Archive for category: Innovations

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How Telemedicine in Sudan is Supporting Health care Workers

Telemedicine in SudanThe people of Sudan are enduring one of the most severe humanitarian catastrophes of modern times. After two years of a brutal war, this article explores how telemedicine initiatives in Sudan support health care workers at a time of untold struggle.

The Forgotten War

Following a legacy of colonialism, deep fragmentation and internal conflict, numerous disasters and political insecurities have ravaged Sudan’s public health infrastructures.

Despite being the second-largest producer of gold in Africa, the systemic leveling of homes, schools and hospitals, alongside climate shocks and desertification, are creating a complex crisis where 30.4 million Sudanese civilians are now in dire need of aid.

Here, overseas arms flows perpetuate networks of geopolitical competition and the extraction of natural resources at the cost of innocent human lives, all while Sudan’s health care system is on the verge of collapse.

In the shadows of ethnic cleansing in Darfur and the fall of Al-Bashir’s 30-year dictatorship, the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) emerged as a fatal and multi-dimensional struggle.

Reports estimate that up to 150,000 civilians may have died directly or indirectly due to the conflict. As famine spreads, 12 million people had to flee their homes resulting in the largest displacement emergency of the 21st century.

A Health care System in Disarray

At a time when RSF allegedly targets doctors and medical workers for providing care for opposition soldiers, around 80% of health care facilities are out of service in the areas most impacted by the war.

According to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), a child died of hunger or malnutrition every two hours in the Zamzam refugee camp in North Darfur last year. These immense challenges have left a struggling health care system overburdened by the conflict, with patients in need of assistance.

Further restrictions and bureaucratic impediments imposed on Sudanese hospitals also highlight the need for rapid interventions and more robust long-term solutions, particularly due to the dramatic increase in reports of sexual and gender-based violence since the conflict began.

In the face of these intersecting challenges, Telemedicine initiatives are helping to support Sudan’s health care systems at a time of growing struggle.

Educast and Telemedicine Initiatives in Sudan

Today, telemedicine offers a wide range of practices such as consultations, triaging, prescriptions, counselling and other referrals. Initiatives like Educast facilitate virtual consultations through hotlines that are accessible to people living across the country.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a network of remote doctors provided consultations for displaced populations, as well as disease surveillance support for clinics in war-affected areas. They also use WhatsApp to help provide information on patient health and well-being through the exchange of medical reports and analysis.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Sudanese government focuses on expanding its telemedicine capabilities, while recognizing its growing potential to revolutionise and sustain healthcare delivery, particularly during moments of crisis.

The Future of Telemedicine

While there is still an existential need for aid intervention from the international community, the Sudanese government has taken proactive measures to implement programmes like the Gezira Family Medicine Project (GFMP).

The GFMP project trained qualified family physicians to provide accessible health care services by utilising E-Learning platforms. A two-year curriculum aims to train students to provide service provision within their communities.

Despite the progress of Telemedicine programmes, the people of Sudan are still facing untold challenges. Greater attention now goes to address the inequalities that inhibit access to online services, narrowing the digital divide in a nation with one of the lowest rates of mobile access on the planet.

In spite of these obstacles, the early implementation of telemedicine in Sudan is laying foundations for future initiatives, showing promising signs that it can assist health care professionals, facilitate future training and digital campaigns that can support Sudan’s struggling health care system at a time of great need.

Conclusion

While the survival of a nation hangs in the balance, telemedicine initiatives in Sudan offer a small step towards the integration of new and innovative health developments that can improve its emergency response mechanisms, while fostering a more resilient public health system for a people ravaged by war, instability and corruption.

– Gabriel John Gunn

Gabriel is based in Paisley, Scotland and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Climate-Resilient Farming in Vietnam

Climate-Resilient Farming in VietnamIn Vietnam’s low-lying Mekong Delta, saltwater intrusion, soil erosion and desertification threaten rice yields, the main income source for millions of smallholder farmers. This reality affects more than 15 million smallholder farmers, 59% living on less than $3.10 per day.

This situation underscores the urgent need for this simple, native and accessible innovation: natural cultivation of coastal mangroves acting as natural barriers against storms and saltwater, protecting valuable clay-rich soils.

Battling Climate Threats in the Mekong Delta

In the low-lying Mekong Delta of Vietnam, climate-resilient farming initiatives use nature-based solutions (NbS) to stabilize and enrich farmland. These include restoring coastal mangroves and planting legume-rich forest strips. Coastal mangroves form a natural barrier against storms and saltwater, preventing the loss of the clay-rich soils that rice plants require.

Inland, reforestation with legumes replenishes nitrogen in the soil and slows desertification, ensuring farmland stays fertile over time. Together, these measures create a more stable agricultural environment without reliance on expensive chemical inputs.

Harnessing the Power of Mangroves and Agroforestry

Climate-resilient farming in Vietnam tackles two linked problems. On farmland, agroforestry and legume plantings improve soil structure and nitrogen availability, helping rehabilitate degraded plots and reverse early stages of desertification. These practices keep soils fertile without relying solely on expensive chemical fertilizers.

A meta-analysis found that flower strips increase natural pest control services by about 16% on average in adjacent cropped fields. Compared with other integrated measures, broader agroecological approaches reduce disease and pest incidence. These effects are typically more substantial where habitat patches are larger and better connected.

Rodents cause significant pre-harvest losses in Southeast Asian rice; conservative estimates put regional losses at around 5% or roughly 16 million tonnes. Studies show that complex landscapes with more non-crop habitats like hedgerows, wetlands and forests support natural predators, boosting pest control in rice fields.

Coastal mangroves and wetlands create habitats that support native predators, like waterbirds, snakes and carnivores, which help control rodent populations. Studies show that preserving or restoring these habitats reduces rodent outbreaks compared to simplified landscapes. In addition, the high-energy biomass of the mangrove forests is often seen as native animal feed. This is a perfect symbiosis, since more than 50% of the farmers, in addition to rice cultivation, also conduct livestock farming.

Real-Life Success Stories From Coastal Communities

In southern Vietnam, mangrove restoration has been used to alleviate poverty and diversify income sources. Approximately 8,000 households received land leases and improved access to infrastructure such as schools, roads and health care services. The restoration led to a 209–789% increase in yields of mussels and oysters per hectare. The direct economic benefit for selected communities ranged between approximately $344,000 and $6.7 million.

Furthermore, mangrove restoration reduced dike damage from similar typhoons by approximately $80,000 to $295,000, demonstrating mangroves’ important role in protecting rural areas. While exact studies on poverty reduction are still lacking, the proven effectiveness of this technology is clear. Mangrove restoration offers accessible, practical benefits that directly support vulnerable communities facing extreme poverty and climate risks. This freely available solution holds great promise to improve lives where needed most.

Scaling Up NbS for a Resilient Future

Between 1999 and 2013, nearly 9,000 hectares of mangroves were planted and protected across almost 100 Vietnam coastal communities. This effort directly benefited 350,000 people, with indirect benefits reaching another 2 million along Vietnam’s coast.

From 1978 to 1998, Vietnam restored about 1,500 km² (150,000 ha) of mangrove forests in the Mekong Delta. Also, between 2015 and 2020, approximately 27,322 hectares (around 34.1%) of mangroves were successfully restored through state- and NGO-funded projects. This restoration increased the total mangrove area from 79,593 hectares to 90,777 hectares.

Despite challenges like funding and climate pressures, mangrove restoration offers tremendous opportunities for ecological and community benefits. With growing awareness and collaborative efforts, more sustainable and resilient projects are emerging. These initiatives showcase the powerful potential of NbS to protect both people and the environment for the long term. This project is now serving as a model for similar programs across Southeast Asia.

– Alexander Broermann

Alexander is based in Frankfurt, Germany and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay

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Innovations in Poverty Eradication in Moldova

Innovations in Poverty Eradication in MoldovaMoldova is undertaking a wide, yet quiet approach toward transforming its delivery of care and support to its most vulnerable by going digital. UNICEF, the UNDP and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection worked in collaboration to create the project, which aims to create a digital and unified social protection program to improve access to the services, as well as transparency and long-term stability of the infrastructure. These innovations in poverty eradication in Moldova mark a critical shift in the country: from fragmented paper-based services toward a human-centered, data-driven welfare system which puts equity, inclusion and efficiency at the core of Moldovan social protection systems.

Moldova’s Financial and Social Challenges

Moldova, considered Europe’s poorest country, faces deep economic fragility and rising poverty. In 2024, 33.6 % of its people lived in absolute poverty and 15.4% in extreme poverty. Rural areas suffer disproportionately with inflation worsening inequality, energy price shocks and spillover from the war in Ukraine. Reliance on remittances and outdated welfare mechanisms leaves many without timely support. Fragmented, paper-based assistance systems struggle to protect vulnerable families. Strengthening and unifying social protection is essential—not only to reduce poverty but to improve resilience against economic shocks, safeguard children and ensure inclusive growth.

From a Fragmented System to Integrated Support

Until recently, the Moldovan government distributed social assistance programs across more than 60 disconnected initiatives. For citizens, especially those in low-income or remote areas, these systems were largely inaccessible. Meanwhile, social workers on the frontline were also constrained by these circumstances, relying upon manual processes to track cases.

To address these systemic issues, in 2025, Moldova, through the Ministry of Labor and Social protection and with the support of UNDP, launched eSocial. This new digital system is a unified digital platform which aims to centralize access to welfare benefits, child protection, disability support and other critical services. Alongside this rollout, the country established the Digital Centre for Social Innovation, a hub which supports system design, piloting and workforce training.

Unifying Services onto One Platform

The digital innovations in poverty eradication currently underway in Moldova spans multiple agencies, with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection spearheading changes across social services (RESTART), the National Employment Agency, the State Labor Inspectorate and the National Council for Determination of Disability and Work Capacity.

The Digital Transformation of Social Protection Project, supported by UNDP, is the binding force. It ensures that digital tools improve efficiency and coordination across all reforms, linking social benefits, employment programs and energy subsidies into a single accessible framework.

To complete the digital shift, the project also plans to redesign up to two regional social offices, creating physical one-stop-shops to mirror the streamlined experience online. Together, these changes aim to make Moldova’s welfare system not only modern, but also more human-focused and integrated.

Empowering Workers, Supporting Families

One of the most visible changes has been in the day-to-day lives of Moldova’s social workers. In 2024, UNICEF distributed more than 1,900 digital devices among staff, enabling them to manage cases in real time, coordinate services across agencies and spend more time working directly with families.

Beyond equipment, the reform focuses on system-wide functionality, such as digital referrals, case tracking and early warning indications. This allows social workers to shift from reactive crisis response to preventive, individually-focused care. 

UNICEF’s design approach emphasizes the need for simplicity, accessibility and inclusion. Families with children, those with disabilities and elderly individuals now face fewer bureaucratic hurdles when seeking access to social protection and care. The program and its developers are creating and implementing digital tools for users, ensuring that even those with low digital literacy can participate.

Inclusion at its Core

The decision to digitize social protection is as much about values as it is about infrastructure. UNICEF and UNDP are embedding human rights principles into every facet of the system: ensuring service equity, targeting rural-urban disparities and focusing on those whom the system previously excluded, especially children in institutional care and families living within extreme poverty. 

The shift toward proactive service delivery means identifying vulnerable groups and responding prior to escalation. This not only improves outcomes but also reduces long-term costs for the state. 

As UNICEF stated in a press release from 2024, its decision to digitize is an effort to strengthen the social protection system, not only empowering the frontline workers, but also preventing and addressing urgent risks faced by children in a more efficient way.

A Blueprint for Welfare in the Digital Age

The innovations in poverty eradication in Moldova, a move toward a digitized social protection system, signals a quiet yet profound shift in how the state supports its people. What began as a technical reform is quickly becoming a reimagining of care, one rooted in access, accountability and modern infrastructure. As the country continues to roll out new systems and strengthen its frontline services, its experience could serve as a blueprint for other nations navigating similar challenges. For now, Moldova is still progressing the digital welfare reformation, however, the path forward is clearer and more unified than ever before.

– Elizabeth Occleston

Elizabeth is based in Southport, UK and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Transforming Waste Into Opportunity: Recycling Startups in Africa

Recycling Startups in AfricaRecycling startups transforming waste into opportunity are not just a concept; it is a growing movement across Africa tackling plastic pollution while creating jobs and fostering economic resilience. Since 2019, innovative and locally led enterprises have proved that waste can become valuable resources. These startups transform discarded plastic into sustainable products, reducing environmental damage and creating livelihoods for underprivileged communities.

The United Nations Development Project (UNDP) reports that if circular economic models scale up, global employment could increase by 0.1% by 2030, potentially generating millions of new jobs worldwide. This work demonstrates that the fight against plastic pollution can go hand-in-hand with poverty reduction and community development.

EcoPost in Kenya

The circular economy comes to life through EcoPost in Kenya, where the company converts plastic waste into durable lumber. EcoPost replaces plastic waste with recycled fencing posts and paving blocks. Since 2019, EcoPost has recycled more than 13 million kilograms of plastic, creating 102 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect income opportunities for local waste collectors and suppliers.

These jobs targeted marginalized groups, especially women and youth, who face high unemployment. Using plastic waste as a resource, EcoPost has protected 4,300 acres of forest, supporting rural livelihoods that depend on forest ecosystems for food, water and climate stability. Thus, replacing timber has reduced deforestation while giving locals a stable income. Job creation reduces poverty as families are guaranteed stable incomes, while forest protection sustains rural livelihoods dependent on natural resources.

Gjenge Makers: Innovation Turning Waste Into Building Materials

Another stellar example of circular economy in action is Gjenge Makers, led by Kenyan engineer Nzambi Matee. Gjenge Makers turns plastic waste into strong, affordable paving blocks. This lowers infrastructure costs for small businesses and community projects. Since 2019, it has recycled 20 tonnes of plastic and produced blocks cheaper than regular bricks.

Cheaper, high-quality building materials help underserved communities afford improvements that attract investment, generate commerce and create ripple effects in local economies. Moreover, Gjenge Makers employs more than 110 people, mostly women and youth from marginalized backgrounds. This, in turn, strengthens local economies through jobs and economic resilience.

Innovative Recycling in Nigeria: Salubata

In Nigeria, Salubata, founded in 2018, repurposes plastic waste into customizable, modular shoes. This illustrates how the circular economy can spark social and environmental transformation. By transforming plastic pollution into stylish footwear, Salubata extends the concept of sustainable products from plastic beyond utility into everyday fashion. The brand also directs some of its profits to uplift vulnerable groups, combining entrepreneurial innovation with poverty reduction.

Since its founding, Salubata has developed unique, patented shoe designs from recycled plastic. The company donates 5% of profits from every sale to programs that feed children and empower women in underprivileged communities. Additionally, Salubata collaborates with about 50 waste collectors, many women, to source recycled plastic. By turning pollution into profit, Salubata creates job opportunities for women and youth, channels resources back to the community and fights poverty with style and purpose.

Conclusion

The circular economy demonstrates that environmental solutions and economic development can work together effectively. Recycling startups in Africa like EcoPost and Salubata show this by converting waste materials into valuable products while creating jobs for disadvantaged communities. These examples prove that addressing environmental problems and reducing poverty do not have to be separate efforts, but can be achieved simultaneously through well-designed initiatives.

We can accelerate progress toward environmental sustainability and economic opportunity by supporting and expanding these community-based enterprises. We can create a future where environmental responsibility and shared economic prosperity support each other.

– Anagha Rajithkumar

Anagha is based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada and focuses on Business and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

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Solar-Powered Cinema in Zambia’s Rural Communities

Solar-Powered CinemaA solar-powered cinema in Zambia is turning nights into opportunities for learning, laughter and community building. Sunshine Cinema, Africa’s first solar-powered mobile cinema network, uses renewable energy to bring films—and vital information on health, agriculture and human rights—to villages where electricity is scarce or non-existent. In places where poverty is a daily reality, these screenings are more than entertainment; they are a powerful tool for education, empowerment, and economic opportunity.

Origins in Zambia

The concept began in 2013, when filmmakers Sydelle Willow Smith and Rowan Pybus screened their documentary Amazing Grace, which profiled Zambian conservationist Lloyd Maanyina. Despite being the central figure in the film, Maanyina’s own village could not watch it due to a lack of internet, cinemas or affordable streaming options. That moment sparked the creation of the SunBox, a solar-powered “cinema in a box” containing a projector, speakers, and a battery system.

From the start, the goal was simple but ambitious: to bring relevant films directly to communities, using technology that could operate off-grid. By 2017, Sunshine Cinema had evolved into a nonprofit organization operating in Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Kenya.

The organization trains SunBox Ambassadors—young people from underserved communities—to run screenings, facilitate discussions, and earn income as media entrepreneurs. This solar-powered mobile cinema model brings clean energy, new job opportunities and access to life-changing information to regions where these resources are scarce.

Poverty Reduction Through Storytelling and Jobs

At its core, the solar-powered cinema in Zambia is a poverty-fighting initiative. Ambassadors learn about event facilitation, digital marketing and community engagement, allowing them to transform screenings into reliable income sources. In rural areas that lack infrastructure and formal jobs are rare, this work not only supports individuals but also strengthens the local economy.

Co-founder Rowan Pybus explained: “We train youth in digital marketing and impact facilitation… we run outdoor screening events, celebrating African film and run media training workshops promoting active citizenry.”

This approach makes the solar cinema project more than just a film delivery system—it is a sustainable small-business model that equips participants with transferable skills for other industries.

Each screening is carefully curated to include both engaging entertainment and practical knowledge. In Zambia, screenings of “I Am Not a Witch” were a topic of community discussions about women’s rights and the balance between tradition and progress. These dialogues give residents the chance to share perspectives, ask questions, and propose solutions to pressing local issues.

The mobile cinema could also act as a renewable energy classroom. By demonstrating how the SunBox operates entirely on solar power, audiences see first-hand the potential of clean energy to reduce fuel costs, cut pollution and improve quality of life.

Conclusion

Co-founder Sydelle Willow Smith summed up the mission: “Our model is a hybrid of storytelling, sustainability, and youth entrepreneurship… By using solar power and training young changemakers, we’ve created a platform that reduces carbon emissions, fosters grassroots dialogue, and creates meaningful work in the informal and green economies,” Lioness of Africa reports.

In rural Zambia, where access to electricity and formal education resources is often limited, the solar-powered cinema in Zambia offers more than just light on a screen—it provides livelihoods, vital knowledge, and inspiration. By combining renewable energy with cultural storytelling, this solar cinema project is reducing poverty, strengthening communities, and sparking a new generation’s curiosity about technology, filmmaking and clean energy.

– Mamie Hirsh

Mamie is based in Berkeley, CA, USA and focuses on Good News and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Flood-Resistant Homes in Bangladesh Are Saving Communities

Flood-Resistant Homes in BangladeshRegarded as one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, Bangladesh regularly faces floods and cyclones that displace thousands of families. However, local innovators in Bangladesh are leading efforts to confront and adapt to the country’s growing climate challenges.

While the climate crisis demands international cooperation, local innovators in Bangladesh are taking action by developing affordable, flood-resistant housing to combat displacement and poverty. These low-cost, climate-resilient homes are helping protect communities once devastated by extreme weather events.

The Flooding

Millions of people across Bangladesh, India and Nepal have been affected by flooding. This crisis is projected to worsen in the coming years. These disasters not only force families to abandon their homes and seek refuge in temporary shelters, but also contribute to the rapid spread of disease due to the unsanitary conditions of contaminated floodwaters.

The impact is devastating, with families reporting the loss of everything, from their homes and financial assets to, tragically, loved ones. Beyond the personal toll, these disasters have broader socioeconomic consequences, as local economies in Bangladesh suffer from reduced productivity and long-term disruption.

A New Home

Local Bangladeshi engineers and entrepreneurs are now designing flood-resistant homes as a way to adapt to recurring floods. Recognizing that reversing the climate crisis is a daunting challenge, many are choosing to develop practical, community-driven solutions instead.

One famous architect in Bangladesh has developed a two-story housing solution built on bamboo stilts. While cyclones are short-lived, many floods in Bangladesh can last for months, making it essential to design homes that can endure prolonged flooding.

Known as “Khudi Bari” or “tiny house,” these low-cost flood-resistant homes in Bangladesh save communities through cheap yet effective construction, ranging up to $450 per build. Each home is also mobile, meaning it can be moved from one location to another, aiding these families when time matters the most.

A Short Yet Great Solution

Addressing climate-related disasters is a monumental and challenging task. Yet, low-cost flood-resistant homes in Bangladesh are playing a vital role in helping communities remain resilient amid the ongoing crisis. Thanks to these homes, families can now focus on rebuilding their lives. Parents can work to support their children and children can continue their education in a safe, stable environment. It may not be ideal, but it offers the best possible outcome in the face of adversity.

In addition to securing a future for vulnerable communities, these low-cost flood-resistant homes in Bangladesh also create jobs for local workers and artisans. The initiative is strengthening local economies and benefiting the region by sustaining livelihoods and generating new employment opportunities. Tackling the climate crisis is undeniably complex and filled with challenges. Yet, these homes make a tangible difference, strengthen communities, create jobs and set an example for other climate-vulnerable regions.

– Kallen Zhou

Kallen is based in Hattiesburg, MS, USA and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Circular Economy in Latin America Fights Poverty

Circular Economy in Latin AmericaIn Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), less than 5% of municipal waste is recycled, well below Europe’s 33–49% range, despite nearly 80% of the population living in cities. A 2025 World Economic Forum report attributes low recycling rates to poor waste infrastructure and the informal economy’s dominance. This linear system harms the environment and leaves millions of waste pickers trapped in poverty, limiting the region’s ability to scale a circular economy that Latin America urgently needs.

Waste Pickers at the Heart of Circular Innovation

In Bogotá and other major cities, informal recyclers, known as waste pickers, collect up to 90% of materials destined for recycling. Despite this, many lack basic safety gear and earn below minimum wage. A 2024 Reuters investigation reports that roughly 20 million waste pickers worldwide process 60% of recycled plastics, yet they remain overlooked in policy design.

Brazil: Fishing for Litter and PET Recycling

Brazil’s Fishing for Litter initiative offers fishermen a guaranteed monthly minimum wage to collect trash from Guanabara Bay while working. In two years, 80 fishermen collected nearly 400 tonnes of waste, earning fair wages and reducing pollution in mangrove ecosystems.

In Minas Gerais, Brazil, cooperatives of catadores (waste pickers) partner with Veja, a sustainable shoe manufacturer, to transform polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle waste into shoe materials. This collaboration ensures fair prices and traces plastic from collection to production, elevating informal workers’ incomes and environmental stewardship.

Colombia: Ecobricks and Rising Challenges

Grassroots ecobrick projects in coastal Colombian towns repurpose plastic waste into sturdy bricks for building benches, walls and classrooms. A recent ResearchGate report notes that these initiatives prevent plastic leaks into marine environments and raise awareness of sustainable practices. These programs, often school-led, empower local communities and generate small incomes.

However, on June 24, 2025, more than a dozen Colombian associations dumped 15 tonnes of plastic in Bogotá’s Bolívar Square to protest plummeting prices, down from $0.75 to $0.50 per kilo. With most earning less than $350 monthly, pickers urged the government to stabilize income through price guarantees and rights recognition.

Textile Recycling in Chile: A Second Life for Fabric

In Santiago, Ecocitex transforms textile waste into eco‑yarn products. Founded in 2020 by Rosario Hevia, the company has recycled more than 200 tons of textiles, mitigating thousands of tons of CO₂ emissions. It employs formerly incarcerated women through partnerships like Abriendo Puertas. The organization also supports more than 220 people annually and promotes social inclusion while offering sustainable income through its yarn and product sales.

Scaling Up Through Finance and Tech

An Inter‑American Development Bank analysis, “Unlocking Circular Economy Finance in Latin America and the Caribbean: The Catalyst for Positive Change,” shows how microfinance, digital logistics platforms and public‑private partnerships are opening new opportunities for recyclers and SME recyclers, particularly women‑led initiatives. The report recommends financial instruments and incentives that can scale small circular businesses across the region.

It also urges countries to modernize environmental laws and build stronger public-private partnerships to close the investment gap. The region can drive circular growth and create more resilient, equitable economies by supporting MSMEs with better access to finance, innovation and inclusive strategies.

From Waste to Wealth

Across Latin America, grassroots circular economy models, from ecobricks to cooperatives and textile upcycling, demonstrate that sustainable solutions can lift communities out of poverty. With millions dependent on informal recycling, policy reforms that integrate these workers are not just environmentally prudent but economically essential. Supporting these initiatives through finance, infrastructure and inclusive policies offers a proven path from waste to wealth.

– Meral Ciplak

Meral is based in Edmonton, Canada and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay

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From Voice to Value: Data of TracFM Produces Change in Uganda

TracFMIn the hills and towns of Uganda, a quiet revolution is taking place over the airwaves. Across Africa, interactive radio shows have long allowed citizens to voice their concerns, but in Uganda, a tech-for-good organization called TracFM is taking it further. It’s pioneering a program that keeps the conversation going, turning public feedback into real action.

The nonprofit’s key innovation is not the radio show itself. It has software that transforms thousands of scattered opinions from SMS messages into clear, structured data, offering policymakers undeniable evidence of citizens’ needs.

By systematically collecting and analyzing this citizen-generated data, TracFM is amplifying voices to reduce poverty in a way that is measurable, targeted and impossible to ignore. This data-driven approach is creating a new, more responsive relationship between the Ugandan people and their leaders.

Quantifying Invisibility: Data on Identity

One of the most profound barriers to escaping poverty is invisibility. This lack of legal recognition has tangible consequences, barring individuals from enrolling in school, accessing government health programs or even securing a formal job. Recognizing this, TracFM’s VOICES Campaign tackled the issue by engaging citizens on the importance of civil registration.

The campaign did more than talk; its polls generated quantifiable data, revealing concrete problems like limited knowledge about civil registration and its benefits. This data produces change at a subregional level, allowing local governments to deploy registration units with greater precision, shifting the issue from a collection of anecdotes to an evidence-based policy challenge.

This new civil registration data will undoubtedly support African leaders and the World Bank Group in their goal of ensuring every citizen has a digital identity by 2030. They believe proper identification enables “financial inclusion, improved governance and the empowerment of women and girls.” It also unlocks a wide range of additional benefits.

From Identity to an Individual’s Rights

Another campaign of TracFM targets the complex issue of governance and human rights. Without a clear understanding of their fundamental rights, citizens may be afraid to speak up or assemble. TracFM’s Human Rights Awareness campaign, known as the Sauti Stream, directly confronted this by educating people on their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

The data from the SMS polls created a vital feedback loop, essentially a report on the state of civic literacy, “with 64% of respondents either unaware of their rights or lacking access to information.” Additional data from the reports offer educators and civil society groups insight into which rights are least understood, helping them to tailor their outreach programs accordingly.

This process is a grassroots application of the principles championed by the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) “Human Rights-Based Approach to Development.” The approach argues that development is most effective when people are empowered agents of change. The data of TracFM produces change by providing the concrete evidence needed for that empowerment to translate into responsive public engagement, ensuring resources for civic education can be directed where they are needed most.

A Look at Land Ownership

Armed with an identity and knowledge of their rights, citizens can tackle core economic issues like land. Insecure land rights are a primary driver of poverty and conflict, particularly for women and farmers. TracFM’s Land Rights in Uganda campaign addressed this by polling citizens on their knowledge of land laws and their experiences with local land management.

These polls developed data that highlighted where legal literacy was lowest and where citizens felt most powerless. Surprisingly, only 18% of respondents said they had registered their land, stating that the process is “too expensive or complicated.” About 68% of respondents believed that their registration would only benefit the elite and they were not misled in their assumptions.

Given their reduced access to legal counsel and information, the average citizen is vulnerable to land fraud and corruption. Such issues point toward a clear need for greater transparency and more responsible collection of information. The concept of citizen-generated data to improve economic stability is at the forefront of global development. The World Bank’s 2021 report, “Data for Better Lives,” details how such data can help design more effective public services, including land registration programs that secure property rights for people experiencing poverty. This data-driven model also aligns with global trends in governance.

Conclusion

Ultimately, TracFM’s power lies in its process: it captures the human voice, translates it into the language of data and presents it as clear evidence. It proves that data produces change and that citizen-driven information is most effective when voices are not just heard, but counted and given weight.

– Levi Ravnsborg

Levi is based in Summerland, BC, Canada and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Building 3D-Printed Shelters for a Nation Ravaged by War

Building 3D-Printed SheltersSyria is enduring among the most complex crises of the 21st century. After 14 years of violence and destruction, innovative 3D-printing technologies are now emerging in the effort to rehome more than 13 million displaced Syrians.

A Nation in Ruins

In the wake of Assad’s brutal regime, Syrians have suffered untold trauma, death and the leveling of homes and public infrastructure during a devastating civil war. With an economy in ruin, around two-thirds of Syria’s 24 million civilians currently depend on humanitarian aid to survive.

Following more than a decade of conflict, nearly half of all Syrians are currently displaced or otherwise fragmented. About 6.8 million of them remain within Syrian borders and around the same amount are settling in neighboring countries like Turkey and Jordan or seeking refuge across Europe.

As Syria’s public services struggle to cope with the ongoing tensions, a rapidly changing climate is compounding food shortages due to drought-like weather conditions. As a result, nearly all Syrians live below the poverty line, making it extremely difficult for communities to rebuild their broken lives.

The Spectre of Assad’s Housing Crisis

In the process of destroying Syrian public infrastructure, Assad’s forces systematically targeted homes, schools, family businesses and hospitals within rebel-controlled areas. This process incurred a significant housing crisis that impacts many of the struggles the population faces daily.

A 2019 United Nations (U.N.) assessment mapped the true scale of the destruction through satellite imagery, finding that 140,000 buildings were destroyed or severely impacted by the attacks. Highly populated cities like Aleppo, Damascus and Homs have emerged as the most affected. With estimated damages totaling between $250 to $400 billion, it has become clear that the road to Syria’s long-term rehabilitation requires immediate and cost-effective solutions due to the damages left in the shadows of war.

As a result, Syria now faces the risk of entering a new era marked by property-based retaliation and social fragmentation. Without a well-coordinated housing policy to protect the population, this critical moment in the nation’s pursuit of long-term peace and security could be lost.

3D-Printed Shelters

In light of these growing challenges, 3D concrete printing is emerging as a promising solution for building more durable shelters in refugee camps. These structures offer longer lifespans and greater resilience against the harsh desert climate. By producing “layer-by-layer complex geometries” using cement with impressive speed and precision, building 3D-printed concrete shelters provides better safety from damage than previous structures. It enhances long-term stability and efficiency and improves thermal insulation and privacy for those most in need.

For instance, around 80,000 Syrian refugees are based in Zaatari and Azraq in neighboring Jordan. The current shelters can often cause serious health problems for occupants due to water leakage and air penetration and only have a two to four-year lifespan. With the introduction of 3D concrete printing techniques, these technologies are not only emerging as safer and more cost-effective, but the use of contour crafting is enabling the construction of larger-scale shelters that can last up to 30 years with far less waste.

Conclusion

At a time of great change, building 3D-printed shelters provides innovative ways of supporting Syrians displaced due to the conflict. With an economy ravaged by war and the mismanagement of public resources, these technologies could play a significant role in rebuilding Syrian infrastructure.

– Gabriel John Gunn

Gabriel is based in Paisley, Scotland and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Two New Mobile Medical Apps in Cameroon

Medical Apps in CameroonThe leading cause of death in Cameroon is Malaria, with the second being childbirth. Currently, innovative technology in Africa, specifically in Cameroon,  helps to prevent mortality rates in children, pregnant women and many more marginalized groups of people. It also allows easy and affordable prenatal and nonprenatal care for expectant parents and patients. 

Bornfyne App

An effective way technology has improved medical care in Cameroon is through mobile phone apps. The BornFyne app, an app created in 2018 by Miriam Nkangu (Founder), Donald Weledji (Co-founder) and Sanni Yaya (Co-founder) in Cameroon. The objective of the Bornfyne app is to help pregnant women with prenatal and postnatal care. Besides pre- and postnatal care, the app also provides appointments for emergencies, medical advice via offline forums and family planning.  In westernized countries, apps like Bornfyne are readily available, but in countries like Cameroon, receiving medical care can be difficult due to the expenses and many people live far away from hospitals that offer adequate care. The app also allows health care providers to have follow-up appointments and other forms of communication. 

Waspito App

Another innovative app that has improved the health of the people in Cameroon is the Waspito app. Founded in 2020 by CEO Jean Lobe Lobe, the Waspito app is similar to the BornFyne app, except its sole focus is not on parental care. Like the BornFyne app, it allows online communication, consultations and medical advice. The app also connects patients with doctors based on their location, address and affordability.

The unique feature that the Wasptio app has is that it allows at-home labs. Meaning that doctors enter a patient’s home to do labs. These mobile labs enable people to access care without leaving their homes. Since 10.5% of the population in Cameroon is disabled, the app enables disabled people to get adequate care without leaving their own homes. In addition to being inclusive, the app connects users to more than 850 doctors across Cameroon who specialize in various fields. This makes visiting doctors easier, as patients can actively research and choose their doctors.

Looking Ahead

Mobile medical apps like Bornfyne and Waspitomake make health care in Cameroon much more accessible, improving the health care system in new ways. Their accessibility also decreases the maternal and infant mortality in Cameroon. In addition, these apps are important for pregnant women, as Cameroon has the highest maternal and infant mortality rates, with 438 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.

– Erin Lee

Erin is based in Queens, NY, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr