on crop growth and development, soil moisture, and other key indicators. Through advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms to interpret this data and provide farmers with actionable insights to make informed decisions about irrigation, fertilizer application, and pest control.
- Instruct Africa – They provide affordable legal solutions to professionals in the informal sector
- Panacare: A healthcare company that provides affordable and accessible healthcare services through telemedicine. The company leverages USSD technology to offer consultations, remote monitoring, and tools that help patients manage their health and well-being without the need for internet access or smartphone devices.
- Tynka Global – A platform that connects entrepreneurs, experts, and investors, simplifying the process of forming partnerships. The platform’s open database of investors and businesses allows entrepreneurs to showcase their projects and attract potential investors.
Since its inception, the program has trained more than 10 small and medium businesses to leverage technology by offering mentorship, advisory services, coaching, networking opportunities, access to seed capital, and investor forums that help mold their businesses to international standards. 50 start-ups have participated to date, and 25 have been awarded over KES 1.2 million (USD 10,000) in seed funding. 50 businesses have so far gone through the incubation process, with the first five cohorts attracting over 2,000 applications.
Academia as the key enabler for innovation entrepreneurship
This is especially applicable to Africa’s budding education entrepreneurship ecosystem which is growing at a fast rate, with surveys revealing that 22% of Africa’s working age population have started businesses. As impressive as this may sound, mortality rates of startups still remain at a high with 70 percent of them shutting down less than 20 months in business, owing to lack of industry knowledge and technical support.Higher Education Institutions (HEI) play an active role in supporting entrepreneurs be better equipped with skills and knowledge within the ever changing ecosystem.
With this in mind, how can these HEIs work together with other entrepreneurship stakeholders to upscale the ideas of budding university entrepreneurs at an early stage?
In June 2022, @iBizAfrica, StrathmoreUniversity was honored to have been part of a roundtable discussion at the Ashesi Education Collaborative Annual Convening Conference. The conversation was focused on highlighting entrepreneurship ecosystem opportunities at a continental level while examining the role HEIs enablers such as iBizAfrica-Strathmore University ,private sector players and innovation hubs could play in catalyzing the growth of the sector. @iBizAfrica participated in a panel session to discuss Contributions and Expectations of Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Actors: Boosting Collaborative Relationships and was represented by the Incubation Manager Ludovica Ochieng, alongside Dr Abenna Engmann Manager at Ashesi Entrepreneurship Center, Dr Kagonya Awori– Senior Applied Scientist at Microsoft Africa Research Institute, Nanko Madu Director of Programmes at Afrilabs and Mercy Kimalat Chief Executive Officer at the Association of Startup and SME Enablers of Kenya.
The session was engaging and informative with the following key takeaways:
- There is a need to strengthen industry and academia collaboration in solving real problems through research data that can eventually be commercialized by industry players.
- Mentorship frameworks within education collaborative networks needed to be strengthened in order to enable HEIs within Africa to support each other.
- Creation of innovation hubs within HEIs would enable capitalization of strengths within the educational collaborative networks.
With the evolving trends of entrepreneurship transitioning from necessity based entrepreneurship to innovative based entrepreneurship,there will be a need to have collaborative synergies of the different actors of the ecosystem to position Africa HEIs as the leaders in innovation.
@iBizAfrica is keen on partnering with other HEIs and entrepreneurship stakeholders to ensure that the amazing innovations of youth entrepreneurs in Kenya and Africa,are showcased to the international ecosystem as solutions to the socio-environmental problems.
STRATHMORE UNIVERSITY HOSTS 2ND EDITION OF DATA SCIENCE WEEK
Strathmore University’s @iLabAfrica hosted the second edition of the Strathmore Data Science Week at the Microsoft Auditorium, in what was a week-long event that showcased the real-life application of data science across the continent, including work done through the collaboration between the University of Bristol – Jean Golding Institute and the Data Science Unit at Strathmore University.
The event attracted over 50 participants interested in Data Science who were in attendance and it involved a series of talks, workshops, and presentation sessions among students, researchers and professionals who delved into diverse areas such as health, agriculture, and climate challenges.
The Data Week provided an environment that fostered in-person networking and development as well as blended delivery of some sessions, which increased the reach and accessibility of the event.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Samuel Maina – Senior Applied Scientist, Microsoft Africa Research Institute (MARI) noted that everyone wants a long, happy and healthy life, and scientists are doing their best to make this possible. This also applies to the other societal challenges such as food security, sustainable agriculture, forestry, maritime and inland water. With the world population set to reach 9 billion by 2050, scientists are trying their best to find ways to radically change our approach to production, consumption, processing, storage, recycling and waste disposal while minimising the environmental impact.
“Expertise in technology for emerging markets research can help address some of the societal challenges such as health and wellbeing, food security, and sustainable agriculture.
The demand for data science skills has driven the establishment of data science courses available through a variety of instructional channels, from certificate programs such as the one @iLabAfrica, with multiple disciplinary homes, including iSchools and computer science and statistics departments,” said Dr. Maina.
He further stated that data intensive emerging technologies manifest in learning and research in several ways, offering routes to impact student success and transform the research process.
The Strathmore Data Week, an annual grassroots training initiative provides an avenue for Data Science training, exposure, and mentorship to students, researchers and professionals who are interested in developing practical skills in areas such as education, health, agriculture and climate.
This year’s theme ‘Cultivating Data Science Research in Africa’ is set to play a key role in addressing many of the continent’s challenges.
Also at the event, Ms. Muthoni Wanyoike – Co-founder of Nairobi Women Learning & Data science highlighted that sometimes it might seem like technology only causes problems or complicates things. People yearn for a simpler life; without cell phones beeping, traffic jams, and dangerous weapons. But the truth is, science and technology have solved a lot of society’s problems and will continue to do so in the future.
“We are living at interesting times where we should think about the problems we are faced with and how we can use technology to solve these problems,” said Ms. Wanyoike.
Attracting Data Science professionals, academic practitioners, students and members from the community, the second edition of Data Science Week was bigger and better. The edition explored innovative ways of analysing data and how it is communicated to a wide audience, including those with little experience with data.
In addressing the continent’s challenges, Mr. Christian Kilonzo, Analyst – Development Initiatives said, “DI advocates for creation of functional data ecosystems and a culture of data use by making official data open and encouraging the uptake and use of data by decision-makers at national and subnational level.”
The Strathmore Data Week was also used as a platform to launch a Women in Data Science forum which will be used to increase and sustain the participation of women in data science training initiatives such as providing scholarships for female post-doctorate students researchers to participate in the data week.
Ms. Lilian Onyango, Manager, Data & Analytics – KPMG East Africa said, “When we are gathering data for the purpose of research, we need to get consent from the people in the sense that there should be transparency on who is getting that data and what platform we are going to use to share the data.”
This fellowship will go a long way towards strengthening collaborative ties between Strathmore and the University of Bristol’s – Jean Golding Institute. Further, it aims to provide additional links between Strathmore and the Jean Golding Institute’s existing research network in the rural development and agriculture domain, thus expanding Strathmore’s international research network.
This includes collaborators at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in the Data Week program through exposure to their Rural Household Multi-Indicator Survey dataset and pipeline development model.
Digital Platform To Aid In Disposing Plastic Waste
Environmental pollution is one of the most serious global challenges facing humanity today and the leading causes of medical conditions and mortality. Human activities through urbanization, industrialization, mining, and exploration are at the forefront of global environmental pollution. Both developed and developing nations share this burden, though awareness and stricter laws in developed countries have contributed to a larger extent in protecting their environment. Despite the global attention towards pollution, the impacts are still being felt due to its severe long-term consequences.
Africa is blessed with natural and mineral resources, exploitation of these resources has led to extreme pollution of the environment in many of the countries, population growth and urbanization due to developments have also contributed immensely to the current pollution in Africa.
In recent decades, poor plastic products disposal has led to the accumulation of plastic waste in the environment, majorly polythene bags, plastic bottles among other plastic products, leading to a rising state of plastic pollution. Plastics can be categorized in primary plastics, such as cigarette butts and bottle caps, or secondary plastics, resulting from the degradation of the primary ones.
According to the United Nations (UN, 2019), more than eight million tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans annually, leading to negative effects on marine wildlife, fisheries, and tourism. This pollution comes mainly from household waste, which is poorly recycled, dumped in landfills, or abandoned in nature, the waste is carried by the winds, pushed by the rains into sewers, streams, rivers, and finally in the oceans. Natural disasters such as floods can be considered as other causes of plastic pollution as well.
United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Nairobi in collaboration with @iLabAfrica Research and Innovation Centre of Strathmore University has come up with a digital platform to aid in the education and sensitization of people on the effects of environmental pollution while also highlighting the best ways of waste disposal.
Through the project, the Digital Learning Unit at @iLabAfrica has developed a mobile application that offers the general public animations detailing the simple acts of improper waste disposal and how far they go towards affecting humans, wildlife, and marine life, creating a public health concern because diseases become more common.
Victor Malombe, Digital Learning Assistant at @iLabAfrica says that the platform is available for both android and apple phones and seeks to fill a knowledge gap while also supporting the ban on plastic bags in the country. “The UNEP project application is basically in support of plastic ban in the country by creating relevant content that showcases dangers posed by plastic products to the environment. Some
of the animations detail how a locally dumped plastic ends up in the ocean, affecting fish which are later consumed by people thus endangering their health and well-being” says Mr. Malombe.
Data from UNEP indicates that environmental pollution has been on a steady increase in many African countries, demonstrating the need for efficient and sustainable solutions to help control the situation. One solution is the development and mobilization of technologies that either offer education to the masses or provide alternatives to plastics as demonstrated by the collaboration between @iLabAfrica and UNEP.
With the rise in mobile penetration across Africa, mobile applications and emerging technologies will be powerful tools in the dissemination of content, messages aimed at educating the masses on various environmental issues which are negatively affecting human life and other important ecosystems.
Plastic waste pollution, aggravated by inefficient waste collection and limited recycling capabilities, has been prevalent across Africa. However, the continent has a growing, youthful population that values improving the quality of life and readily adopts technologies aimed at controlling this menace.
This makes Africa suitable as a testing ground to investigate the effectiveness of new technologies for solving environmental challenges. In addition to consumers pushing brands to be more environmentally responsible, a business case also exists in Africa that enables brands to invest in technologies that promote a circular economy. As such, a trend for plastic waste remediation efforts in Africa that relies principally on consumer engagement to create a plastics circular economy has emerged.
A healthy environment plays a key role in realizing many of the Sustainable Development Goals, with less than 10 years left to 2030, the world needs to pick up the pace and put greater efforts into finding better solutions to pollution and climate change to truly transform societies and economies.
To know more about this project visit www.ilabafrica.ac.ke
@iLabAfrica 