This archive report was first published on 28 August 2019.
Kenyan Innovations that Solve Everyday Problems ¶
Published on August 28, 2019, Kenya is recognized as the Silicon Valley of Africa, thanks to its innovative solutions to everyday challenges. The country is among 17 middle and lower-income economies that perform better on innovation than their peers.
From smart gloves that convert sign language into audio to solar tiles that provide a quick solution to power outages, Kenyans have come up with mind-blowing innovations that solve day-to-day challenges.
1. Smart Gloves ¶
At 25 years old, Roy Allela invented Sign-10, a pair of smart gloves with flex sensors that convert sign language movements into audio. The gloves are connected to a mobile app through Bluetooth, which then converts the sign into audio speech.
"My niece wears the gloves, pairs them to her phone or mine, then starts signing and I'm able to understand what she's saying," says Allela.
2. Lion Lights ¶
After watching his Maasai community fighting with lions to protect livestock, Richard Turere, 11, invented Lion Lights to make peace with the wild beasts. The solar-powered light system mimics the movement of a person using a torch to guard the herd.
Turere has been featured in global platforms, including a TED Talk.
3. i-Cut App ¶
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a global crisis that affects Arabic and African nations. The i-Cut app connects girls at risk of FGM with rescue agents and offers support for those who have already undergone the process.
4. M-Pesa ¶
The first of its kind, sending and receiving money through the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card has been achieved only in Kenya. This innovation developed by Safaricom has solved the everyday problem of sending money from one person to another in a matter of seconds.
5. Solar Tiles ¶
In the 1990s, after the country experienced a 16-hour blackout, two siblings, Charity Wanjiku and Tony Nyaga, birthed solar tiles. The two, an architect and an engineer, wanted to use their skills to introduce a quick solution to the power outage that were frequent at that time.
