CHANGING LIVES Orange Botswana celebrates innovators: A vision for lasting impact on communities
In a spectacular display of ingenuity and commitment to social good, Orange Botswana honoured the nation’s leading innovators at the 2024 Orange Innovation Day.
With over P180,000 in prizes, this event held at Cresta Lodge on Wednesday showcased the transformative power of technology and entrepreneurship in tackling pressing social issues.
Orange Botswana CEO, Nene Maiga, expressed profound admiration for the innovators whose projects promise to create lasting impacts on communities. “These entrepreneurs are setting a powerful example for Botswana and beyond. Their commitment to innovation isn’t just about creating products; it’s about crafting real, scalable solutions to challenges in education, economic empowerment, and social welfare,” Maiga remarked. Her words resonate with the essence of the event, which aims to foster and support visionary projects that have the potential to uplift communities.
This year, the Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP) and the Orange Summer Challenge spotlighted ground breaking projects committed to transforming health, education, and community welfare. The winners in the two categories are:
Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP) winners
- Ikatise Mobile App: This app received the top honor of P50,000 for its innovative approach to providing essential resources to underserved communities. The app offers easy access to vital services and information, filling a significant gap for users in remote areas with limited resources.
- Benchwarmers: This project took 1st runner-up with P30,000, focusing on making essential resources accessible in community spaces. Benchwarmers fosters communal support and resource sharing, ensuring that community members have access to necessary resources.
- Duela Tech: Specializing in digital financial solutions, this start-up earned P20,000 as the 2nd runner-up. Duela Tech addresses challenges around financial literacy and access, targeting communities that may otherwise be underserved by traditional financial services. Through mobile technology, Duela Tech offers users a convenient and affordable entry point into financial independence and empowerment.
Orange Summer Challenge Winners:
- Project ReVision: An augmented reality tool that enriches learning experiences for students, winning the top prize of P50,000. Project ReVision aims to make learning more interactive and engaging, bridging learning gaps that arise from limited educational resources.
- Push Assist Pro: This project secured P30,000 as the 1st runner-up, enhancing educational accessibility. Push Assist Pro leverages technology to bring learning resources closer to students, especially those in rural areas who may not have regular access to classrooms or study materials.
- Road Ready: Focusing on road safety using data-driven solutions, this project received P20,000 as the 2nd runner-up. Road Ready aims to create safer journeys by monitoring driver behaviours, potentially reducing accidents and improving road safety nationwide.
Orange Botswana’s commitment to supporting these visionaries underscores a broader mission to drive social impact through technology. “Their work is not just about technological advancement; it’s about transforming lives and communities,” Maiga emphasized. This year’s winners have demonstrated that with the right support, innovation can serve as a powerful tool for social change, addressing issues from education and healthcare to financial inclusion and community safety.
The success of the Orange Innovation Day serves as a clarion call for more support and investment in innovative solutions that can make a real difference. As these projects move forward, they will undoubtedly inspire more individuals and organizations to join the movement towards a more equitable and empowered future.
By highlighting these achievements, Orange Botswana has reaffirmed its role as a catalyst for positive change, leveraging the power of technology and entrepreneurship to build a brighter future for all.
