This archive report was first published on 25 August 2021.
Phillip Nganda, a 32-year-old trained teacher from Kitui, has been making waves in the tech industry with his innovative biometric log-in system. The system, which he developed using electronic waste, is designed to register student attendance in schools.
Nganda's journey into tech began when he observed the high rate of teenage pregnancies and truancy in his rural home. He realized that there had to be a better way to track student attendance, and thus, his innovation was born.
Using his soldering gun and electronic waste, Nganda developed a box that can be mounted at entry points of malls, offices, schools, and other institutions. The box uses a biometric identifier to log in students and sends a message to parents, confirming their child's attendance.
Nganda's innovation is a purely offline device that uses a sim-card and cloud computing. It can live for up to three years without internet, making it a reliable solution for rural areas with limited connectivity.
Despite facing challenges such as time constraints and market validation, Nganda remains committed to his innovation. He has already developed another set of innovations, some of which he is yet to patent.
Nganda's story is a testament to the power of innovation and the potential of electronic waste to create meaningful solutions.
