Wezesha

TRANSPARENCY CHALLENGE

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

A digital platform that enhances two-way communication in the healthcare sector between patients, service providers, and government institutions.

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

Wezesha is a digital communication platform for the primary healthcare sector, which uses accessible technology to enhance two-way communication between patients, service providers and government institutions. As a patient arrives at the clinic they are prompted to register on Wezesha through their mobile phone using USSD technology. After receiving services at the clinic, the patient will be prompted by Wezesha to respond to <5 questions relating to their experience. For example, a patient seeking antenatal care may be asked to rate the quality of the service provided by responding to specific questions about their interaction with the care provider.

Wezesha aggregates this digital data over time and across geographic areas to analyse how patient experience differs. Data is shared with partners in government and service providers, who can then make decisions on how to adjust service provision. This becomes a major lever for improving service quality and patient experience. Once this digital communication channel is established between Wezesha and patients, government and service providers can use this as an outbound channel to directly reach patients. For example, a patient with a chronic condition who needs to return to the facility regularly, can receive a digital prompt via SMS.

This solution is based on evidence provided from research which indicates that improving data, communication and strengthening systems of accountability within primary healthcare leads to enhanced citizen experience and healthcare outcomes. 

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Partner with 3-5 primary healthcare facilities in the first three months

• 1,000 citizen engagements in the first three months

• Operate within 100 primary healthcare facilities by end of year 2

• 500,000 citizen engagements by end of year 2

• Expand into two additional countries and/or sectors by end of year 5

FOUNDING TEAM

Simon DeBere - Co-founder

Robert Smith - Co-founder

Society for Impact Health Initiative Limited

SAYANA PRESS CHALLENGE; ZAMBIA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Sayana Press injectable contraceptive.  

Learn more about the Sayana®  Press Challenge and why training health providers to administer Sayana® Press can be particularly valuable for women who prefer injectable contraceptives but don’t have regular access.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Society for Impact Health Initiative (SIHI) is a non-profit company working to meet the unmeet need for contraceptives for underserved populations by scaling up distribution of self-injectable contraceptives in rural Zambia.

The SIHI model uses an evidence-based approach and targets trained community-based distributors in injectable contraceptives to distribute self-injecetable contraceptives and train women on self-injection within their community. The pilot will launch in Mpika district of Muchinga province in Zambia before scaling nationwide.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Provide 1,920 women with access to Sayana Press during the pilot

• Raise $80,000 during the pilot to support future scale

• Reach 250,000 beneficiaries by the end of year 2

FOUNDING TEAM

Abraham Chingalika - Executive Director

Richard Chimfwembe - Program Director

Prayreen Chisanga - Monitoring, Evaluation & Knowledge Management Director

HERWO

SAYANA PRESS CHALLENGE; UGANDA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Sayana Press injectable contraceptive.  

Learn more about the Sayana®  Press Challenge and why training health providers to administer Sayana® Press can be particularly valuable for women who prefer injectable contraceptives but don’t have regular access.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

HERWO will utilize a peer-led model to ensure last mile delivery of Sayana Press, a self-injectable contraceptive, to adolescent girls and young women in fishing communities of Mukono district Uganda. The model is unique because it will adopt a peer-led, youth-friendly model to reach out to adolescent girls and young women in fishing communities who have the highest unmet need for modern contraception.

HERWO was started in January 2020 by Monica Bagaya, Diego Izizinga and Timothy Ssebuliba.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Provide 1,000 women with access to Sayana Press during the pilot

• Train 100 PPMVs on Sayana Press communications and distribution during the pilot

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

• Reach 12,000 beneficiaries by the end of year 2

FOUNDING TEAM

Bagaya Monica - Team Lead

Diego Izizinga - Programme coordinator

Timothy Ssebuliba - Programmes manager

Suvita

IMMUNIZATION CHALLENGE; INDIA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Routine childhood immunizations.

Learn more about the Immunization Challenge and how increasing routine childhood immunization rates in low-coverage areas could prevent millions of childhood deaths.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Suvita increases uptake of immunization services to combat vaccine-preventable diseases.

Suvita identifies natural community influencers through peer nominations, and invites them to become immunization ambassadors who motivate and remind others in the community to bring their children for routine immunisations. The model complements this with customized SMS reminders direct to new parents, which follow their child's immunization schedule. These two evidence-based programmes have been shown to boost uptake of immunization in a randomised controlled trial in Haryana, India, by Nobel Laureates Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and colleagues - and the Suvita team is taking them to scale.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Establish embassadors in 50 villages, covering 5,000 eligible children during the pilot

• Raise $50,000 during the pilot

• Reach 50,000 beneficiaries by the end of year 1

FOUNDING TEAM

Varsha Venugopal - Co-founder

Fiona Conlon - Co-founder

The Taimaka Project

CUSTOM AGRICULTURE CHALLENGE; NIGERIA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Taimaka was awarded D-Prize pilot funding for the distribution of post-harvest credit and storage to help farmers save and avoid lean season poverty and hunger.

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

 

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

The Taimaka Project’s mission to tackle food insecurity in Northeastern Nigeria began with the implementation of a post-harvest loans (PHL) program that delivered crop storage bags and a small loan to rural farmers to help them save their crops and sell when prices were up to 50% higher.

After a large-scale RCT with UC-Berkeley and Stanford showed that PHLs was cost-effective but lower than the bar Taimaka sets for its own work, Taimaka made the hard decision to transition away from the PHLs program in favor of another way we had begun to tackle food insecurity in the same communities – treating children with malnutrition.

Taimaka currently runs a treatment program that 1) delivers life-saving treatment to children in Nigeria and 2) serves as an incubator for cost-effective innovations that can either improve the quality, decrease the costs, or simplify the delivery of malnutrition treatment so that the 45.4 million children who need it can get it (only 20-30% currently get treatment). Because malnutrition is the leading cause of childhood deaths globally, and because millions are already spent on treatment every year, even marginal improvements can yield high impact. A reduction in the cost of treatment by just 1% would free up over $3.4 million currently spent globally on treatment to treat an additional 50,000 children.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

Post-Harvest Loans Pilot:

• Distributed PHLs to 1,000 smallholder farmers in Nigeria

• Generated an additional $25,000 in post-harvest income for farmers

Malnutrition Scaling Goals:

• Test 3-4 candidate innovations in annual portfolios

• Push at least 1 innovation to scale to reach 20% of treated children by Year 5

• Reduce the cost-per-life saved of malnutrition treatment by 10% by Year 5

FOUNDING TEAM

Justin Graham - Co-founder

Abubakar Umar - Co-founder

Muhammad Uba - Co-founder

Parth Ahya - Co-founder

Justin Graham is Taimaka’s Executive Director and an Oxford graduate with a background in evidence-based development and quantitative economics. Abubakar Umar is Taimaka’s Medical Director and a former pediatrician with the Nigerian government. Muhammad Uba and Parth Ahya now serve on the board.

CareNet

PATIENT IDENTIFICATION CHALLENGE; UGANDA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Using a mobile platform and community networks 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

CareNet identifies fistula patients and coordinates their treatment in Uganda.

CareNet uses an intertwined model comprising a community-level multidisciplinary network of stakeholders supported by a mobile-based application and other digital technologies to: (a) increase awareness on fistula treatment, and (b) coordinate its delivery/distribution in rural communities in Uganda.

In this model, the community-level multidisciplinary network is an avenue for creating awareness on fistula repairs/treatment and identifying patients. The mobile-based application is an evidence-based mechanism for coordinating treatment of patients, and monitoring patterns of distribution and adoption of treatment services. The coordination of care and treatment involves organizing and providing financial or logistical support that fistula patients need so as to access free fistula repair services at specific health facilities in Uganda.

CareNet is founded by Agnes Nakakawa, Fiona Tulinayo, Ibrahim Mugerwa, Daniel Kasule, Linda Wandira, and Datsun Bazzeketa.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Identify 100 fistula patients and connect them to treatment by the end of the pilot

• Reach 640 fistula patients by the end of year 1

• Reach 1,100 fistula patients by the end of year 2

FOUNDING TEAM

Agnes Nakakawa - Team Leader

Fiona Tulinayo - Manager, Strategic Information and Development

Ibrahim Mugerwa - Manager, Community Sensitization & Coordination of Treatment and Care

Daniel Kasule - Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist

Linda Wandira - Manager, Customer Relations, Operations & Finance

Datsun Bazzeketa - Software/App Developer

AgriSocius Lda

CUSTOM AGRICULTURE CHALLENGE; MOZAMBIQUE

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Quality seeds and other key agricultural inputs

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

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

"AgriSocius, Lda is a social and inclusive agribusiness company whose mission is to unleash Economic potential of smallholder farmers. We provide smallholder farmers with relevant and affordable resources for increased farm productivity and income. We work in the best interest of smallholder farmers. Our vision is that of a decent life for every smallholder farmer Family in communities we work in. Our commitment to our vision and mission forces us to work in the best interest of smallholder farmers.

We strongly believe that high levels of poverty and hunger amongst smallholder farmers in rural areas is a direct result of 3 interlinked factors: 1) deficient and ineffective agricultural inputs distribution system, 2) unavailability and high cost of financial products and services and 3) Limited access to remunerative agricultural markets. The combination of these three factors not only limit adoption of new productivity enhancing technologies, such as agricultural inputs, but also lowers farm productivity, quality of produce and farm income. This is why we establish and operate Pro-Farmer Distribution Hubs, which provide all the resources smallholder farmers need in order to increase productivity, incomes and command a decent life"

AgriSocius Lda was founded in 2016 by Quisito Bastos Gimo and Varnila Gimo. The first fully owned Distribution Hub will be established in Barue District.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Procure and distribute quality inputs to 2,500 farmers by the end of the pilot

• Distribute at least 15,000 litres of pesticides to smallholder farmers during the pilot

• Reach 5,000 farmers by the end of year 2

FOUNDING TEAM

Quisito Bastos Gimo - Co-founder

Varnila Gimo - Co-founder

Nukushare Agro Limited

QUALITY SEED CHALLENGE; GHANA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Quality 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

Nukushare Agro Limited is an innovative agricultural technology company that is working to increase farmers’ access and use of improved seeds and other critically needed farm inputs.

The team leverages digital technologies like USSD short codes and mobile apps to enable farmers a timely access to quality improved seeds and other farm inputs, accurate agronomic data, and agricultural services. The Nukushare initiative is aimed at improving farmers’ productivity, resilience to changing climate, and post-harvest management. The team's use of technology sets it apart from competition with the unique ability to check the distribution of fake seeds.

Nukushare Agro was founded by Selorm Komla Darkey, Etsey Dzadza and Hope Adzakpa. The team boasts of a solid knowledge and practical experience in agribusiness management, financial management and technology development.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 300 farmers during the pilot

• Distribute 4.6 metric tons of maize and 12.5 metric tons of rice seeds during the pilot

• Reach 1,500 beneficiaries by the end of year 1

• Reach 25,000 beneficiaries by the end of year 2

 

FOUNDING TEAM

Selorm Komla Darkey - Co-founder, Business Lead

Etsey Dzadza - Co-founder, Operations Lead

Hope Adzakpa - Co-founder, Tech Lead

SolarPoint Limited

SOLAR LAMP CHALLENGE; ZAMBIA

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

SolarPoint distributes solar lamps through agricultural cooperatives and savings groups.

The SolarPoint model reaches rural farmers through the point of contact for inputs and market linkages, farmer cooperatives and savings groups, and uses a crops-for-lights model to provide farmers with much needed energy access and market linkage for their produce.

SolarPoint was founded by Laurence Wamulume Beele and Michael Kwibisa Masupelo.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Distribute 420 solar lamps during the pilot, reaching 2,100 beneficiaries

• Raise an additional $25,000 during the pilot

• Reach 10,000 beneficiaries by the end of year 1

• Reach 30,000 beneficiaries by the end of year 2

FOUNDING TEAM

Wamulume Laurence Beele - Co-founder, Innovation Lead

Michael Kwibisa Masupelo - Co-founder, Commercial Lead

Sumba Sustainable Solutions

SOLAR LAMP CHALLENGE; INDONESIA

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

Sumba Sustainable Solutions empowers rural families by enabling access to solar-power for lighting and value-adding to agricultural produce.

The Sumba model recognises that energy access, reduced domestic workload and increased incomes must go hand in hand. Sumba works with local communities to value-add to their commodities using solar powered Productive Use Centres. The final component is supporting entrepreneurs by purchasing products and selling them on to the sustainable tourism industry.

Sumba Solutions was intiated by Sarah Hobgen and Rodney Parish in 2018. Rodney serves as the company Director and Sarah manages the company.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 100 customers and 500 beneficiaries during the pilot

• Establish 1 Productive Use Centre with 5 appliances for testing during the pilot

• Raise an additional $200,00 during the pilot

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

• Reach 15,000 beneficiaries by the end of year 2

FOUNDING TEAM

Sarah Hobgen - Co-founder, Manager

Rodney Parish - Co-founder, Director

Rambu Yati Radandima - Finance and Administration Manager

Romie Umbu - Operations Manager

Sollys Energy

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

Sollys Energy's mission is to end energy poverty in Malawi by making quality solar products affordable and accessible.

The Sollys Energy business model involves the recruitment of sales agents located in the semi-urban areas of Lilongwe, Malawi. The sales agents are local shopkeepers and their customers may pay for the lanterns in installments through them, or through mobile money applications. The Sollys Energy team is a collection of young, unique, energetic individuals with diverse skill sets, and a common goal - eradicating energy poverty.

Sollys Energy was founded by Martin Masiya, Gift Bwanali, Nithaar Kaisi and Dickson Mervin Kapichi. All were students at the University of Malawi, The Polytechnic.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Distribute 300 solar lamps during the three-month pilot, reaching 1,500 people

• Raise an additional $45,000 during the three-month pilot

• Reach 12,000 people at the end of year 1

• Reach 65,000 people by the end of year 2

FOUNDING TEAM

Martin Masiya - CEO

Gift Bwanali - COO

Dickson Mervin Kapichi - CTO

Nithaar Kaisi - CMO

REFAN Multiple Concepts

SOLAR LAMP CHALLENGE; NIGERIA

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

Imagine a world where light transforms lives. At REFAN Multiple concepts, Nigeria supported by D-Prize, we're making this vision a reality by distributing over 16,000 standalone solar lamps in the last 3 years to rural communities in Northeast Nigeria. Our mission is simple yet powerful: to illuminate the darkest corners and empower individuals, families, and entire communities. With each lamp, we're not just providing light, but opening doors to education, safety, and economic opportunity. Join us in brightening the future for over 60,000 indirect beneficiaries and counting.

REFAN’s model is based on distribution of solar lamps to households using a network of Microfinance Banks (MFBs), Microfinance Institutions (MFI) and Smallholder farmers’ cooperatives. To increase access, solar lanterns will be available on both a cash and credit basis.

REFAN was set up in August 2020 by Asongo Abraham, a Microfinance Expert, based in Yola, Nigeria. Fardeen Dodo of American University of Nigeria works with REFAN as Director of Strategy, Monitoring and Evaluation. Mrs. Grace Pius, a qualified Accountant, works with REFAN as Director of Finance.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Distribute 350 solar lamps reaching 1,050 beneficiaries during the pilot

• Reach 2,100 beneficiaries by the end of year 1

• Reach 3,000 beneficiaries by the end of year 2

FOUNDING TEAM

Asongo Abraham - Founder

Fardeen Dodo - Director of Strategy, Monitoring and Evaluation

Grace Pius - Director of Finance

Relief to Farmers

CUSTOM AGRICULTURE CHALLENGE; GHANA

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

Relief to Farmers (RTF) aims to improve the lives of low-income smallholder maize farmers through the distribution of Purdue Improved Crops Storage (PICS) bags in the Ejura Sekyeredumasi District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. In the current practice, enterprises focus on selling local bags, which are less effective. Through micro-lenders, RTF will distribute affordable PICS loans to poor smallholder maize FBOS who need it the most and be required to pay loans at flexible periods.

Relief to Farmers was founded by Benjamin Amoah Boateng and Abdulai Abdul-Jalil who all have vast experience in the maize and PIC distribution chain.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Distribute 6,000 PICS bags reaching 600 farmers by the end of the three-month pilot

• Raise additional $10,000 by the end of the three-month pilot

• Reach 1,170 farmers by the end of year 1

• Reach 2,340 farmers by the end of year 2

FOUNDING TEAM

Benjamin Amoah - Co-founder

Abdulai Jalil - Co-founder