D-Prize

“Winning D-Prize enabled me to test my theories,” says JOHN KHAEMBA, founder of HYDROINTEL AFRICA ENERGY. “I’ve been able to actualize what I was planning on paper.” While managing after-sales support for a large solar company, John dreamed of starting his own, one built to reach last mile customers in rural western Kenya where he grew up. Last year he applied to D-Prize and won funding to launch. Alongside a team of eight commissioned agents, he got to work distributing 241 solar products to reach nearly 1,500 people. Now he plans to raise funding and grow. “Without D-Prize I would still be working at a large PAYGO company,” he says. “I would not be an entrepreneur reaching customers directly with solar lamps.” Are you next? Apply at d-prize.org today. #DPrize #SocialImpact #Competition #Grants #Entrepreneurs

Le concours mondial D-Prize est désormais ouvert et recherche des entrepreneurs sociaux audacieux! Le D-Prize met au défi les leaders émergents de lutter contre l'extrême pauvreté en attribuant jusqu'à 20 000 $ aux équipes gagnantes pour lancer des organisations capables de distribuer des interventions éprouvées contre la pauvreté à des milliers, voire des millions de personnes. Apprenez-en plus sur les défis du D-Prize (dans les domaines de l'énergie, de la santé, de l'agriculture, etc.) et postulez avant le 3 novembre sur d-prize.org/francais. Rejoignez la session Office Hours avec Ashu Martha Agbornyenty, lauréate du D-Prize et Echoing Green Fellow 2024, le 3 Octobre ici: d-prize.org/officehours #DPrize #SocialImpact #Entrepreneurs #Concours #Subventions

🔊WE ARE SCALING!🎉 Cameroon's alarming maternal mortality rate, ranking among the top 20 in sub-Saharan Africa, underscores the urgent need for our services. The ongoing crisis has exacerbated this, leading to insecurity and restricted access to healthcare. Since creation, we've focused on providing vital healthcare to over 3,586 women and children in 25 communities within the South-West region. Our dedicated team has been instrumental in delivering life-saving care, despite the challenges posed by the crisis. We're excited to announce that we're scaling our operations to reach even more mothers and babies in need. We're incredibly grateful to D-Prize for first believing in us and to Echoing Green for their invaluable all-round support. Your belief in our mission has allowed us to expand our reach and ensure that every woman & Child has access to the essential healthcare they deserve. #MomAndBabyFoundation #Cameroon #MaternalHealth #Healthcare #ConflictAffectedRegions #SaveLives #EchoingGreen

🩺 Engaging stakeholders for better healthcare Collaboration is key! We’ve partnered with remote healthcare facilities and the Ministry of Health to ensure sustainable access to oxygen therapy. D-Prize, Solomon Piwun, Abeka Tony, Peter Kalulu, Okwairwoth Pius, Ellen Mukwekwerere, & Nakuya Elizabeth #StakeholderEngagement #HealthcarePartners #OxygenTherapy #UgandaHealth

The second D-Prize Global Competition of 2024 is now open and seeking bold social entrepreneurs!  D-Prize challenges emerging leaders to tackle extreme poverty by awarding up to $20,000 to winning teams to launch ventures that can distribute proven poverty solutions to thousands, or even millions, of people.   Learn more about the D-Prize challenges (in energy, health, agriculture, and more) and apply by 3 November at www.d-prize.org. Join the Office Hours session with Martha Agbornyenty, D-Prize winner, and 2024 Echoing Green Fellow on October 3 here: d-prize.org/officehours #DPrize #SocialImpact #Competitions #SocialEntrepreneurs #Grants

“D-Prize helped us bring our passion into reality,” says KatexPower founder Onyekachi Nwafor. Nwafor is a former banker who pivoted to renewable energy because of his own experience of respiratory illness due to kerosene. A few years ago he founded a KatexPower with some of his own savings and managed to distribute a few large solar home systems in Lagos. Winning D-Prize in March allowed him to pilot serving off-grid parts of Ibeju Lekki where he recruited commissioned youth agents to distribute 100+ solar products on flexible payment plans. Now he aims to reach 1,000+ off-grid households by the end of the year. “If we had not won D-Prize, we would still only be working with customers in Lagos City who could pay up front,” he says. “We would not have met our core objective of reaching those at the last mile.” Congrats to Onyekachi and the entire KatexPower team! #DPrize #SocialImpact #Competition #Grants #Entrepreneurs

Turns out I have another talent that I haven't been using much; public/community engagement. Update: last week our Kasa For Safety team (including Akosua Afriyie Osei-Appaw) was at the Accra Tema Station bus terminal where we installed over 250 Kasa For Safety stickers encouraging passengers to speak up to avoid accidents. We also engaged drivers, conducters and hawkers at the bus terminal. 20 drivers were selected as part of our raffle and they won one of the newly introduced StarOil Star Cards with Ghs 200 fuel. In total 200 drivers will be winning a Star Card with fuel as part of this Kasa For Safety pilot. The project is being made possible by the #CatalystGrant from IREX and D-Prize

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth) Symposium in Nairobi. I was honored to present the work of the Women Self-Inject Initiative, WSII on behalf of my team, Isoke Robert , Usaama Ssewankambo, Apili Felister. I presented on some of the major highlights from our pilot that was funded by D-Prize, including the training of 30 Private Care Providers (PCPs) to counsel and instruct women on self-injecting DMPA-SC, a method that offers both autonomy and convenience. We successfully reached 261 women, with 112 adopting self-injection techniques. This initiative marks a significant step forward in overcoming barriers to contraceptive access. At the conference, I was inspired by the incredible work being done by researchers from across Africa and beyond to uplift global health standards. It’s a reminder of the power of collaboration and innovation in driving change. I’m grateful to our partners, the community, and everyone involved in making this initiative a success. Let’s continue to champion reproductive health and empower women across the continent! Fogarty International Center at NIH African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth) Women Self-Inject Initiative, WSII #GlobalHealth #SDG3 #ReproductiveHealth #Innovation #AFREhealth #WomenEmpowerment #WSII #DMPASC

Congrats to Ashu Martha Agbornyenty on being selected as a 2024 Echoing Green Fellow - one of 44 out of a pool of 2,100! For Mom and Baby Foundation (FOMAB) won their first outside funding from D-Prize just last year. In three months, they delivered birthing kits to 339 pregnant women in Cameroon and connected them to misoprostol to prevent postpartum bleeding. Ashu Martha and her team applied three times before winning, displaying the same tenacity they now bring to their work serving pregnant women at the last mile. Echoing Green support comes at a crucial time, as they expand across Southwest Region, aiming to grow faster and save more lives. We wish them continued success!

Any opportunity to engage the public about road safety, is worth taking. We were honoured to be interviewed on National Television to sensitize the public on the need to speak up against reckless driving. Thank you TV3 for giving us this platform to reach millions of people across the country. Special thanks to #DPrize and #IREX for the support. #kasaforsafety D-Prize IREX