Shamba Pride

CUSTOM AGRICULTURE CHALLENGE; KENYA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Quality seeds and other key inputs for rural farmers through a franchised agro dealer network and a youth agent network. 

Learn more about the Custom Agriculture Challenge and why distributing proven agricultural interventions can greatly improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

 

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Established in 2016, Shamba Pride (formerly Farmers Pride) offers one-stop B2B DigiShop franchise marketplace that empowers village level informal agro-dealer stores and cooperatives to digitize their operations. The company offers a supply chain solution to guarantee quality of inputs, information and services to local farmers to ensure increased farm production. Our DigiShop platform creates new agriculture opportunities to village-level farmers to access trusted and dependable information, inputs and services to succeed in their farming enterprises.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Distribute 11 tons of certified seeds by the end of year 1 

• Reach 1,000 agro dealers by the end of year 1 

• Reach 5,000 farmers by the end of year 1 

FOUNDING TEAM

Samuel Munguti - Founder and Chief Executive Officer 

Augustin Mutuku - Accounts Manager 

Catherine Musyoka - Head of Sales, Marketing and Farmer Training 

Alex Matui - Chief Technology Officer 

Joel Patenaude - Advisor 

Edkasa

FLIPPED CLASSROOM CHALLENGE; PAKISTAN

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

The Edupreneur program which will make top quality teachers available across the country. 

Learn more about the Flipped Classroom Challenge and why new education models, like flipping the classroom or deskilling a class curriculum, offer a solution to the vast teacher shortages in the developing world.

 

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Teachers will deliver live lessons at EDKASA's central facility in Lahore which will then be streamed to a network of low-cost centers that will be operated by Edupreneurs. These Edupreneurs will screen the live teaching web-streams at their physical locations, providing access to students in their communities for a low monthly cost. 

The Edupreneur program strategy is based on providing three core elements: 

1. Provide top quality teachers, live. Live, interactive learning is critical for success in the after-school education sphere in Pakistan. 

2. Reach students from low income households. The target user for the Edupreneur program is a secondary student from a low-income household. EDKASA first goal is to achieve a price point of $10 per month per student for after-school secondary education with the aim to reduce it to $5 once the programs scale up. 

3. Be financially sustainable. EDKASA wants to provide a solution that is financially sustainable for everyone involved. 

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Work with 10 entrepreneurs during the pilot phase
• Reach 200 students during the pilot phase 
• Work with 250 Edupreneurs and reach 5,000 students by the end of year 1 
• Work with 500 Edupreneurs and reach 20,000 students by the end of year 2

FOUNDING TEAM

Fahad Tanveer - Director

Sohail Ali - Strategy Lead

Annum Sadiq - Education Lead

Bakhtawar Ali - Marketing Lead 

Muneeb Ali - Tech Lead 

KopaGas

CUSTOM CHALLENGE; TANZANIA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

A smart meter to enable micro payments on LPG gas for low-income, rural households. 

Learn more about the Custom Challenge and why we only fund ideas that focus on distributing proven poverty interventions.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

KopaGas is a pioneer on pay-as-you-go LPG for low-income settings.

Of low-income households in rural Tanzania, 60% want to switch to LPG they can't afford due to upfront costs. KopaGas has developed a smart meter that enables micro-payments for LPG and has demonstrated success in Dar es Salaam. By developing credit-risk scores for low-income rural households, they can bring the technology to rural Tanzanians and help millions access modern cooking fuel. The team will build off of existing infrastructure and community presence in the fishing community on Jibondo island. 

Using human-centered design to create impactful behavioral change marketing campaigns, KopaGas will improve awareness of the benefits of LPG and introduce the community to a pay-as-you-cook solution enabled by a fully functional and mass-manufacture ready smart meter. This is the only commercially-ready smart meter for LPG in East Africa and will be combined with a credit-scoring methodology that they will research and design to create access for the poorest families. 

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Deliver over 50 tons of LPG during the pilot phase

• Connect 400 households during the pilot phase

• Reach over 8,000 people by the end of year 1

• Avoid 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide emitted by the end of year 2

• Avert 381 deaths from smoke inhalation by the end of year 2

 

FOUNDING TEAM

Thomas Disley - Project Lead

Sebastian Rodriguez - KopaGas Chief Executive Officer and Product Lead

Andron Mendes - KopaGas Chief Financial Officer 

Community Based Participatory Immunization (CBPI)

CUSTOM CHALLENGE; NIGERIA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

The distribution of vaccine reminder bracelets and awareness creation on the importance of childhood immunization in Nigeria. 

Learn more about the Custom Challenge and why we only fund ideas that focus on distributing proven poverty interventions.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

CBPI will pilot their initiative in Abuja and Niger state of Nigeria. From an initial needs assessment, the team found that health facilities in both locations lacked the means to remind mothers of their child's vaccination appointments aside from child health cards issued to mothers. 

The CBPI model has two components: vaccination bracelets (clean plastic bracelet put on the baby's wrist for nine months with holes punched in the plastic for each vaccination a child receives to enable health workers to monitor mothers' compliance with immunization schedule) and CareAlert (a bulk SMS reminder service to remind caregivers of vaccination appointments). 

The team will raise awareness of vaccinations and the importance of the bracelets via antenatal and postnatal sessions at healthcare facilities with 10,000 mothers in one year.  

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• 30 healthcare service providers reached with awareness raising during the pilot 
• 1,500 bracelets distributed during the pilot phase 
• 3,000 SMS messages sent during the pilot 
• 14,400 mothers reached with awareness raising at the end of 1 year 
• 240 healthcare providers reached by the end of year 2 
• 36,000 vaccination bracelets distributed by the end of year 2 

FOUNDING TEAM

Dr. Emmanuel Egbroko - Co-Founder

Paul Ogboji - Co-Founder 

Chika Ozoemena - Co-Founder and Consultant 

Ikechukwu Oguomah - Co-Founder 

Farmwise

CUSTOM AGRICULTURE CHALLENGE; NIGERIA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

An asset-based loan that includes seeds and fertilizer, financing for farm inputs, training on agricultural techniques, and market facilitation to maximize profits. 

Learn more about the Custom Agriculture Challenge and why distributing proven agricultural interventions can greatly improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.  

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Farmwise will assist smallholder farmers by providing the resources they need to succeed. They will provide farmers with farm in put on credit, deliver products to their door, train farmers, and help them sell the harvest. These services must be provided together because without credit, farm inputs are not affordable, without training, farmers do not maximize resources, without delivery, services are not accessible. By delivering all of these services together, Farmwise will enable farmers to significantly increase their farm income and build a path out of poverty.  Farmwise's vision is to reach 1 million farm families by 2020 (which is less than 2% of registered smallholder farmers in Nigeria), while expanding the Farmwise model quickly and sustainably. 

Farmwise loan packages range in value from $62.5 to $100 and includes crop insurance to mitigate the risks of drought and disease for new farmers. Packages valued at $200 will be available for returning farmers in the second year. Farmers may enroll as little as a quarter of an acre of land or a full acre of farmland. Farmwise will provide a maximum of one loan package per household. To quality for the Farmewise program, farmers are required to form local groups, attend agricultural training, and pay a materials and training fee. Farmwise will accommodate clients with a flexible repayment system in which they may repay their loans in any amount and at any time as long s they complete repayment by July of the same year. To receive the loan and training, farmers must join a village group that is supported by a local Farmwise field officer. The field officers will meet regularly with the farmer groups to coordinate delivery of farm inputs, administer training, and collect repayments. During the pilot, Farmwise plans for one acre per farmer and each farmer is expected to achieve $900 in their first year and $1,600 in their second year. 

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Serve 680 farm families during the pilot phase
• Hire 180 staff members during the pilot phase
• Serve 80,000 farm families at the end of year 1
• Grow the staff to include 1,070 employees by the end of year 1 
• Reach 319 communities by the end of year 2 
• Serve 486,000 farm families by the end of year 2 

FOUNDING TEAM

Ugwunwa Nkasiobi Nwamara - Co-Founder

Iheanyi Esse - Co-Founder 

Chidochiri Ononuju - Co-Founder 

Greenergies

SOLAR LAMP CHALLENGE; CAMEROON

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Solar lamps. 

Learn more about the Solar Lamp Challenge and how these lamps create enormous benefits for developing world families.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

A structured supply of solar lamps to rural locations in North West Cameroon is close to nonexistent. Often, vendors purchase poor quality products from urban centers and retail in rural communities at high prices and are unable to sustain distribution due to poor quality, absence of guarantees, and high costs which results in loss of consumer trust in the products. The absence of education on the financial and health benefits of using renewable energies instead of kerosene lamps or candles in rural communities is also a key constraint. 

Greenergies will source high-quality, proven, affordable solar lamps from the supplier Total Cameroon and distribute these products to target rural localities through a network of vendors who are already operating provision stores in these areas. The Greenergies team has conducted negotiations with Total Cameroon that will permit Greenergies to purchase in bulk and supply directly to vendors. The lamps will be sold with a guarantee period of between 1 and 2 years. Vendors will provide after sales services and will receive training in basic repairs jointly from Total Cameroon and Greenergies. Vendor shops will be branded as partners of Greenergies using stickers, display boxes, and signposts. Greenergies will also link potential buyers with micro-finance institutions in target areas which will provide microloans to buyers to obtain solar lamps. 

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Sell 9,600 solar lamps by the end of year 1
• Work with 40 vendors by the end of year 1 
• Sell 27,600 solar lamps by the end of year 2 
• Work with 50 vendors by the end of year 2, benefiting 30 rural communities 

FOUNDING TEAM

Wise Nzikie Ngasa - Team Leader

Pride Yanu - Field Operations Manager

Rita Yenjong - Partnerships Development Manager 

Dwokcan Ikweri Agro Processing Limited

QUALITY SEED CHALLENGE; UGANDA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

High-quality maize and soybean seeds. 

Learn more about the Quality Seed Challenge and why an evidence-based model that distributes high-quality seeds could reliably boost the standard of living for smallholder farmers.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

On average, 31.1% of farmers in Uganda use improved seeds. Inadequate access due to poor distribution networks in rural farming communities, high prices, and inadequate production knowledge are some key reasons limiting adoption and use of improved seed varieties. Local seed dealers are found in town centers and do not provide training on agronomic practices thus, farmers usually do not achieve maximum output. Maximum yields can only be achieved with better agronomic practices including timely planting, correct spacing, maximum plant population, timely weeding, and timely and correct application of fertilizer. 

The Dwokcan Ikweri Agro Processing Limited model will improve distribution of improved maize and soybean seed varieties in suitable packages with high quality seeds at affordable prices for smallholder farmers in northern Uganda. Links will be established with national and international seed producers to enable seed acquisition and distribution to farmers. Two distribution sites will be established in the chosen sub counties to ensure ease of access by smallholder farmers in these regions. Trainings will be conducted for the producing farmers to build on their knowledge and skills in maximizing production and productivity. Along with trainings and a radio program to raise awareness, 18 demonstration centers will be established in order to show better farming practices and conduct various trainings, focusing on the use of fertilizer in conjunction with improved seeds. 

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Distribute improved seeds to 40 farmers by the end of year 1. 
• Distribute 2,400 Kg of seeds to 240 farmers by the end of year 2. 
• Distribute  maize and soybean seeds to 3,780 households in one district of Uganda within 5 years 
• Distribute maize and soybean seeds to 10% (13,951) of the households in three districts within 10 years

 

FOUNDING TEAM

Bua Samuel - Agronomy Manager

Amolo Herbert - Business Manager

Sol Sisters

SOLAR LAMP CHALLENGE; NAMIBIA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Solar lamps and other solar products. 

Learn more about the Solar Lamp Challenge and how these lamps create enormous benefits for developing world families.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Approximately 25% of Namibia's 2 million people live in informal settlements which have almost nonexistent electrification rates. In addition to low electrification rates, Namibia also has a youth (age 18-34) unemployment rate above 39%. Sol Sisters' main objective is to improve livelihood availability by creating markets for solar products. 

Initially, Sol Sisters will form a super agent partnership with D.light and Greenlight Planet, enabling them to have lower initial costs and risks while better understanding the Namibian market. Both companies have agreed to provide a 2 year warranty on all products, marketing supporting, training support, and access to their full line of solar products. Sol Sisters will recruit and manager their own team of sales agents but the company distributors will assume all risk with the supply chain and inventory management. 

After successfully meeting sales targets for each month, they will negotiate a different partnership with distributors. Sol Sisters will target families and shopkeepers as customers for solar home kits. The D30 home system is an ideal solution for families spending much of their income on candles, wood, paraffin, kerosene, batteries, and phone charging kiosks as, within a year, families will realize a cost savings. Financing plans allow them to rent-to-own and remain within their disposable income range each week. The brightness of the kits will allow shop owners to attract more customers and work longer hours. Sol Sisters recognizes that the key to their success will like in community partnerships to reach sales agents and to expand their distribution networks. 

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Sell 500 solar lamps within the three month pilot 

• Impact 2,500 individuals within the three month pilot 

• Sell 1,750 solar products by the end of year 1, impacting 15,000 individuals 

• Sell 7,000 solar products by the end of year 2, impacting 35,000 individuals 

FOUNDING TEAM

Lily Nhoisaykham - Co-Founder, Training and Development

Stephanie Shih - Co-Founder, Community Partnerships

Cybil Zhang - Co-Founder, Customer Insights  

Nena Foundation

PATIENT IDENTIFICATION CHALLENGE; KENYA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Using radio and SMS to identify obstetric fistula and transport patients to hospitals offering free services. 

Learn more about the Patient Identification Challenge and why identifying individuals in need of medical treatment and finding ways to make that treatment accessible reduces poverty.  

 

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

In Kenya, it is estimated that obstetric fistula (OF) occurrence stands at 3 to 4 women for every 1,000 deliveries. Most available literature states that each year, an estimated 3,000 new cases of OF are reported in Kenya with only 7.5% of these women able to access medical care for the condition. These statistics are problematic as they are mostly hospital based and not fully indicative of the magnitude of the problem. With a majority of births in Kenya taking place at home, there is less data for OF outside hospitals and in the rural areas where the problem is most rife. 

The operational model consists of four major phases: awareness raising of the intervention via radio broadcasts and bulk SMS and identification of OF patients within Kericho County; connecting with beneficiaries in need of treatment and transporting them to a healthcare facility providing free treatment; treatment, rehabilitation and counseling of the women; and monitoring and evaluation of the pilot intervention to ensure achievement of objectives and responsiveness to ensure ristsks are addressed 

The preferred method through which potential beneficiaries will contact Nena Foundation will be through sending an SMS to a number that would have been shared via radio and bulk SMS outreach. Once a person is identified via SMS or call, Nena Foundation will schedule a time to call the woman with OF to ascertain the exact extent of the condition. The Patient Transport Service represents a significant part of operations and will involve the transportation of patients to the healthcare facility offering free treatment: the Gynocare Fistula Women's Hospital in Eldoret. The woman will be contacted after the screening and informed of when her appointment is with sufficient time to communicate if the appointment date fits their schedule. 

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• 120 people reached by the end of the pilot phase

• 1,000 people reached by the end of year 1

• 2,500 people reached by the end of year 2

FOUNDING TEAM

Faith Sigei - Co-Founder, Medical Manager

Godwin Bett - Co-Founder, Operations and Finance Manager 

Shalom Ndiku - Co-Founder 

SEMA

TRANSPARENCY CHALLENGE; UGANDA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

An SMS chatbot that facilitates citizen feedback about public institutions and public service delivery. 

Learn more about the Transparency Challenge and how citizen reporting platforms can be used to hold government officials accountable and reduce corruption.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

SEMA is a data-driven non-profit enterprise committed to improving service delivery across Uganda's public sector. Our real-time feedback systems empower diverse institutions, including police stations, health centers, and municipalities, to gather actionable insights directly from citizens. Committed to transparency, we rigorously analyze this data to drive evidence-based decision-making and continuous improvement.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• User feedback experiments run with 2 public institutions during the pilot phase

• SMEA app is created and tested with 15-20 individuals during the pilot phase

• SEMA will be launched with 5 public institutions at the end of the pilot with 1,000 public feedback submissions gathered

• 10,000 public submissions made at the end of 6 months

• Receive 100,000 submissions by the end of year 1

• Expand to two other cities in Uganda by the end of year 1

• Expand to 40 public institutions receiving feedback by the end of year 2

 

FOUNDING TEAM

Nathalie Dijkman - Chief Executive Officer 

Connor Sattely - Chief Technical Officer 

Timothy Kakuru - Community Manager 

Green Impact Technologies (GI-Tech)

SOLAR LAMP CHALLENGE; MALAWI

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Solar lamps. 

Learn more about the Solar Lamp Challenge and how these lamps create enormous benefits for developing world families.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Malawi is the least electrified country in the Southern Africa Developing Community with less than 10% of the population having access to electricity in 2016. Only 4% of rural households have access to electricity.  In the district of Usingini, most shops and homes use flashlights, kerosene, and candles for lighting while some walk approximately 18km to charge their phones. 

Green Impact Technologies orders solar products from Solar Aid. This enterprise has a memorandum of understanding with Green Wing Capital which sells Solar Aid products to 25,000 customers. Customers pay 70% of the cost of the solar product upfront to Green Wing but are required to pay the remaining 30% the following month. GI-Tech delivers the solar product stock to Green Wing and pays for the remaining 30%, utilizing this distribution channel to reach last mile communities and build longer term relationships with sales agents in the area. 

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 1,500 households within the pilot phase 
• Establish 10 businesses by the end of year 1
• Reach 7,500 people by the end of year 1

 

FOUNDING TEAM

Admore Chiumia - Managing Director

SABCO Solutions

SOLAR LAMP CHALLENGE; PAKISTAN

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Solar lamps. 

Learn more about the Solar Lamp Challenge and how these lamps create enormous benefits for developing world families.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

In Pakistan, more than 11 million households (approximately 40% of the population) are off-grid. Estimates suggest that 2.3 billion USD is spent annually on lighting through conventional means like kerosene and candles. SABCO Solutions was founded with an intent to bring cost effective solar energy products and solutions to communities through multiple channels and create a last mile distribution mechanism to reach customers and make sustainable impact. 

SABCO Solutions recognizes the specific challenges impeding wide-spread solar lamp adoption in Pakistan: an influx of low quality products which decreases trust in all available products, a reluctance to pay higher prices for solar lamps based on this lack of trust, a general lack of awareness of the positive impacts of solar technology, and a lack of data outlining the consumer market in off-grid, rural areas. SABCO Solutions will undertake extensive market mapping and segment products to sell through various channels (low cost lanterns through retail markets, more expensive lanterns with mobile charging through local organizations, and solar home solutions through micro-finance banks).

Their strategy for commercial distribution is a hub and spoke model where local distributors will be responsible for local market development. Distributors will be provided with marketing support and will provide after sale assistance to customers. SABCO Solutions will develop the framework for a PAYGO system to make the products accessible to customers.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Sell 144 units by the end of the pilot phase

• Work with 6 active outlets by the end of the pilot phase

• Sell 3,500 solar units by the end of year 1

• Work with 62 active outlets by the end of year 1

POST-PILOT UPDATE (October 2020)

SABCO Solutions has now distributed 6,000 solar lamps, reaching approximately 30,000 people.

We are now a renewable energy service provider operating on the entire spectrum, with portable solar products for the communities (living completely off the grid) to the domestic/commercial solar solutions (for household and industries) that not only helps them to be self reliant in the energy access but also help them save on energy expenses.

FOUNDING TEAM

Fareed Shahid - Founder

Bakulu Power

COOK STOVE CHALLENGE; UGANDA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Efficient cook stoves. 

Learn more about the Cook Stove Challenge and how clean cook stoves reduce health and safety risks, lower fuel expenses, and help reduce poverty.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

The islands of Lubya, Namiti, and Kirewe in the Buvuma district of Lake Victoria are home to 8,300 people. Many of these families use charcoal for cooking, with only a few still using firewood. The islands, which were once naturally forested, now have no trees; all cooking fuel is transported in from the mainland by boat. Prices are increasing due to shortages of fuel on the mainland. 

The pilot distribution of efficient cook stoves will take place on these three islands before the business is scaled to include 16 other islands which lie within a 50km radius. Two types of stoves will be distributed: the mini moto stove, a forced air gasifier stove targeted to businesses, and the Awamu Top Lit Updraft (TLUD) gasifier stove, targeted to households. The customer will have several payment options. One option being to pay a 50% down payment for the stove as well as sign an agreement to buy a minimum of 35kg of bio pellets produced by Bakulu Power per month. The balance of the stove cost would be paid over a period of four months from the fuel savings achieved from using the stove. 

Bakulu Power will also set up a small biomass pellet plant which will create pellets as fuel for the cook stoves out of maize stovers and sugar cane bagasse from sugar processing factories. Pellets will be sold to vendors who will then sell them at the retail price. Part of the profit margin from the biomass pellets will be reinvested to procure more stoves. 

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS  

• Purchase of pellet mill, purchase and delivery of stoves, purchase of land before the pilot 
• Sign MOUs with women's groups for 3 vendors on each island during pilot phase 
• Sell 180 tons of pellets in 6 months 
• Sell 1,348 stoves by the end of 6 months 
• Sell 20,000 stoves by the end of year 2 

FOUNDING TEAM

Lucia Bakulumpagi-Wamala - Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder 

Richard Sseruwagi - Chief Technical Officer and Co-founder 

Moses Angeny - Technical Officer and Co-founder