Free2Plan

SAYANA PRESS CHALLENGE; NIGERIA

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

Free2Plan is a feminist, youth-led nonprofit working to meet the unmet need for family planning by distributing Sayana Press, an injectable contraceptive.

Free2Plan will empower owner-operated drug retail outlets known as Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) to deliver Sayana Press to women and girls in hard to reach areas. They will train these PPMVs on communications to drive demand and create behavior change around self-injectable contraceptives.

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

Offor Hope Jeremiah - Co-Founder

Melanie Tejiri Idehen - Co-Founder

Brenda Effiom - SBCC Specialist

Ibukun Babarinde - Supply Chain Manager

Nwabuma Omola Daniel - MEL Manager

Solar Brother

SOLAR LAMP CHALLENGE; DRC

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

Solar Brother distributes quality solar products to the most vulnerable rural and semi-urban populations of the Tanganyika Province in DR Congo using a PAYGO model. Distribution will be done by talented and trained agents. Many potential customers have lost trust in solar because of poor products in the market. To address this, Solar Brother will target early sales to influential community members.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• 500 lamps distributed over the first three months by 5 high-performing agents

• Fundraise an additional $10,000 within the first three months

• 3,000 customers reached by end of Y1

• 30,000 customers reached by end of Y2

FOUNDING TEAM

Atuu Waonaje Sincere - Co-Director of Investment Development, HR and Finance

Issa Wakilongo Matthieu - Co-Director of Market and Business Development

#TRANSPARENTIVAL

TRANSPARENCY CHALLENGE; COLOMBIA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Existing government petition system to fight corruption.

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

#Transparentival will be a cooperative campaign to educate, motivate and support people to fight corruption in Colombia.

In this project we will use the right to petition as a tool to fight corruption. The right to petition allows people to access public information, challenge abuses of power and report negligence from authorities.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Send 1,000 corruption reports using right to petition during pilot

• Reach 10,000 people with information on government petitions during pilot

• Raise an additional $15,000 during pilot

• Reach 50,000 people with information on government petitions by end of Y1

• Reach 100,000 people with information on government petitions by end of Y2

FOUNDING TEAM

Margarita Méndez Sandoval - Director

Luke Hammett - Project Leader

SAUK

FERTILIZER CHALLENGE; DRC

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Fertilizer and microdosing technique. 

Learn more about the Fertilizer Challenge and why increasing the effective use of fertilizer has the potential to unlock significant crop yield for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.  

 

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

SAUK will facilitate access to commercial fertilizer and farmer training in the province of South-Kivu, mainly in the Ruzizi-Tanganyika Plain Corridor.

The SAUK model consists of establishing a vertically-integrated fertilizer distribution chain in eastern DRC, with SAUK controlling the supply, transport, storage and sale segments, delivering directly to farmers. SAUK will train farmers on the use of fertilizer and provide them access to quality fertilizer in the appropriate quantity.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• 160 farmers reached with commercial fertilizer and training by end of pilot

• 2 agroshops and 3 training centers opened by end of pilot

• 250 farmers reached by end of Y1

• 500 farmers reached by end of Y2

 

FOUNDING TEAM

Richard Bikulo - CEO

Leon Kazamwali - Director of Marketing

Frank Batumike - Technical Services

SoBz Energy Limited

SOLAR LAMP CHALLENGE; UGANDA

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

SoBz Energy will utilize a network of boda (motorcycle) riders to distribute solar lights to hard to reach communities. The Venture will identify the boda riders, train them in solar marketing, functioning, and simple troubleshooting and roll them out to sell solar lamps to the rural customers. The venture will also carry out customer screening, especially of those buying on credit, to determine credit readiness, and then determine repayment method. The venture also will conduct field visits to customers to assess their experience with the lamps, gather impact stories, and issue repayment reminders. The venture will initially operate in Mubende district in Western Uganda, with plan to scale to the neighboring communities.

SoBz Energy’s co-founders all have experience in Uganda’s renewable energy sector. Noah Ssempijja, the Managing Director, worked with Fenix International as a Customer Field Support Manager. Florence Nabukenya, the Customer Support Manager, previously supported Fenix International’s customer call center in Uganda. And Denis Mulangwa, the Operations Director, previously worked as Head of Customer Care and Credit at Solantis Solar Uganda.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• 500 lamps distributed over the first three months, reaching 3,000 people

• 39,000 people reached by the end of Y1

• 99,000 people reached by end of Y2

FOUNDING TEAM

Noah Ssempijja - Co-founder, Managing Director

Denis Mulangwa - Co-founder, Operations Director

Florence Nabukenya - Co-founder, Customer Support Manager

FarmerTribe Company Limited

FERTILIZER CHALLENGE; GHANA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Fertilizer and microdosing technique. 

Learn more about the Fertilizer Challenge and why increasing the effective use of fertilizer has the potential to unlock significant crop yield for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.  

 

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

FarmerTribe's model is to distribute agricultural inputs to smallholder farmers in rural communities while supporting them with extension services and training them to be effective and efficient in their production.
FarmerTribe is a one-stop shop for farmers to access all inputs and receive technical support without traveling to the region capital. FarmerTribe currently operates in the Mamprugu Moaduri and Yunyoo/Nasuan district in North East Region and Garu district in Upper East Region.

FarmerTribe was foundered by Sepenica Darko with years of experience as a development workers and a Tony Elumelu enterprenuer.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 1,500 farmers within first three months

• Raise additional $10,000 within first three months

• Reach 10,000 farmers by end of Y1

• Reach 15,000 farmers by end of Y2

 

FOUNDING TEAM

Sepenica Anfumwaa Darko - Founder and CEO

Better Minds Education

FLIPPED CLASSROOM; KENYA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Flipped classroom. 

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

Better Minds Education is dedicated to improving student learning outcomes throughout rural Africa through a scalable digital tutoring model.

Better Minds distributes proven digital tutoring content to high-need students in rural Africa. The pilot digital learning center in Kakamega, Kenya leverages low-cost tablets and self-paced learning software to teach students at their right level of learning through school-based partnerships and holiday learning camps.

Better Minds was founded in 2019 by Siler Bryan, with Grace Waweru as the first Digital Learning Center Manager.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Provide tutoring to 500 students within 3 months

• Launch partnerships with 6 schools and hold 1 holiday camp to reach 500 students in 3 months

• Raise $50,000 from new donors within 3 months

• Scale to serve 2,000 students by end of year 1 and 10,000 by year 2

FOUNDING TEAM

Siler Bryan - Director

Katswiri

CUSTOM CHALLENGE; MALAWI

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Livestock market bundle.

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

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Katswiri's mission is to distribute livestock and livestock services on loan to rural smallholder farmers in order to promote a better quality of life.

The Katswiri distribution model is based on three part approach, that includes financing through the provision of livestock and livestock services on loan, training of rural farmers in livestock production best practices, and marketing support.

Katswiri’s plan is to provide long term sustainable livestock services to farmers in need and drive evidence-based impact.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Enroll 100 households in livestock program within first six months

• Directly distribute 1,400 livestock units, offer a series of 3 agriculture production trainings and vaccinate 1,400 livestock units

• Raise 20,000 USD in first six months and then scale operations in the next year pilot to reach 450 farmers with an estimated fundraising budget of 100,000 USD

FOUNDING TEAM

Sopani R. Neba - Founder and Team Lead

Judith Kamanga - Training and Livestock Extension Specialist

Graciano Ulemu Gawamadzi - Project Management and Evaluation Specialist

Haraka Home

COOK STOVE CHALLENGE; KENYA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Liquid Petroleum Gas.

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

Haraka Home, based in Nairobi, Kenya, uses a distributed goods model of delivery that allows low prices and a superior consumer experience while still retaining healthy margins. Instead of receiving an order, loading a vehicle hours or days later with goods, and then traveling to the customer, Haraka’s delivery vehicles leave their warehouse every morning preloaded with products and continuously complete deliveries. This distribution strategy cuts delivery time, distance, and expense significantly.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Complete 1,000 deliveries within first month of operations

• Achieve delivery times of 45 minutes or less

• Aiming for full net profitability

FOUNDING TEAM

Max Weiner - COO

Vytas Bradunas - CTO

Nutri You

CUSTOM AGRICULTURE CHALLENGE; KENYA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Drip irrigation systems.

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

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

The Nutri You model seeks to provide smallholder farmers in Busia County, Kenya, with affordable access to a low-cost drip irrigation system through a bundled low-cost irrigation package. This system will allow farmers to irrigate their crops all year round, relieving them of their dependence on rain, thus enabling them to increase local food production. The project has adopted a pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) finance model that offers farmers a micro-leasing option to acquire the system upfront with just a 30% down payment. The farmers then get as two month grace period before continuing to make slow payments over the course of 6 months.

Nutri You strives to create simplicity in agriculture by offering farmers affordable yet practical products and services that simplify their lives and help them grow.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 300 farmers in first three months

• 2 agents to distribute 35 drip irrigation systems within first three months

FOUNDING TEAM

Ellen Savude - Project Manager

Laetitia Mukungu - Technical Lead

Haggai Pepela - Operations Lead

Mpumalanga Zwane - Communications Lead

Adolescent Health Champions

CUSTOM CHALLENGE; INDIA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Improving health outcomes by distributing a health education program. 

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

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Adolescent Health Champions cultivates a network of youth health educators (Champions) in Mumbai, India who lead the health education process in their schools and communities. We use an innovative, evidence-based peer education model that leverages the voices, talent, and leadership of adolescents themselves. Our approach provides adolescents with the knowledge, dialogue, support, and prevention strategies they need to navigate their health needs during this pivotal transition to adulthood.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Educate 5,000 adolescents during pilot

• Train 625 peer educators during pilot

 

FOUNDING TEAM

Ricky Sharma - Co-Founder

Priya Shankar - Co-Founder

CORD's Positive Escort Project

PMTCT CHALLENGE; NIGERIA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Retention in care and adherence to anti-retroviral treatment for people living with HIV. 

Learn more about the PMTCT Challenge and how increasing completion of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to prevent mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV can decrease HIV rates and improve lives.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

CORD’s Positive Escort Project aims to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV by training and engaging experienced women living with HIV to follow up and ensure 150 HIV+ pregnant women complete Antiretroviral Therapy (ART).

HIV+ positive women who have experienced PMTCT services and maintain close links with the community will be trained and engaged as Positive Escorts to facilitate community-facility continuum of care for PMTCT activities. They will provide pre-test group education sessions, one-on-one and couples counseling, individualized education, psychosocial support, appointment reminders and follow-up services to ensure women adhere to treatment. They will also be role models whose support and presence will reassure the newly diagnosed that HIV related challenges can be successfully overcome.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 150 expectant mothers during the pilot phase

• Train 50 HIV+ women to serve as Positive Escorts during the pilot phase

FOUNDING TEAM

Adebanjo Adetosoye Moses - Executive Director/Project Lead

Econome

SOLAR LAMP CHALLENGE; KENYA

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

Econome is a one-stop trusted distribution brand for a variety of affordable utility products such as clean energy and productive use appliances for low-income households across Kenya. Our vision is to make life better for African households, one product at a time.

The Econome model is based on building a trusted and cost-effective last mile distribution channel through sales of a range of quality, affordable and impactful energy products to rural households. We work with mainly women entrepreneurs by offering them a business opportunity to make good sales that can sustain their livelihoods. With a full basket of different products, the probability of one making sales in each household is higher than if it were only one product being sold by the same entrepreneur. The pilot location is in western Kenya counties of Kakamega, Bungoma and Busia where we aim to work with over 30 women entrepreneurs during this period.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Directly reach 3,000 beneficiaries within three months

• Distribute 600 products comprising of solar lights, cook stoves and water storage tanks within three months

• Raise $20,000 from sales revenues and other sources within 3 months

FOUNDING TEAM

Linda Wamune - Managing Director

Martin Theuri - Business Advisor

Health Support Initiatives

IMMUNIZATION CHALLENGE; UGANDA

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

Health Support Initiatives contributes to the reduction of morbidity, mortality and disability due to preventable diseases by incentivizing parents and caregivers to bring children to health facilities for immunizations.

The model is centered on Conditional Cash Transfers that incentivize parents and caregivers to bring their children for immunization services at local health facilities. This project will be implemented in Mayuge District's fishing island communities, which have very low immunization rates. Immunization focal point persons will conduct outreach camps to identity children eligible for immunization.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Immunize 500 children in first three months

• Train 64 community health workers and 12 immunization focal point persons in first three months

POST-PILOT UPDATE

Measles is one of the leading causes of outbreaks among the vaccine preventable diseases. In Uganda, measles vaccine is the last vaccine to be received for completion of the immunization schedule at 9 months of age. In Uganda the coverage rate for fully immunized child is at 52%.

In the pilot, we sought to improve immunization completion rates in Mayuge District, which has one of the worst immunization indicator scores in Uganda and suffered chronic measles outbreaks. The project implemented a conditional cash transfer through a transport voucher scheme blended with dynamic community outreaches among hard-to-reach populations for the catchment population of Malongo Health center III, Mayuge district, Uganda. This facility was chosen because it has highest number of unimmunized children (2,068) and low measles coverage rates at 39%. The transport vouchers targeted children that had missed the measles vaccination while the outreaches were generalized.

During the three-month pilot, over 4,000 were reached with immunization services and 1,900 children completed their immunization schedule thus the total number of unimmunized children reduced by 94%. In addition, the annualized measles coverage increased by 18% within duration of three months.

FOUNDING TEAM

Pamela Bakkabulindi - Executive Director

Esther Anyimo - Program Coordinator

Julius Kirya - Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

Mary Etit - Finance Manager

Community Technology Worker Program

COOK STOVE CHALLENGE; TANZANIA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

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

To transition families to LPG stoves from firewood and charcoal, the Community Technology Worker (CTW) Program trains local experts in Shirati, Tanzania to teach families how to use the gas stove, check in regularly, and provide any technical or maintenance support to the households.

A Community Technology Worker teaches the family how to use the stove safely, leaves resources and their phone number in case there are issues, and revisits to check in. The Community Technology Worker thus provides a three-fold objective to help transition the family: to help with any technical issues, to remind the family to be saving up for the next cylinder, and to reinforce and encourage the adoption of gas.

The program buys the initial stove, pays the CTW, and empowers the families to refill on their own by changing their saving mechanisms around cooking fuel. The CTW model stands out as it relies on community-based empowerment to reach households. This intervention of CTW is about people in the community supporting their community. Every barrier the community faces, the CTWs address it, listen, and adapt.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 500 during Step-Wedge Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial with 1 LPG stove per family

• Hire and onboard 15 Community Technology Workers

• Track LPG adoption metrics through a yearlong study

FOUNDING TEAM

Annelise Gill-Wiehl - Co-Founder

Fred Chacha - Co-Founder

Nayome Aguttu- Co-Founder

Mary Frances - Co-Founder

Leaf Global Fintech

CUSTOM CHALLENGE; RWANDA and DRC

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Improving access to financial services for refugees through mobile phones.

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

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Leaf Global Fintech provides digital financial services to refugees so that they can store and transport assets across borders from a feature phone, avoiding cash.

Leaf stores and transports assets across borders from a mobile device—no smartphone required. Refugees and migrants can journey without cash, knowing accounts are safe and accessible globally. Digitizing the process drastically reduces exchange and transfer fees. Friends and family abroad can also contribute into the Leaf customer’s account in a convenient and affordable way. Leaf protects customers’ savings through blockchain technology without exposure to cryptocurrency. By allowing customers to retain more value and increasing accessible funds through contributions from abroad, Leaf gives customers a better start with financial security and lessens their dependence on host countries and foreign aid.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Serve 10,000 customers during the pilot period

FOUNDING TEAM

Nat Robinson - Co-Founder and CEO

Tori Samples - Co-Founder and CFO

Green Action One

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

Green Action One aims to reduce climate change effects in Malawi and beyond by distributing solar lights and other clean energy options to under-saved and marginalized populations. Green Action One is distributing solar lights in Malawi targeting southern region districts where rural teachers, health officers have benefited in larger numbers.

The model is centered on a network of sales agent in the community. Green Action One one will procure solar products and sell through farmer cooperatives, teachers center, health clinics, and village savings groups, using pay-as-you-go for customer financing to help people enjoy the benefits of clean energy.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Reach 4,000 customers during the pilot

• Distribute 26,000 solar lamps by the end of year 1

FOUNDING TEAM

Enock Palapandu - Co-founder

Christopher Said - Co-founder

Ella Liwonde - Co-founder

Agri Eco Enterprise (AEE)

CUSTOM AGRICULTURE CHALLENGE; MALAWI

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags are a triple-layered plastic bag that serves as an air-tight storage method for harvested crops. 

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

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Agri Eco Enterprise (AEE) aims to boost the lives of 100,000 Malawian smallholder farmers over the next few seasons through the distribution of Purdue Improved Crops Storage (PICS) bags in the districts of Dowa, Lilongwe, and Kasungu. Many enterprises focus on selling local bags, which are less effective.

AEE will recruit agents who will be distributing the PICS bags to smallholder farmers on commission basis. PICS will be supplied by poly pack Malawi Company which will be distributed to various agents in the targeted districts. The agents will be the shop owners who are already selling farm produces, seeds, pesticides, fertilizers and many others.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Distribute 50,000 PICS bags in first three months

• Reach 10,000 farmers with training and PICS bags in first three months

• Reach 1 million farmers by Y5

FOUNDING TEAM

Ms. Joyce Sikwese - Executive Director

Mr. Sanderson Banda - Marketing Officer

The Now Exchange

SAYANA PRESS CHALLENGE; BANGLADESH

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

The Now Exchange (TNE) will provide women's health services (starting with free injectable contraceptive access) and strengthen health systems (training clinic staff) within garment factory clinics in Gazipur, Bangladesh. By doing so, TNE aims to use and improve pre-existing health clinics as a channel to reach garment workers - 80% of whom are women - with free services that override existing barriers to health access and choice. TNE will reinforce and share knowledge around various family planning options by a) training on-site health clinic workers and b) distributing information directly to factory workers to enhance their decision-making power.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Give 1000 women access to Sayana Press in Y1

• Scale to at least one more factory in Y2

FOUNDING TEAM

Farah Momen - Co-Founder & CEO

Giulia Bova - Co-Founder & Chief of Health Access

Civis

TRANSPARENCY CHALLENGE; INDIA

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

A mobile platform that enables citizens to understand legislation and share their feedback on laws and policy decisions in local languages while providing an avenue for the government to understand citizens’ priorities and gather feedback on policies in real time.

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

At Civis we are building a scalable, multi sided platform, to ensure that the process of public consultations can be effectively used by citizens and governments alike, to co-create laws together. We do this by:

1. Aggregating all open Consultations seeking feedback.

2. Simplifying them in accessible language.

3. Reaching out to individuals and gathering inputs on these laws.

4. Analysing and sharing citizen’s feedback with the Government - thereby building Government capacity to run effective Consultations, and gather actionable insights.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• 10,000 users by the end of pilot phase

• 100,000 users by the end of year 1

• 1,000,000 users by the end of year 2
  
  

FOUNDING TEAM

Antaraa Vasudev - Founder