What you don’t know about the fast-growing innovation ecosystem in Mwanza
The city may not be as startling as Dar- Es -Salaam and Arusha, but it does have a lot to offer. It is among the fastest growing cities in East Africa after all.
As a city, Mwanza is not so far behind when it comes to entrepreneurship and innovation. The ecosystem is taking shape and spontaneously bringing impact to the community.
Who then are the drivers of regional innovation in Mwanza? Let’s find out…
Founded by Steve and his team, Smart fit is an eco-tech company with the primary objective of building sustainable technologies in Africa. They have started by building an outstanding technology they call “Ecowater”
Here is how it works...
Ecowater is built with purification and vending system that self operates. It is majorly designed for the people of sub-Saharan Africa to enable them with easy access to clean and safe drinking water at an affordable price. Not only that, Ecowater is determined not to endanger the environment with plastic wastes.
Their water stations are designed to create demand for the use of reusable water bottles that do not affect the environment. They also make different models of reusable water bottles that are fancy and creative enough to promote the culture of carrying reusable water bottles to the people of the community.
Cash or card can be used as a form of payment to access this well-off drop of drinking water.
Go green so others can drink clean — Eco Water
Innovation in Agriculture!
One Market solution is an innovative digitalized system that helps buyers, farmers, and businessmen get access to information about the price ranges and changes of products that are within the city of Mwanza, lake zone, and nearby countries surrounding the lake zone
Their major objective is to become a leading company that will transform the city of Mwanza as the center of business and technology to all the cities around the lake zone through promoting their businesses, adding value to agricultural products and through reaching the markets that are within and without the country.
MiTz Innovations is a company based in Mwanza that addresses one of the major challenges in the sector of education.
The company designs apparatus that are easy to use and that students can relate to, in a way that is fun and understandable. Their ultimate aim is to empower students to enjoy and find ways to relate to the complex subjects, particularly the STEM subjects.
They design, build and supply science learning tools that are both affordable and portable.
A lot of schools do not have laboratories. The schools that do, may at times not have all the necessary apparatus that are needed. Hence, students graduate without having to relate and experiment with the concepts that they learn from books.
The team strongly believes in quality education through innovative solutions. This team is a combination of educators, content creators and tech experts that utilizes different technologies so as to bridge the gap between theories and reality within the African context, thus making learning easy and fun for the students as they become competent graduates in the future
4. My little traveling Library
My little traveling library was founded by two brothers: Innocent Junior and Innocent Senior. It’s journey begun six years ago, where Innocent senior started with one cart packed with books in the city of Mwanza.
Long story short, to this date: My little traveling library has 26 carts full of books for children and has branched out to Babati, Arusha, and Kilimanjaro.
Not only that, but this company has now designed an indigenous curriculum that is clustered into 8 levels where children learn how to read, write and even understand characters in the books they read.
Through the company, the innocent brothers are determined to build the culture of reading to children of Tanzania.
Here is how the library works,
Every cart manager is allowed to borrow these books to the children who are registered into the system. Once the system the information is updated within the system, this child can later return the book in a different cart anywhere and at any time.
After a period of time, The Innocent brothers learned that most of their beneficiaries come from homes without electricity.
This pushed them to further come up with soma bags. Soma bags are bags just as normal as other bags, except, they have a solar system that has a light that can light the dark night for up to six hours.
The light is recharged during the day when the child is on his day to day routine. These bags are designed and made by the innocent brothers themselves (thanks to their sewing skills) and there are as well designed with the African print.
The Innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem is taking shape in our country. Find here more information about the ecosystem in Iringa, and stay tuned for more intel about ecosystems from other parts of the country.
Until next time
