Digital Literacy Tanzania, United Republic of Project #30346

Help Tanzanian Youth Make Tech to Help Themselves

by Twende

Project Report | Jun 3, 2024
A Decade of Empowering Local Innovation

By EPIFANIA WILBARD | DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS

At Twende, we champion local innovation as the driving force behind tackling Africa's challenges. This year marks a decade of impact, and we're doubling down on our commitment to empowering individuals and transforming communities through sustainable, community-led technologies.

Here's a glimpse into the work that was done for the past 3 months towards the goal of equipping Tanzanian youth with the skills to design and build technologies that address local challenges

Design for second life Innovations

In collaboration with MIT, KOICA, and Samsung, we launched the "Design for Second Life Innovations" project early in 2024. This initiative aims to engage youth in innovation, design, and technology creation, with a focus on upcycling Samsung digital devices such as phones and televisions.

We've already reached over 50 young people from Arusha and Kilimanjaro, providing them with training in design, technology refinement, and essential business skills. The project has already yielded impressive results, with some notable creations including a firewood chopper, fingerprint mechanism, water sensor control system, snacks making machine, garlic peeler, paper recycler, automatic fire detector, stove, weeder, blender, drone, and smart dustbin.

Innovation in Education

We're fostering the next generation of innovators! Our Innovation Club has inspired 56 St. Jude students, while 15 Braeburn International School students thrived in our hands-on Build It workshop. Their enthusiasm is undeniable, with students eager for more opportunities to learn and create.

Bikepreneur Project

We're thrilled with the progress of our Bikepreneur project, launched in partnership with ABC Impact and Westerwelle Startup Haus Arusha. This initiative equips young people with the knowledge and tools to establish sustainable bike-based businesses rooted in innovation, entrepreneurship, and bike mechanics. From April 2nd-6th, we conducted a Creative Capacity Building Workshop with 16 participants, yielding impressive results. They designed and built four working prototypes: a bicycle-powered vegetable slicer, water pump, and exercise machine, further fueling their entrepreneurial spirit.

Mentorship for Growth

In collaboration with Venture Capital For Africa (VC4A), we're training 10 mentors to help startups attract capital. Our Mentor Driven Capital (MDC) program, which is at the initial stages of implementation through the train-the-trainer phase, is already making waves. We're eager to see these mentors guide startups toward securing the funding they need to flourish.

Conclusion

As we celebrate ten years of impact, Twende remains dedicated to empowering local innovators and driving sustainable change. We're excited to continue our journey, fostering the creativity and ingenuity of Tanzanian youth to build

Permalink

Feb 6, 2024
DESIGN FOR SECOND LIFE INNOVATION

By EPIFANIA WILBARD | PROGRAMS MANAGER

Designing for Second Life innovation involves creating products, services, or solutions that cater to the needs and interests of individuals who are actively engaged in virtual worlds, particularly the Second Life platform. Earlier this year, we launched one of our projects, which is targeting more than 300 youths from the community to take part in the design and creation of technologies. These technologies will later be upcycled using digital Samsung devices into useful products that will enhance people's lives.

Through this initiative, we have reached 22 young people (10 females and 12 males) who have designed and made three life-changing technologies: the garlic peeler, paper recycling machine, and automatic fire detector.

This group participated in the Creative Capacity Building (CCB) workshop, followed by the Refine workshop, which also included Basic Business Skills (BBS). The BBS aims to equip the participants with the skills and knowledge to define their technology innovations in terms of the business side, such as costing, team formation, price setting, and more.

The teams are working hard to ensure they reach the point where they will incorporate the digital devices. They are excited about this opportunity, and we hope for better outcomes where technologies reach the target users and businesses are created out of these technologies.

ENERGY STSTEM TRAINING

In partnership with Arusha Science School, we have conducted the Energy System workshop, which is currently taking place. It involves 60 participants (ordinary level graduates) under the program called Africalens. The program aims to equip graduates from underserved families with the skills to make their own energy systems, which can be used for different purposes such as lighting, phone charging, and other domestic uses.

With emphasis on inclusivity, with a balanced representation of male and female participants, we have 2male and 36 females as the initiative to promote gender equality and diversity in STEM fields. By ensuring that both genders have equal access to training and opportunities, we are breaking down barriers and paving the way for a more inclusive future.

We expect to conduct field visits soon after the systems are completed and will have them installed for use at their respective families.

Permalink

Oct 11, 2023
Empowering Communities Through Innovation: A Recap of Our Achievements

By EPIFANIA WILBARD | PROGRAMS MANAGER

Innovation Club Program: Addressing Local Challenges

Our Innovation Club Program is dedicated to teaching students the art of designing and prototyping technologies that directly address the unique challenges faced by their communities. Guided by our expert technical team, participants are led through the comprehensive Creative Capacity Building curriculum.

The amaizing cohort from the School of St. Jude astounded us with their ingenuity, creating a remarkable array of nine innovative technologies. These included a bean sorter, peanut roaster, chicken feeder, bell ringer, shoe polisher, vegetable slicer, water vendor, waste collector, and toilet flusher. At least three of these projects are set to move into the incubation phase to become Minimum Viable Products (MVPs).

Jamii Tech Incubation Program: Collaborative Problem-Solving in Arusha

Our Jamii Tech Incubation Program in Arusha brought together a diverse group of innovators from various universities and colleges, who joined forces with local community members to co-create technological solutions for pressing challenges in the region.

The cohort, comprising 14 individuals aged 17-35, included a balanced representation of 6 females and 8 males. These participants engaged in a series of transformative workshops, including Creative Capacity Building (CCB), Basic Business Skills (BBS) training, and Refine workshops. Among them, 7 were students and 7 were community members.

The fruits of their labor materialized into impressive technologies such as a Well-driller, coconut dehusking machine, cassava peeler, and peanut harvester. These projects progressed to the testing stage and were proudly exhibited during our demo day, which marked their graduation. We were deeply honored to have Mr. Eliakim Mtawa from the Prime Minister's office grace the event as the guest of honor.

STEM Outreach: Fostering Innovation in Schools

Our commitment to promoting innovation and problem-solving extends to the younger generation. We've reached out to four schools, engaging in practical sessions aimed at sparking interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Through these sessions, we've had the privilege of inspiring and educating 118 students.

A Heartfelt Thank You

We express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support. Your contributions serve as the lifeblood of our endeavors, allowing us to continue making a tangible impact on the lives of Tanzanians. Through your support, we develop localized technological solutions to address local challenges, one innovation at a time.

Your generous backing drive us closer to our vision of empowering communities through technology and innovation. Together, we can create a brighter and more innovative future for Tanzania.

Once again, thank you for your invaluable contribution.

Permalink

‹ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.