In light of the Coronavirus pandemic and its related consequences to Africa’s health, food security and economy, CcHUB put out a Call for Projects to provide funding, research and design support for COVID-19 related projects.
The focus of the call was on the following areas:
Last mile communication
Support for the infected and most vulnerable
Local production of essential medical supplies
Support for our food value chain
applications from all over Africa and through a series of shortlisting and interviews...
innovative startups from various parts of Africa that are currently receiving support...
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is collaborating with CcHUB to support innovative communications projects based on African languages at the semi-urban and rural population across Africa.
The collaboration will focus on projects delivering vetted critical information from Africa CDC to Africans...
..in remote areas using innovative and culturally sensitive messaging. This involves educating the public and ensuring fact-based information reaches even remote locations through such approaches like comics, animation, illustrations, infographics, interactive SMS, Mobile apps etc. The selected teams are supported with grant funding of up to $5000 for research and design support. This collaboration is supported by the Joint African Union – German Cooperation on Citizens Engagement and Innovative Data Use for Africa’s Development (Data-Cipation) programme implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
The Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) partnered with CcHUB to support COVID-19 related projects in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. The immediate focus of Lagos state in curbing the spread of this pandemic is to alleviate issues such as contact tracing, last-mile communication, the supply chain for delivery of essential medication, food & healthcare materials.
For projects focused on Lagos, Nigeria, LASRIC is funding novel solutions by providing grant funding of $1000 to 6 applicants. In addition to the grant funding, LASRIC will review the most promising solution with the intention of investing $12,000 in a convertible note with an equity claim in possible future funding rounds. CcHUB through its multidisciplinary team of product designers and engineers in our Design Lab in Kigali, Rwanda will provide funding and research to support the participants to explore the application of Human-centered Design (HCD) to proffer innovative solutions to flatten the curve of the spread of the deadly virus.
startups@cchubnigeria.com
Now more than ever, governments, individuals and organizations will have to come together to limit the impact of the pandemic to our economy, collective health and continental security.
Here are a few ways to partner:
Provide additional funding to specific startups that we support/fund
Provide access to non-monetary key resources/stakeholders for the startups
Provide funding support for the entire project
Zikoko has built a microsite that provides verified information about coronavirus.
The microsite contains information about the virus as well as explainers in graphic and video formats translated into multiple African languages.
Flare operates the largest network of ambulances throughout Kenya. Using an Uber-like app, they have been able to aggregate hundreds of ambulances on their platform. Flare educates and trains ambulance teams to manage COVID-19, including proper use of PPE.
Capital Power Multimedia is creating animated videos localizing COVID-19 related information from the World Health Organization into indigenous African languages such as English, French, Hausa, Igbo, Arabic, Yoruba
and other local African languages.
Brck is a free public WIFI provider in Kenya that allows anyone within range of their signal to connect to the internet for free. These hotspots in both fixed and mobile locations across Kenya and Rwanda will be used to transmit relevant coronavirus information to their users.
Nifty Works+ is a graphic and audio-visual brand design firm that has worked with partners across Kenya to tell their stories through various audio-visual mediums. The team will be producing short animated series in English and Swahili communicating key information on the pandemic.
Guereza Animation is a digital animation company telling African stories and folklore using cartoons by empowering and investing in the new generation of content creators. The team is creating comic series that communicates key information about the pandemic to children.
Chekkit is a consumer intelligence solution that allows decision-makers to connect directly with the public using USSD. Through their USSD shortcode service, the public will be able to get COVID-19 alerts, report suspected cases, take surveys, and participate in quizzes.
The Creative Nestlings team are working on a series of mini-comics sharing critical information about coronavirus in different local South African languages. The mini-comics will be shared on digital platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook.
Gricd is operating a cold-chain logistics marketplace to deliver temperature-sensitive commodities using IoT enabled active cooling boxes to efficiently and remotely track and control the conditions of temperature sensitive medical materials during the pandemic.
Doctoora Health has set up a physician-led support centre which consists of a patient care helpline, telemedicine support for those self-isolating and distribution of medical supplies to patients in isolation. This is being done as a consortium of 10 doctor-led health tech startups.
Principally is a digital food cooperative and e-commerce platform that enables people to buy food in bulk or share bulk with others directly from producers and wholesalers delivered to their doorstep. This solution keeps the public at their homes through the pandemic and lockdown.
Wellvis is a simple online tool that classifies citizens based on exposure to coronavirus, providing possible triaging and screening from the confines of their homes. Users are then supported in navigating and getting to testing sites based on availability of test kits and recommendations.
Dunamis-Cognito is locally producing face shields to be used by hospitals and front-line workers in the COVID-19 fight. These face shields reduce the chances of contracting the virus by preventing people from touching their faces and keeping health practitioners safe when helping others.
The Assembly hub has a network of garment/textile manufacturers and designer studio across Nigeria that is being aggregated and repurposed to produce thousands of face masks to be distributed and donated to communities and healthcare facilities.
X-Labs Digital Health Hub is hosting a series of webinar sessions centered on educating medics on the management of COVID-19 related cases by seasoned health specialists. Oncopadi Chatbot is also available for Public Health Education.
FlyMyAds is distributing education material in different Nigerian languages to reach remote locations in Nigeria. All materials are short videos educating people on knowing the symptoms, preventive methods and what to do if they exhibit stated symptoms.
The Nupe project team designed a medical-grade silicone mask that can be washed. The filters last ⅔ weeks before needing to be changed. It is a level N95 product and beats other single-use masks. This guard would be ideal for medical workers and first responders.