Four home-grown innovations that will make life easier for Uganda’s school children have each been awarded UGX77 million in seed funding.

Under the Uganda Innovation Fund Challenge, run by Unicef and tech hub Outbox, each innovator will receive six months’ mentoring, social business training and introductions to potential partners in the market to enable them to realise and implement their ideas.

Among the winners were two innovative products: the SeatPack, a school bag that transforms into a bamboo classroom chair; and the solar-powered Safe Water Harvester, which traps water vapour to provide clean and affordable water to underserved communities.

Fine Reed, meanwhile, is an emerging clean-energy innovator focused on developing cheaper, cleaner and more sustainable cooking fuels. It also prioritises the role of women and youth in its distribution activities.

In addition, edtech provider KAINO Africa, via web and mobile apps, delivers quality curriculum-aligned science, technology, engineering and maths blended-lesson guides to nursery schools and parents.

20 April 2021
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