Opal Health

CUSTOM CHALLENGE; Uganda

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Preventing maternal and newborn deaths

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

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Opal Health will equip pregnant women to solve their own maternal and newborn care barriers.

Opal Health trains government health workers in Uganda in a method that strengthens the role of communities in ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

Their approach is Participatory Learning and Action (PLA), a WHO-recommended, GiveWell-endorsed method with strong evidence of cost-effectiveness across multiple countries. In partnership with Uganda's Ministry of Health, they are embedding PLA into the national community health system, making it scalable, government-owned, and built to last.

Opal Health was co-founded by Melissa Kaminker and Matthew Beer in November 2025. Melissa serves as Opal Health's Executive Director.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Directly reach 11,000 people during the pilot.

• Distribute 1 proven intervention.

• Raise $50,000 in funding.
  

FOUNDING TEAM

Melissa Kaminker - Executive Director

LoomED Foundation

Teaching at the Right Level CHALLENGE; Nigeria

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Education Program

Learn more about the Teaching at the Right Level Challenge and how an evidence-based foundational learning program can improve primary literacy and numeracy in low-resource schools.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

LoomED Foundation’s mission is to improve foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes for children in underserved communities by equipping teachers and volunteers with effective, level-appropriate teaching approaches, developing contextually relevant learning resources, strengthening community participation, and generating evidence that can inform wider education improvement.

LoomED will pilot its foundational literacy and numeracy programme across three primary schools in Etsako Central LGA, Edo State, reaching approximately 250 children in Primary 1–3. They will work through existing schools and community structures, bringing structured learning support directly into communities where geographical isolation and limited access to education services make consistent learning difficult. What sets LoomED apart is its last-mile, community-rooted delivery model; they adapt implementation to the realities of underserved and riverine communities, working closely with local teachers, families and community stakeholders while using data to continuously monitor and improve learning. This enables them to take proven approaches to children who are often hardest to reach, without creating parallel education systems.

Faridat Abubakar is an Education Programme Manager and Consultant with over 10 years of experience in education programme management, teacher development, curriculum implementation, community engagement, and education innovation. As LoomED’s Founder and Project Lead, she brings extensive experience designing and managing education programmes, coordinating diverse stakeholders, and translating strategy into practical delivery.

Eghosa Osadolor is an Education Operations and Programme Management professional with extensive experience in the education and development sector, with strong expertise in monitoring, evaluation, performance management, and data-driven decision-making. As Operations Director at NewGlobe Education, he led large-scale education operations across 18 LGAs, implementing operational dashboards and performance indicators to strengthen programme visibility, decision-making, compliance, and accountability. He brings valuable experience in tracking performance metrics, assessing operational effectiveness, identifying areas for improvement, and translating data and evidence into actionable strategies for programme delivery and impact.

Together, they combine education programme leadership, learning and curriculum expertise, operational and systems management, and monitoring and evaluation to design, deliver, and measure LoomED’s foundational learning interventions in underserved communities.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 250 students within three months.

• Distribute 1 proven intervention.

• Fundraise $2000.

FOUNDING TEAM

Faridat Abubakar Omoh - Founder and Project Lead

Eghosa Osadolor - Co-Founder

Rural Education Project (REP)

Teaching at the Right Level CHALLENGE; Nigeria

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Education Program

Learn more about the Teaching at the Right Level Challenge and how an evidence-based foundational learning program can improve primary literacy and numeracy in low-resource schools.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

The Rural Education Project (REP) aims to improve foundational literacy and numeracy among primary school children by implementing the teaching at the right level (TaRL) methodology in underserved rural communities in Eastern Nigeria.

The venture aims to implement the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) model to address gaps in foundational literacy and numeracy among primary school children in Eastern Nigeria. The pilot will be implemented over three months in three primary schools in the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, reaching approximately 300 learners. The participating schools are Community Primary School, Ufodo; Community Primary School, Owerre-Eze; and Township School, Aji.

Their distribution model is designed around sustainability and local ownership. They will work in partnership with government education authorities, school leadership, and community stakeholders to train classroom teachers and volunteers in the TaRL methodology. These trained instructors will then deliver targeted learning sessions to pupils, grouping and teaching them according to their actual learning levels rather than their age or grade. The attribute that sets them apart is their deep-rooted relationship with the communities in which they work.

REP is a vibrant team united by a shared purpose and passion to ensure that every child learns to read, write, and perform simple arithmetic. They bring deep experience and proven commitment to projects of this nature through past and ongoing engagements in education and community development in their community and beyond. The team includes a certified TaRL Master Trainer, an experienced early childhood educator, and others with complementary skills who are not only qualified but also deeply embedded in the communities they serve.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 300 students within three months.

• Distribute 1 proven intervention.

• Fundraise $3,000.

FOUNDING TEAM

Levi Oluchukwu Adonu - Co-Founder

Chinenye Ogechi Onyebuchi - Co-Founder

Elom Chisom Favour - Co-Founder

EarlySpark Foundation

Teaching at the Right Level CHALLENGE; Ghana

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Education Program

Learn more about the Teaching at the Right Level Challenge and how an evidence-based foundational learning program can improve primary literacy and numeracy in low-resource schools.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

EarlySpark Foundation empowers children and young people through inclusive, equitable education while strengthening schools, educators, and communities to create lasting opportunities for learning and growth.

EarlySpark Foundation will distribute Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) through partnerships with four under-resourced public schools in rural Ga West, Greater Accra Region, Ghana. They will identify 200 Primary 3 and 4 learners who are behind in reading, assess their current skills, and organize them into groups by learning level. Trained local teachers and EarlySpark facilitators will lead daily sessions using printed materials, supported by weekly mentorship and progress monitoring. What sets their model apart is that it is designed to work offline, so schools can deliver targeted learning without relying on internet access or technology.

EarlySpark Foundation started in 2026 and is led by Elizabeth Acheampomaa Agyekum, Program Director and Training and Mentoring Lead. Emmanuel Inkoom, Monitoring and Evaluation Lead, leads learner assessments and tracks learning outcomes.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 200 Primary 3 and 4 learners across 4 public schools in rural Ga West.

• 200 learners will receive TaRL instruction in foundational reading, delivered through 10 classrooms or learning groups over the three-month pilot.

• Fundraise an additional $25,000 from new donors or investors within the three months.

FOUNDING TEAM

Elizabeth Acheampomaa Agyekum - Program Director and Training & Mentoring Lead

Emmanuel Inkoom - Monitoring and Evaluation Lead

Benih Indonesia

TEACHING AT THE RIGHT LEVEL CHALLENGE; INDONESIA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Education Program

Learn more about the Teaching at the Right Level Challenge and how an evidence-based foundational learning program can improve primary literacy and numeracy in low-resource schools.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Benih Indonesia delivers a Teaching at the Right Level model that helps Papuan primary students master their foundational skills.

Benih Indonesia provides a customized learning camp hosted both in and outside of school, starting in Jayapura Regency, Papua, Indonesia. They will support underserved students in Grades 3 to 6 who struggle in reading, writing, and arithmetic. They group learners by their actual learning level. Each group is led by a volunteer teacher, who will monitor their progress along the way.

What makes Benih Indonesia unique is that its customized learning camp introduces TaRL in the context of culturally relevant activities. The camp stems from six basic competencies proposed by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia to strengthen literacy and numeracy skills.

The founding team consists of two members: Silvia Wambukomo and Frederick Martinus. They are educational practitioners dedicated to building a scalable model that can deliver an inclusive education system across Papua and other provinces in Indonesia.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 300 learners within three months.

• Distribute 1 proven intervention.

• Fundraise an additional $50,000.

FOUNDING TEAM

Silvia Wambukomo - Co-Founder

Frederick Martinus - Co-Founder

Kulea Hive

CONNECT-ED CHALLENGE; SIERRA LEONE

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

ConnectEd Education Program

Learn more about the ConnectEd Challenge and how a high-access, low-cost phone-based innovation can deliver remedial education to underserved primary-aged learners.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Kulea Hive designs and delivers evidence-based education solutions that strengthen education systems, empower communities, and improve learning outcomes for children, starting with the distribution of proven foundational-learning interventions to underserved learners.

Kulea Hive will pilot ConnectEd with 250 lower-primary learners across two municipal primary schools serving the Kroo Bay and Mabella urban slum communities of Freetown, Sierra Leone. ConnectEd combines weekly numeracy exercises delivered by SMS with targeted tutoring calls on ordinary mobile phones, with each learner assessed, taught at their current level, checked for mastery, and retargeted for the next session. The Tri-Connect model connects the school, community and home: schools anchor learner identification and curriculum alignment, locally recruited tutors and Community Learning Champions deliver and support the intervention, and caregivers reinforce learning at home. What sets them apart is their locally led, co-created approach, working with municipal government, schools, caregivers and communities to adapt a proven intervention to local realities while protecting the core elements that make it effective.

Kulea Hive was co-founded by Alpha Habib Bangura, Co-Founder & CEO, and Marion Cobna-Davies, Co-Founder & ConnectEd Program Manager. Alpha leads the organisation’s vision, strategy, partnerships and fundraising, while Marion leads ConnectEd delivery, including recruitment and training, field coordination, safeguarding and quality assurance. Together, they bring experience across education delivery, government engagement, foundational learning and community-centred programme implementation, with the pilot designed to build further local delivery capacity through a graduate internship and career-development model.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 250 students during the pilot.

• Distribute the ConnectEd intervention to 250 students.

• Raise an additional $5,000.

FOUNDING TEAM

Alpha Habib Bangura - Co-Founder & CEO

Marion Cobna-Davies - Co-Founder & ConnectEd Program Manager

Village Opportunities Through Education (VOTE)

Teaching at the Right Level CHALLENGE; Nigeria

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Education Program

Learn more about the Teaching at the Right Level Challenge and how an evidence-based foundational learning program can improve primary literacy and numeracy in low-resource schools.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

The mission of Village Opportunities Through Education (VOTE) is to improve foundational learning outcomes for children in underserved rural communities by providing effective, accessible, and sustainable education opportunities using TaRL.

VOTE's distribution unit is the existing public primary school classroom, grades 4 - 6 in Langtang North, converted into TaRL learning centres rather than new sites the venture has to build or run. Delivery works through the government system: They secure permission from local education authorities, engage community stakeholders (parents, traditional leaders, religious bodies, social groups) via a dedicated community engagement officer, then recruit and train teachers and volunteers who deliver the sessions, with TaRL Africa providing technical support on training and mentoring. The model is unique because they are prioritizing relationship building before the project and also implements in a new language (Tarok). Additionally, their approach is deeply community-driven to allow for sustainability.

Jamda Nanlir Nanyak leads the venture, pairing 15 years in education with a statistics and M&E background. Adebisi Christiana Adebesin runs finance, procurement, and volunteer engagement, bringing accounting and business management discipline. Blessing Dickson Janet owns community engagement, working with parents, traditional leaders, local social groups, and religious bodies. All three are career educators driven by a single conviction that every child deserves to read, write, and count.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 250 students within three months.

• Distribute the intervention in 1 school to reach 250 students.

• Fundraise USD 1500.

FOUNDING TEAM

Nanlir Nanyak Jamda - Co-Founder

Adebisi Christiana Adebesin - Co-Founder

Blessing Dickson Janet - Co-Founder

Clear Farm Solutions

Quality Inputs CHALLENGE; Uganda

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Quality Agricultural Inputs

Learn more about the Quality Inputs 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

Clear Farm Solutions is increasing access to quality agricultural inputs and innovations for smallholder farmers in rural communities.

Clear Farm Solutions is a Ugandan agribusiness expanding smallholder farmers' access to quality agricultural inputs and innovations in rural communities. It establishes low-cost, community-based input hubs operated by trained local women and youth agro-agents. Through these hubs, farmers access certified hybrid maize seed, fertilizer, and post-harvest storage technologies, together with practical agronomic training and flexible cash repayment after harvest. The model brings quality inputs closer to underserved farmers, improves crop productivity and reduces post-harvest losses while creating sustainable opportunities for rural women and youth. They are starting in Gulu District and aim to scale across Northern Uganda and reach 100,000+ beneficiaries within five years.

Clear Farm Solutions was founded in 2025 by Musaazi Fahadi as a sole founder and serves as a full-time director. As operations expanded, Onencan Simon Peter joined the team for community mobilization and engagement.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Research and serve 100 smallholder farmers in Paicho Sub-county, Gulu District.

• Distribute 100 bundled agricultural input packages, each containing 5 kg of certified hybrid maize seed, 25 kg of fertilizer, and PICS storage bags.

• Fundraise an additional $3,000.

FOUNDING TEAM

Musaazi Fahadi - Founder

Greeno Farmtech

Quality Inputs CHALLENGE; Uganda

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Quality Agricultural Inputs

Learn more about the Quality Inputs 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

Greeno Farmtech enables smallholder farmers to increase productivity and income by providing quality agricultural inputs on flexible credit, embedded agronomic support, and reliable market access.

Greeno Farmtech will pilot in Hoima District, Uganda, reaching 75 underserved maize farmers organized into 15 Farmer Producer Units of five farmers each. Five locally recruited Field Agronomists will distribute $100 input packages on credit, provide weekly agronomic coaching, monitor farmer progress digitally, and support collective produce aggregation. At harvest, Greeno will connect farmers to institutional buyers and deduct repayment directly from produce sales. What sets Greeno apart is its full-stack distribution model, combining input financing, agronomy, and market access rather than providing inputs alone.

Greeno Farmtech is founded by Joseph Kibuuka, Nantongo Resty, and Rebecca Namara, a team with deep experience in agricultural development, rural extension, operations, supply chains, finance, and farmer programs in Western Uganda. Collectively, the team has supported thousands of farmers and managed field teams, agricultural programs, input distribution, digital farmer systems, and produce aggregation. Their combined local experience in Hoima gives Greeno the operational knowledge and community relationships needed to execute the pilot and scale.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Directly reach 75 farmers during the pilot.

• Distribute 75 input packages.

• Fundraise an additional $18,000.

FOUNDING TEAM

Joseph Kibuuka - Managing Director

Nantongo Resty - Operations Manager

Rebecca Namara - Finance and Input Lead

HuluSolar

SOLAR LAMP CHALLENGE; Ethiopia

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

HuluSolar’s mission is to expand access to clean, affordable solar energy for off-grid communities in Ethiopia through a trusted network of local Solar Ambassadors.

HuluSolar distributes affordable solar products to off-grid households across Ethiopia through a community-based network of trained Solar Ambassadors. The pilot operates in rural communities of the Choke Mountains in Gojjam, Amhara, where young local people receive practical, hands-on training in solar energy, sales, installation, and basic after-sales service. The venture uses both local sales and PAYGo financing, supported by Solar Ambassadors, to make solar products more accessible to underserved households and provide reliable local support. Its key differentiator is community ownership and local capacity building, empowering young people with the skills to deliver and sustain clean energy solutions in their own communities.

HuluSolar was founded by Yohannes Bimrew Simegn, an energy leader who has worked on clean energy and community development initiatives for several years and returned to Ethiopia to lead HuluSolar full-time. He is supported by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in clean energy, community engagement, engineering, and last-mile distribution, including trained Solar Ambassadors. Together, they are expanding the team and distribution network to reach more underserved communities with affordable solar energy across Ethiopia.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 4,900 people in 700 rural households with reliable, clean solar energy through the community-based Solar Ambassador model.

• Distribute 700 proven solar interventions to off-grid households and productive-use customers through 36 trained Solar Ambassadors.

• Raise an additional $40,000 USD from new donors or investors within three months.

FOUNDING TEAM

Yohannes Bimrew Simegn - Founder and CEO

Edubridge Innovation Lab

Teaching at the Right Level CHALLENGE; Nigeria

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Education Program

Learn more about the Teaching at the Right Level Challenge and how an evidence-based foundational learning program can improve primary literacy and numeracy in low-resource schools.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Edubridge increases access to quality foundational learning for children in Nigeria.

Edubridge’s model is designed to increase access to proven educational intervention for learners in low-cost non-state schools. The program targets learning-poor kids in non-state schools through capacity building for teachers. Edubridge model is focused on building quality literacy and numeracy skills as a basis for better understanding other future skill-themes embedded within school subjects.

Edubridge was started in 2026 by Suliyat Idris, an Education Development Specialist, with Hakeem Farouk as Program Coordinator.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 300 pupils within three months.

• Distribute the intervention in 1 school to reach 300 students.

• Fundraise USD 25000.

FOUNDING TEAM

Suliyat Adeola Adeleye Idris - Founder

Azi Health Oxygen Technology Ltd

OXYGEN CHALLENGE; Uganda

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Service and repair of oxygen concentrators

Learn more about the Oxygen Challenge and how proper maintenance of oxygen concentrators expands access to medical oxygen to save lives.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Azi Health Oxygen Technology Ltd’s mission is to improve access to reliable medical oxygen by restoring and maintaining oxygen concentrators, strengthening preventive maintenance systems, and building local technical capacity to ensure sustainable oxygen delivery in low-resource health facilities across Uganda.

Their distribution model delivers specialized oxygen concentrator repair and maintenance services directly to health facilities through a mobile engineering team, beginning with a three-month pilot across three hospitals in Jinja, Eastern Uganda. Facilities receive on-site diagnostics, preventive and corrective maintenance, technician training, and access to affordable Oxygen-as-a-Service maintenance contracts. They also collect performance data to demonstrate cost savings and equipment reliability, encouraging hospitals to adopt long-term service agreements. What sets them apart is their mobile, preventive maintenance model that brings specialized oxygen expertise directly to hospitals, reducing downtime and eliminating the need for facilities to transport equipment long distances for repair.

Azi Health Oxygen Technology Ltd was founded by Agasha Faith Anne Marie and Ainembabazi Cathybert, both biomedical engineers by training. Faith serves as Project Manager, leading strategy, implementation, and partnerships with hospitals and government stakeholders, while Cathy serves as Technical Lead, overseeing repairs, stakeholder engagement, partnership development, and technician training to support sustainable scale-up beyond the pilot.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 300 to 800 people.

• Repair 15 to 20 concentrators.

• Raise 1,300 USD.

FOUNDING TEAM

Faith Anne Maria Agasha - COO

Ainembabazi Cathybert - CEO

RoadAwareCameroon (RAC)

ROAD SAFETY CHALLENGE; Cameroon

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Proven sticker model to reduce reckless driving and road traffic crashes.

Learn more about the Road Safety Challenge and how an evidence-based campaign targeting unsafe driving by public taxis can reduce road deaths.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

RoadAwareCameroon (RAC) aims to reduce dangerous driving in Cameroon by empowering passengers and creating visible accountability systems that encourage safer behavior in taxis.

RoadAwareCameroon (RAC) distributes behavior-based road safety interventions in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The pilot will deploy visible accountability stickers and QR/SMS feedback systems in taxis, allowing passengers to report unsafe driving while rewarding safer behavior through positive incentives. RAC intends to scale up by leveraging institutions that already interact daily with commercial drivers. What sets RAC apart is the focus on passenger-driven accountability as a scalable behavioral lever for road safety in urban transport systems.

RoadAwareCameroon (RAC) was launched in 2026 by Stephen Kome Fondzenyuy, Steffel Ludivin Feudjio Tezong, and Tevoh Ndingwan Lordswill.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Directly reach 2,500 beneficiaries.

• 300 taxis will each be equipped with one intervention (a set of 2-3 engineered stickers).

• Fundraise an additional $500 USD from various sources.

FOUNDING TEAM

Stephen Kome Fondzenyuy - Co-Founder

Steffel Ludivin Feudjio Tezong - Co-Founder

Tevoh Ndingwan Lordswill - Co-Founder

Worth Alliance

Poverty Graduation CHALLENGE; Kenya

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Poverty Graduation Program

Learn more about the Poverty Graduation Challenge and why an evidence-based program that combines cash or asset transfers with mentorship and other forms of financial and social support helps graduate the ultra poor from poverty.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Worth Alliance’s mission is to deliver agriculture-based poverty graduation solutions that combine ISA capital, training, and market access, impacting 100,000 ultra-poor women and youth in Kenya within 10 years.

Worth Alliance will distribute the Building Resilience in Kenya (BRiK) package in Busia County, Kenya, by identifying ultra-poor women and youth farmers through community wealth ranking, household verification, and baseline assessment. Selected farmers will receive a bundled intervention of ISA capital, practical agriculture and financial training, field mentoring, and market-access support and buyer linkages. Their Income Sharing Agreement model, which provides upfront capital without fixed debt or interest, allowing farmers to contribute back only from future profits so the fund can revolve to reach more farmers, builds dignity and community-led action.

Worth Alliance was started in 2025 by Eva Barasa. Her team includes Kevin Yerry, Solomon Wambua Nduti, and Augustine Wangila, who serve as full-time program directors leading different functions to deliver our mission.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Directly reach 30 ultra-poor farmers in Busia County within three months. Indirectly, the pilot is expected to benefit approximately 150 household members.

• Work with 5 team members and 5 community mentors to distribute 30 BRiK agriculture-focused poverty graduation packages. Each package will combine ISA productive capital, practical agriculture and financial training, field mentoring, and market-access support.

• Fundraise an additional $50,000 USD from new donors or investors within 12 months.

FOUNDING TEAM

Eva Barasa - Founder and Program Development

Solomon Wambua Nduti - Technical Coordinator / ISA Fund

Kevin Yerry Dome - Field Operations & MEAL Coordinator

Augustine Wangila - Training & Coaching Lead

Phindu Enterprise

Post-Harvest Support CHALLENGE; Malawi

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Post-Harvest Support

Learn more about the Post-Harvest Support Challenge and why an evidence-based model that distributes post-harvest loans and improved grain storage bags could reliably boost the standard of living for smallholder farmers.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Phindu Enterprise's mission is to help smallholder farmers escape poverty by providing post-harvest financing and market access solutions that enable them to capture the full value of their harvests.

Phindu Enterprise will launch its pilot in Dowa District, Malawi, working through existing farmer groups, cooperatives, and lead farmers to identify and onboard participants. Farmers will receive post-harvest cash advances secured against their crops, which will be aggregated, safely stored, and collectively marketed during the lean season when prices are highest. Their community-based approach builds trust by leveraging local relationships and ensuring farmers remain active partners throughout the process. What sets the venture apart is its integrated model that combines financing, storage, and market access into one solution, enabling farmers to meet immediate cash needs without sacrificing future income.

Phindu Enterprise was founded in 2025 by Aaron Bryce Chawiya, Founder and Executive Lead, and Constance Kalikwembe, Co-Founder and Coordinator of Field Operations. Spencer Bandawe joins the team as a Learning and Impact Lead.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Directly reach 150 smallholder farmers within three months.

• Distribute 300 PICS Bags and 150 cash advances to 150 smallholder farmers within three months.

• To raise additional USD25000 during the pilot period

FOUNDING TEAM

Aaron Bryce Chawiya - Founder and Executive Lead

Constance Kalikwembe - Co-Founder and Field Operations Lead

Imbuto Initiative

MATERNAL HEALTH CHALLENGE; Rwanda

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Misoprostol.

Learn more about the Maternal Health Challenge and how the distribution of Misoprostol, a $3 drug that can prevent maternal deaths from postpartum hemorrhage, could save thousands of lives.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Imbuto Initiative prevents postpartum hemorrhage in underserved communities by enabling Community Health Workers to provide misoprostol for unavoidable home births while strengthening rapid emergency response, emergency referrals, and maternal savings.

IMBUTO Initiative will pilot its maternal health distribution model in Huye and Nyagatare districts in Rwanda, enrolling 250 high-risk pregnant women through trained Community Health Workers (CHWs). CHWs will provide maternal follow-up, rapid labor response, emergency referral coordination, maternal savings support, and restricted post-delivery administration of misoprostol for unavoidable home births to prevent postpartum hemorrhage. The model also uses a USSD-based alert system that allows mothers or family members to rapidly notify CHWs during labor or emergencies. What sets IMBUTO apart is its integrated community-based approach that combines postpartum hemorrhage prevention, emergency transport support, digital alerts, and maternal financial preparedness into one coordinated system for high-risk mothers.

IMBUTO Initiative was founded by Dr. Egide Ahishakiye, who serves as Executive Director and Pilot Lead. During early implementation, he will work closely with an implementation team including Dr. Aimable Munyeshyaka, Health Technology & Data Lead, who manages the USSD system development, data integrity, and district logistics support; and Dr. Marie Grace Niyonizeye, Community Engagement & Maternal Savings Circle (MSC) Coordinator, who leads community engagement, maternal health education, and management of Maternal Savings Circles and Emergency Birth Funds.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Directly enroll and support 250 high-risk pregnant women across Huye and Nyagatare through Community Health Workers (CHWs), Maternal Savings Circles, emergency transport support, and rapid labor response systems during the six-month pilot.

• Ensure that at least 90% of eligible unavoidable home births among enrolled mothers receive timely CHW-administered misoprostol for postpartum hemorrhage prevention, while increasing timely referrals and facility-based deliveries through CHW-led maternal support systems.

• Secure at least $12,000 USD in additional funding or institutional partnership commitments within five months of launch to support continuation and scale of the IMBUTO maternal health model beyond the pilot phase.
  

FOUNDING TEAM

Ahishakiye Egide - Founder

Readers Hub

READING GLASSES CHALLENGE; Nigeria

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Reading Glasses

Learn more about the Reading Glasses Challenge and how increasing access to non-prescription reading or working glasses can improve the livelihoods of those in need.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Readers Hub increases access to affordable non-prescription reading glasses for underserved adults aged 40 and above in Nigeria.

Readers Hub distributes affordable reading glasses through trained Vision Agents and mobile RH Carts placed in high-footfall community locations such as markets, pharmacies, churches, retail shops, and peri-urban communities. Our pilot will launch in Ibadan, Nigeria, where we will train 25 Vision Agents and distribute 1,500 pairs of reading glasses within three months. What sets us apart is our self-sustaining reinvestment model, where sales revenue and margins are recycled into new inventory so the distribution network can keep growing beyond the pilot.

Readers Hub is founded by Daniel Femi and Clinton Okechukwu, two optometrists with field experience in eye-health outreach, community screening, and reading-glasses distribution in underserved Nigerian communities. Daniel leads strategy, operations, product deployment, and partnerships, while Clinton leads Vision Agent recruitment, training, outreach, and quality assurance.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Directly reach 1,500 adults aged 40+ with affordable reading glasses within three months.

• Distribute 1,500 pairs of non-prescription reading glasses through trained Vision Agents within three months.

• Raise an additional $50,000 USD from new donors, partners, or investors within three months to support post-pilot scale-up, inventory expansion, and Vision Agent recruitment.

FOUNDING TEAM

Daniel Ayodele Femi - Founder

Okechukwu Ifeanyi Clinton - Founder

OxySure

OXYGEN CHALLENGE; Uganda

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Service and repair of oxygen concentrators

Learn more about the Oxygen Challenge and how proper maintenance of oxygen concentrators expands access to medical oxygen to save lives.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

OxySure's mission is to ensure reliable, life-saving oxygen access for vulnerable communities in Uganda by embedding a scalable, technician-led preventive maintenance model that keeps oxygen concentrators consistently functional in under-resourced hospitals.

OxySure's model is based on a typical biomedical maintenance approach, but has been reconfigured to create embedded 'oxygen reliability entrepreneurs' at the district level. The program deploys trained biomedical technicians near partner hospitals in Namisindwa District, Eastern Uganda, nudging them to focus on preventive maintenance of oxygen concentrators rather than reactive, one-off repairs. They support these technicians with a regional workshop hub in Mbale, real-time KoboToolbox monitoring, and a rapid-response guarantee of under six hours, ensuring concentrators remain functional at above 90%. What sets OxySure apart is that they do not just fix equipment; they build a self-sustaining, district-level maintenance backbone that transforms fragile oxygen delivery into a resilient, life-saving system for the most vulnerable communities

OxySure is co-founded by Dr. Achong Emmanuel, a medical doctor and certified project manager with hands-on experience leading emergency oxygen operations and health systems programs across Uganda, and Nassolo Jessica, a field coordinator with experience managing health systems strengthening across 10 facilities. Together, they combine clinical leadership, technical expertise, and operational coordination, uniquely positioning OxySure to deliver a scalable, preventive maintenance model for oxygen concentrators in underserved communities.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 1,710 people (450 direct beneficiaries, 1410 in-direct beneficiaries)

• During the 3-month pilot, OxySure will distribute its proven intervention oxygen concentrator restoration and preventive maintenance across over 25 oxygen concentrator units in 3 hospitals in Namisindwa District. This will include an estimated over 175 individual maintenance interventions, comprising monthly technician preventive maintenance visits, rapid response repairs, weekly in-hospital equipment checks conducted by trained facility staff, oxygen purity tests, and consumable part replacements, ensuring sustained concentrator functionality above 90% and reliable oxygen therapy for patients

• During the 3-month pilot, OxySure aims to raise an additional $750 through the introduction of quarterly hospital service fees ($100 - 250 per facility) across 3 partner hospitals, while simultaneously initiating formal funding conversations with oxygen-focused donors, including UNICEF procurement partners, and Global Fund implementers, laying the groundwork for securing larger grants to fund Year 1 expansion

FOUNDING TEAM

Achong Emmanuel - CEO

Nassolo Jessica - Co-Founder

Synchora Health

CHILD IMMUNIZATION CHALLENGE; Ghana

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

Synchora Health increases immunization completion for children by delivering voice and SMS reminders to caregivers and point-of-care tracking to health workers.

Synchora Health distributes through both static and mobile child welfare clinics where frontline nurses and community health volunteers enroll children, trigger automated reminders, and record doses at the point of care. The pilot runs across three facilities in Ghana's Ashanti Region - Juaben Government Hospital, Achiase Health Center, and Bomfa Health Center - enrolling at least 300 children over three months. From there, they will scale to 30 clinics in Year 1 using a replicable model with no disruption to existing clinical workflows. The venture’s unique value is that every dose (data) recorded feeds directly into DHIMS 2(the national health information system), validating manual data entry and turning point-of-care interactions into real-time Immunization monitoring.

Led by Shadrach Tetteh Boyetey, a Physician Assistant and Health Systems Researcher focused on digital health interventions with a decade of frontline clinical experience under Ghana's Ministry of Health. Dr. Ekins Kuuzie is a medical doctor with an MSc. in Digital Health Entrepreneurship from University College London and a serial startup founder. The venture’s technical co-founders are Osumanu Ra-Is Silbaway, a computer engineer with close to a decade of industry experience, and Richard Winner Duvor, a full-stack software developer.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Directly reach a minimum of 300 children within three months.

• Distribute a minimum of 5,400 proven interventions: 2,700 automated voice call reminders and 2,700 SMS reminders.

• Raise an additional USD 25,000 during the pilot period by signing 3 private facilities onto paid subscription agreements and securing at least one additional grant.

FOUNDING TEAM

Shadrach Tetteh Boyetey - Founder

Ekins Kuuzie - Founder

Richard Winner Duvor - Founder

Osumanu Ra-Is Silbaway - Founder

Niora, Inc.

TRANSPARENCY CHALLENGE: Ghana

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

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

Niora Systems is building the financial infrastructure for reliable medicine access in emerging markets by reducing volatility in pharmaceutical procurement.

Niora Systems distributes its solution through direct partnerships with hospitals, integrating procurement coordination and financial management tools into existing pharmaceutical purchasing workflows. The pilot is launching in Accra, Ghana, beginning with selected departments at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and Trust Hospital. Rather than distributing medicines themselves, they work with hospitals and suppliers to coordinate procurement, forecasting, ordering, and payment processes through a centralized platform. What sets Niora apart is its focus on financial and procurement stability: they address the payment volatility and coordination failures that often drive medicine shortages, helping hospitals and suppliers operate with greater predictability and reliability.

Niora Systems was founded by Adeline (Pinyu) Liao, a researcher at Stanford University focused on pharmaceutical market design and global health systems. She is joined by Sylvester Denyoh, a Ghana-based registered pharmacist with deep experience in pharmaceutical operations and healthcare delivery, and Dan Poku, a Ghana-based data scientist and software developer focused on applying technology to solve complex social challenges.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 5,000 patients.

• Distribute 100 procurement transactions.

• Raise $50,000.

FOUNDING TEAM

Adeline Pinyu Liao - Founder and CEO

Sylvester Denyoh - Co-founder of Niora Ghana, Partnerships Lead

Dan Poku - Founding team, Lead Engineer