Innovation Projects
Ideator and Innovator
An ideator generates, synthesizes, or develops ideas or concepts. Muunda has embodied this definition for the past two years by building and leading teams to successful, fundable human-centred design ideas. Africa is not deficient in ideas but in ideators who can build working teams to execute brilliantly. In this regard, Muunda stands out not just as an ideator but an effective implementor of ideas. So far, Muunda has built teams that have ideated scientific innovations addressing problems in agri-tech, medical spaces, and product development. The teams have won a collective of $6,000 in funding plus other prizes. Some accomplishments in this line of work are highlighted below. Muunda is passionate about driving African-led innovation, and leverages design thinking, problem-solving, and team-building skills to transform ideas into impactful solutions.
Zero Agricultural Technologies
[Role]: Lead Innovator, Team Lead, Resource Mobilization
ZERO Agricultural Technologies is a Kenyan-based initiative that ideated and designed around the problem of post-harvest loss of fresh farm products experienced by local retailers. We were a team of 6 multi-national young, creative, and passionate minds who experienced the effects of post-harvest losses first-hand. As a team, we were united by the dream to contribute to developing technologies that help local retailers reduce the losses they suffer and boost their profits.
Our solution to help with post-harvest losses was the ZERO BOX. The Zero Box is a solar-powered smart preservation technology designed for local retailers of fresh farm products. The technology integrates refrigeration, biosensing (IoT and AI), and Information Technology. It was designed to help retailers reduce post-harvest loss by 60% and increase their profits while reducing the carbon footprint that results from the spoilage of fresh farm products. Technology helps retailers preserve and estimate their products’ shelf-life, which they can monitor remotely or in person.
While offering this technology, we hope to significantly contribute to establishing sustainable agriculture and agri-businesses in Africa and contribute our part to the SGDs goals 2, 12, 13, and the African Union Agenda 2063, which recognizes the important role agriculture plays in the development of the economy.
The idea received $5,000 in funding from the African Development Bank through the PAUSTI Incubation Center of Excellence at the Pan African University Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology, and Innovation (PAUSTI). Furthermore, the idea was taken into a 6-month incubation program at the Incubation center managed by iHUB. The team was also selected among the top eight (8) to pitch their idea at the Pan African University (PAU) Innovation Challenge, 2022.
Tuso: Pioneering a Tech-Driven Future of Universal Health Coverage
[Role]: Lead Innovator, Team Lead, Resource Mobilization
The Zambian health system has generally been slow in responding to public health emergencies to the detriment of the citizens, with fewer means to seek high-level medical intervention. While there are several examples to highlight, including cholera outbreaks, this application picks out the example of COVID-19. During the period from 2019 to 2023, more than 349,287 people in Zambia were confirmed to be positive for COVID-19 and about 4,069 deaths resulted from the disease. While developing nations used vaccination and diagnostic technologies to manage the pandemic, such efforts were both late and insufficient, resulting in increased infections and deaths. On the contrary, in Zambia, COVID-19 exposed flaws in our nation’s healthcare systems. These included poorly funded healthcare systems, insufficient medications, difficulty accessing healthcare by the local people, weak research and development systems, and a lack of local capacity to manufacture necessary pharmaceuticals.
Surprisingly, our people in rural areas managed COVID-19 better than projections showed. They used traditional herbal formulations for symptomatic treatment of the disease. Our team’s publication-ready review demonstrates scientifically and economically that indigenous herbal remedies played a significant role in serving lives during the COVID-19 experience. While such an intervention was not completely new in Zambia because 70% of our people already depend on traditional medicine, the important question is why we have not yet effectively mainstreamed these remedies to create more robust responses during virus-caused public health emergencies.
Our research found that the biggest challenge has been the lack of intentional implementation, innovation, and incentives to bridge the gaps between stakeholders. Our solution is a technology-driven platform for decentralizing Indigenous traditional medicine formulations to contribute to a more robust pandemic-ready health response system to viral infections. While the platform can benefit anyone, people in areas with limited access to public healthcare facilities will be most impacted.
AI-TEST
[Role]: Lead Innovator, Team Lead, Resource Mobilization
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive brain condition that results in irrational behaviour, emotional issues, and loss of cognitive function (cognition). In our current age, information about the health of nations and continents has become important because this information is needed by several stakeholders, such as policymakers, medical practitioners, and scientists, in decision-making.
Yet, even in the age of smartphones, clicks, algorithms, and AI-driven search engines, it is still difficult to know the prevalence of Huntington’s disease in Africa, as there are little to almost no resources on HD. Consequently, team AI-TEST presents a platform that brings information about HD to every home, promotes self-screening, links suspected cases to nearby experts equipped with caregivers’ track statistics, and reports statistics to relevant stakeholders every month.
Such information, reaching us through our handsets, will awaken Africa to the reality of HD and why we need to pay more attention to it. This product will undoubtedly educate caregivers and limit the stigma experienced by HD warriors while improving the number of people seeking help, getting diagnosed, and enrolling in treatment plans for HD.
Team AI-TEST won the Huntington’s Disease Innovation Challenge organized by Huntington Disease (HD) Africa at the PAUSTI Incubation Center of Excellence (PAUSTI CoE) in 2022.
In addition to the $1,000 prize money, the team was also admitted to a 6-month internship program with HD Africa. Furthermore, the team also got to make a poster presentation at the first-ever Huntington’s Disease Conference in Africa, held at the Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.
Let's Collaborate!
Are you looking for a trusted partner to navigate the complexities of research, innovation, and project implementation in Africa? With a proven track record of delivering impactful solutions in three countries, I specialize in designing studies, strategies, assembling diverse teams, and managing projects that bridge local knowledge with global standards. Whether you’re an institution, corporation, or individual seeking to develop impactful and innovative projects or expand into Africa’s dynamic landscape, let’s collaborate to achieve sustainable, community-driven results. Reach out today!