Sustainable Health Enterprises

From the SHE website:

We're putting our approach into practice by addressing a simple, yet common problem: females’ lack of access to affordable, quality, eco-friendly, sanitary products and services for menstruation.

via Nubian Cheetah

Barefoot Solar Engineers-Update

Overview and Update on the Women Barefoot Solar Engineers initiative narrated by Bunker Roy the founder:

African Medical Investments

In an article about the African healthcare industry This is Africa writer Lanre Akinola profiles African Medical Investments whose:

...newly opened Dar Es Salaam Trauma Centre, is located in the affluent Peninsula district of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Owned by UK-based African Medical Investments plc, it is managed through its subsidiary VIP Healthcare and, according to AMI chief executive Dr Vivek Solanki, it is the first centre in East Africa to offer such a wide range and high level of health services under one roof.

Also covered is Hygeia's low cost health insurance service.
more here

Pandora Comics

Founded by Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Pandora Comics produces comic books, graphic novels and animated works for the local and international markets they have developed the technical, creative and production capabilities to create effective publications with unique characters and stories that appeal to all ages-company website

Kinyanjui Jiko Stoves

In Afrigadget:

I recently I “discovered” another amazing jua kali fuel efficient stove - I was at a private party enjoying a fantastic barbeque meal with 100 other guests. I stole around to the kitchen where there was no oven, but out back a tiny aluminium stove that was producing enormous amounts of food with an impossibly small amount of charcoal...They go for US $100 for a small oven (big enough to bake 4 loaves), and a little more for the bigger varieties. Great for baking, they provide important business opportunities for communities, and underprivileged groups like the Jacobs Oven making business for women and feeding orphans.This is another of Maxwell Kinyanjuils inventions and it’s called the Kinyanjui Jiko.

More Here
photo courtesy of Afrigadget

Khaya Cookies

The award winning baked goods manufacturer , Khaya Cookies "...creates opportunity one bite at a time. For every 1,500 boxes sold we create 1 new job in South Africa. For every 500 orders packed we create 4 new jobs at our distribution center located in Philadelphia,PA.

TED Global 2009 Fellows announced!

From the TED website, Nuhu Ribadu and 24 other individuals have been named TED Global 2009 fellows. They include:

Frederick Balagadde, PhD (Uganda/USA) — Research scientist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; co-inventor of the microchemostat, a medical diagnostic chip
Jonathan Gosier (US/Uganda) — Founder, Appfrica, an organization nurturing and investing in East African software startups
Peter Haas (US/Haiti/Guatemala) — Founder, Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group, bringing appropriate technology to the developing world; tinkerer
Fred Swaniker (Ghana/South Africa) — Founder, African Leadership Academy, a secondary school for the next generation of African leaders
Alexander Petroff (US/Democratic Republic of the Congo) — Founder, Working Villages International, an organization building sustainable villages in the DRC

more here

Living Goods

Living Goods operates Avon-like networks of door-to-door Health Promoters who make a modest income selling essential health products at prices affordable to the poor. The model combines the latest and best practices from the fields of micro finance and public health to create a truly sustainable system for improving access to basic health products and defeating the diseases of poverty-company website

Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organization

The purpose of SMIDO is to:

“To ensure effective and efficient management of the Suame Magazine Industrial Estate for appropriate technological innovations, partnership, marketing, employment creation and enhanced investment opportunities to establish the state as the main industrial hub of Ghana and West Africa”-organization website
watch related videos here

BusyLab

BusyLab is a software development group that specializes in building mobile web solutions for companies and projects involved in rural media & computing. Their application offerings include:

-Esoko a market information system which powers Tradenet covered earlier
-Mobillia a gateway that connects data sources to mobile networks.

KenTv

From Tech Masai:

KenTv is a free new exciting Kenyan internet television channel aimed at Kenyans living abroad. The Kenyan international community has no free daily on demand television news or current affairs on Kenya and kentv.net has changed that. Kentv.net will not only provide Kenyan news and current affairs but will also air news and events of the Kenyan community abroad.All these is for free!

Olas Handbags

LadyBrille interviews the founder of OLAS Handbags:

Olasubo Lawal owner of Handbags by OLAS got inspired to open her own line of handbags after a life changing trip to China in 2007. Her goal was to create a line of stylish handbags that caters to contemporary, young, and fashion conscious women...[continue reading]

Experiencing the TED Fellows Program

From the TED Fellows Blog an overview of the program:

Banana Briquettes

The BBC reports on Joel Chaney's work with Banana peels:

He came up with the idea of developing a low-tech approach to turn this banana waste into an efficient fuel source...He first mashes a pile of rotting skins and leaves. This pulp is then mixed with saw dust, compressed and dried to create briquettes that ignite readily and throw out a steady heat, ideal for cooking."The banana skins bind other materials together really well, they act like glue," says Mr Chaney...[continue reading]

photos courtesy of the BBC
Hat-tip Christopher Doll!

SELCO Update

Harish Hande founder of Selco covered earlier provides further insight on his company's innovative energy solutions:

via Social Earth

Segun Gele-African Headtie Couturier

Founded by the self-taught Segun Olayeye, Segun Gele's crown offering is its Head Wrap service, answering questions on how he learnt the skill:

...I had always used my Mums's head to practice how to wrap the gele and I will give her all the credit for ever allowing me to even try all my "then unprofessional" skills of hair dressing,amateur makeup and ugly head-ties on her

Toyin Adepoju describes the 'Art of Gele' citing a quote by Babatunde Lawal:

It is art because it transforms the functional into the elegant and mysterious.A covering for the head becomes something much more,a skyward looking arabesque of folds and patterns,where cloth undergoes a metamorphosis into a salute to the head as metaphysical centre of the self,as the matrix of direction for the body

Kosibah Creations

In Confetti Couture:

Kosibah Creations founded by Yemi Osunkoya is an exclusive brand specialising in surprisingly affordable figure enhancing contemporary and elegant gowns that curve, shape and flatter the wearer. This is achieved with our signature use of corsetry and drapery...[continue reading]

via Naija Blog
see Fah Schyon for further coverage

Vidagas contd.

The Globalist provides an update on Vidagas covered earlier:

A few months ago, VillageReach, a local nonprofit organization, and VidaGas, its sister commercial energy business, brought something new to this part of northern Mozambique: clean-burning propane. Originally used in the clinic to fuel sterilizer burners and maternity- ward lamps, the propane also proved helpful in Jose’s kitchen. “I went out and bought the propane and burner at the market, and now cooking is easier, much better than a wood fire,” he explained. “Being single is much more enjoyable now.”...[continue reading]

OhmSMS-Power Failure Alerts

Appfrica discusses the reasoning behind their OhmSMS widget:

The project targets homeowners, small business owners and companies that need to be aware of when their power is out and when it’s on. In Kampala, a city that was build for a fourth the number of people that are here for the day, your power being out is really bummer. Either you work without power, or more likely, you go into town to do something else...[continue reading]

Image:Dennis Senyonjo, Mobile Applications Developer, AppAfrica Labs

3 Vocational Schools

We take a look at three under appreciated but critically important vocational schools. Keys to fabrication and industrialization.
Firstly the Centre Sainte Famille ,Burkina Faso which:

...is a factory combined with a technical vocational training centre .It provides assistance to agricultural schools along with in-house instruction in carpentry and ironwork. Graduates receive a toolbox and certification.

While the Selam Technical School,Ethiopia asserts that:

...the vast majority of Ethiopians are living in the countryside where modern technology has not reached. Manufacturing of low cost and simple operation equipment through appropriate technology is the only option to meet the immediate needs of these people.

And lastly Centre Technique de Garoua (CTG),Cameroon which:

...trains young people from the street in basic skills (sewing, metal-works, car mechanics) linked to workshops to produce clothes and textiles, of agricultural tools and machines, and to do car maintenance.

Sourced and culled from Pratica foundation,associated websites.

Akawelle Jewelry

Lovetta Conto founder of Akawelle a jeweler describes one of her products:

Handcrafted, the leaf pendant is made from melted bullet shells, the part that is left over after the bullet is fired. The bead is the actual bottom of the bullet shell...

A Blossoming Entertaiment Industry

From growing to the Worlds second largest Filmmaker:

According to a survey, Bollywood produced 1,091 feature-length films in 2006 compared to 872 productions (in video format) from Nigeria’s film industry, which is commonly referred to as Nollywood. In contrast, the United States produced 485 major films-Unesco

To becoming the continent's nexus for hip-hop, Nigeria's entertainment industry is coming of age,CNN reports:

"...Nigeria's hip-hop industry is making money on the stage in Africa rather than America..."

Sources NotjustOk & Ladybrille
Image courtesy of CNN

Related articles by Zemanta

• Unsustainable FESPACO Movies vs Nollywood (africaunchained.blogspot.com)
• Lola Olley: Hollywood, Bollywood and now Nollywood (huffingtonpost.com)
• Nigeria "Most Prolific Filmmaker" (timbuktuchronicles.blogspot.com)

Mondia Tonic and Local Bioprospecting

IRIN Africa reports on local bioprospecting in Kenya that is fostering rural income generation:

A project developing medicinal products from plants found in Kakamega forest, western Kenya, has transformed the livelihoods of nearby communities over the past few years, officials of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) have said.
A powder developed from one of the plants is used as a revitaliser, appetizer and clearer of hangovers: A group of farmers who have domesticated the "highly threatened" medicinal plant, known locally as mkombela (scientific name mondia whytei), used to collect and sell the roots locally...[continue reading]

via Sociolingo

Photo courtesy of IRIN Africa

Medical diagnostic software for mobile phones-Ashesi University

From the Ashesi University website:

Nathan Amanquah and two Ashesi seniors, Adwoa Osei-Pianim and Kofi Manful, are working on software for mobile devices that will aid the diagnosis of skin diseases in remote parts of Ghana. The software, originally developed by a team led by MIT research fellow Don Yansen, allows nurses in the field to take pictures of patients with their cell phones, fill out a brief questionnaire, and send it to a doctor in the United States for diagnosis...[continue reading]

Photos of Adwoa Osei-Pianim and Kofi Manful courtesy of Ashesi Univesity

Plastic Bag Recycling in Kenya

Rocketboom correspondent Ruud Elmendorp, reports on plastic bag recycling in Nairobi:

GameLounge etc.-Nigerian Gamers

Startups Nigeria provides us with an overview of the nascent Nigerian gaming industry:

...It seems like game development in Nigeria is gradually becoming popular as GameLounge (see Facebook page), a gaming lifestyle and events company in Lagos, Nigeria recently held their inaugural gaming event called Champions Playoff Series 1 at Aqua 27 in Victoria Island, Lagos...GameLounge is the largest professional video game lounge in Nigeria and targets approximately 35 million consumers in Nigeria who have a passion for playing video games as a competitive social activity...[continue reading]

Car Batteries and LED's

Matt Berg profiles an emerging fabricative ecosystem of Car Batteries and LED's:

Inspired by Jan Chipcase, I put together the following photo montage covering the ever increasing number of cheap Chinese LED lights that are transforming the way people access lighting. There are a lot of amazing NGOs doing work to address the issue of rural household lighting but I think they are at best a fill-gap to an existing market gap. The mass market solution (LED + small rechargeable battery + 1 W solar panel) that will really make a difference will be Chinese and at a price that will encourage extremely fast adoption rates. This is evident from the introduction of LED flashlights in Mali that completely took over the market in less then six months...[continue reading]

via Afrigadget

Computerizing Bugerere Dairy's

ICTUpdate reports:

A group of dairy farmers in rural Uganda now use mobile phones to deal directly with buyers, to negotiate prices and organize delivery. Improved access to market information has reformed the way the farmers do business and has led to increased profits. By using technology to make the supply process more efficient the farmers no longer waste as much milk as they used to and are branching out to produce more dairy products and enter new markets...[continue reading]

Field of Greens

A review of Field of Greens by Ivy Newton-Gamble:

Quick and easy slow cooker meals are not usually associated with gourmet African cuisine. With over 80 simple recipes vegans, vegetarians and meat lovers alike can enjoy a trip to Africa from the comforts of home. From all over Africa A Field of Greens helps you create recipes that are wholesome, tasty and healthy. All the recipes in this book have been adapted for the slow cooker and the directions are simple and the recipes convenient, familiar and delicious.

Equity Vehicle for Health in Africa

Led by Ngozi Edozien EVHA is a private equity fund focused on investing in small to medium sized enterprises in the healthcare space in Africa. The fund is an innovation in the sector/region sponsored by IFC, Gates Foundation and African Development Bank-IFC website

Quick Hits

Pronatura's green charcoal for Senegal-AlertNet
Tsafack Albert makes a compelling case for his pasteurized raffia and palm wines-BidNetwork
Computer Hardware And Maintenance Services-CHAMS
Project Gaia-Building a market for sugar cane based renewable fuels in Ethiopia

Mweb

Startup Nigeria profiles Mweb's Business Wifi service:

Business Wi-Fi is a commercial Wi-Fi hotspot that allows you to setup and run an Internet cafe on your premises. Customers can browse the internet, check emails or even access document on their corporate network from the convenience and comfort of your venue...[continue reading]

Ukachi Arinze-Film Director

Panthea Lee's Pangeaday post profiled FilmMaker Ukachi Arinze, who recently finished work on a Clamfilms production 'Relentless':

Ukachi Arinzeh is a Shanghai-based independent filmmaker who has worked on projects for the likes of Current TV and “Chappelle’s Show”. Here, he presents a quartet of shorts filmed across three continents:

* “Skating in the Hai” explores the surge of skateboarding in Shanghai and how the movement has connected young people of different nationalities.

* “Red Ink” looks at the evolution of and changes occurring in present-day China by examining the development of Chinese contemporary art.

* Young, talented rappers in Cuba find their voices and liberation through the underground hip-hop scene in “I Am Hip Hop”.

* “The Bush and the Cross” examines how traditional Ibo culture attempts to coexist with the teachings of the Catholic church in small-town Nigeria.

He goes on to don his fashionista diaspora hat for City Weekend:

While he's not splashing around the alleyways of our city, this self-proclaimed "pretty frugal shopper" is scouting other cheap (but fantastic) purchases. The tie that he is wearing was found at "some cheap market," the "vest" is really a reincarnation of a t-shirt he found in a vintage shop in New York City and the colorful umbrella came courtesy of a street vendor outside of the Changshu Lu subway station.

photos courtesy of Panthea Lee and City Weekend