The characteristic of great innovators and great companies is they see a space that others do not. They don’t just listen to what people tell them; they actually invent something new, something that you didn’t know you needed, but the moment you see it, you say, ‘I must have it.
Innovation is about turning a vision into new products or services. This definition clearly depicts what Norah Magero has achieved in her career and how her unique inventions have impacted people’s lives positively.
She made history in the UK by being the second woman and the first Kenyan to be awarded the Africa Prize by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Alessandra Buonfino, the judge for the Africa Prize, stated during a virtual ceremony that Magero’s invention, VacciBox, demonstrated the continent’s capacity for medical innovation.
We’re delighted to award VacciBox the Africa Prize. The potential impact of improving the cold chain delivery of medicine – especially vaccines – to rural areas is immense.”
“Norah truly represents the idea that one innovator can change an entire community. We look forward to watching her and her team scale this innovation to reach even more people,” Buonfino stated.
Magero won Ksh3.6 million (£25,000), which will enable the idea to reach more people throughout Africa. In order to safely store and carry medications, such as vaccines, for use in field vaccinations and distant clinics, VacciBox is a compact, portable, solar-powered fridge.
Magero expressed her gratitude for the honor and mentioned that the idea was created to help doctors practicing in underdeveloped areas.
“VacciBox was designed with our local challenges in mind. It’s versatile, reliable, and localized. We’re ensuring that it works the way healthcare workers need it to work for the conditions they face each day so that they can save lives without worrying about technology,” she stated.
The award, which began in 2014, is the continent’s biggest prize in the engineering field that seeks to recognise the inventions by men and women in the industry.
How did she come up with the unique innovation?
In a recent interview with The Optimist, a UK Publication, Magero says that she didn’t set out to use her appliances to help people get jabbed. She says her “lightbulb” idea came when she was approached by Kenyan farmers to find ways to keep their milk from turning sour during transit.
After the coronavirus pandemic struck and vaccines became available in Kenya, the team realized that the cool box solved two problems in one: Not only could it store vaccines and keep them cool, it was small enough to be portable, and so could be used to transport vaccine vials to the most remote outposts while keeping them at the right temperature.
The concept was then brought to life with the help of investors including RES4Africa Foundation and Startup Energy.
Magero has vast experience in the design and management of off-grid energy utilities. According to her LinkedIn profile, she is passionate about energy access in Africa and gender issues.
She has received other honors including a Booking.Com Technology Playmaker Award 2020 finalist and Women in Energy East Africa Community, Philanthropy Award winner 2017. She is also an alumnus of the Young African Leaders Initiative, YALI, and the Micro-Grid Academy.
Key takeaways
Find your purpose and stick to it. Norah had a clear vision when she created Vaccibox, she was passionate about making sure that healthcare was accessible. You too can be able to discover what your dreams and passions are.
Is it that online business? Is it that career in Project management? Whatever it is, go for it! Don’t give up!
L-R: Maj. Gen. Willy Rwagasana, Maj. Gen. Vincent Nyakarundi, and Maj. Gen. Ruki Karusisi.
President Paul Kagame, who is also the Rwanda Defence Force’s (RDF) Commander-in-Chief, on Monday promoted in ranks four senior military officers.
According to a communique from the military, Brigadier Generals Vincent Nyakarundi, Willy Rwagasana and Ruki Karusisi were promoted to the rank of Major General.
Nyakarundi is the head of defence intelligence while Rwagasana is the commandant of the Republican Guard. Karusisi is the Commandant of RDF Special Operations Force. They all retained their postings.
Nyakarundi, who was Rwanda’s first-ever military attaché to the United Nations (UN) in New York back in 2009, was promoted to Brig General in January 2018. The January 2018 promotion also saw Rwagasana elevated to Brigadier General.
Karusisi, a former Head of Operations in the Republican Guard, was promoted to Brigadier General in July, 2020. In other promotions, Colonel Ronald Rwivanga, the Spokesperson of the Rwanda Defence Force, was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. Rwivanga had been promoted to rank of colonel on June 18, 2021. By
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Sunday July 10 ordered deportation of Zambian suspected gold scammer Bupe Chipando allias Elena.
Bupe was deported following his arrest by Transnational and Organized Crimes detectives, after he defrauded a Dutch National over Sh170 million in a fake gold deal.
Bupe operated in Nairobi
"A notorious gold scammer of Zambian origin who has been operating an international syndicate of fraudsters in Nairobi, has been deported," a police statement read in part.
According to police, the suspect was also involved in printing of fake currency. Evans Maritim, K24 Digital
The world's population is expected to reach 8 billion people on November 15 this year, the UN predicted today in a report, according to which India will overtake China as the most populous country by next year, AFP reported.
This milestone for our population numbers "is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and a moment to realize that we are still falling short of our commitments to each other," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The forecast by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs also indicates that the rate of population increase is the lowest since 1950.
The Earth is expected to be populated by 8.5 billion people in 2030, and by 9.7 billion in 2050. The peak of around 10.4 billion will be around the 2080s, and this level will kept until about 2100
Against the background of the sharp net decline in birth rates observed in several developing countries, the growth of the population of the planet in the coming decades will be concentrated in eight countries - the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania, notes the report. Novinite
The world’s tallest animal, the giraffe, may be on the brink of extinction in the East African country of Tanzania, as they are being poached to meet the demand for bushmeat and superstitious beliefs that their organs ward off misfortune and treat diseases like HIV/AIDS.
“This is a very serious problem here. Giraffes are innocently being killed by poachers. I urge relevant authorities to stop this madness,” said Kulwa Herman, a resident of the northern Manyara Region, known for the world-famous Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National Park.
He blamed the large-scale poaching on beliefs that the brain and bone marrow of giraffes can cure chronic diseases, including HIV/AIDS, and also boost men’s libido.
“People are being deceived by witch doctors to believe that giraffe body parts have magical powers. It’s absolute nonsense,” Herman told Anadolu Agency.
The giraffe's chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, the conical skin-covered bone structures on their heads, and its spotted coat patterns.
According to the international Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), Masai or Tanzanian giraffe have been already declared an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The most populous giraffe three decades ago with an estimated 71,000 individuals, only 45,400 Masai giraffes remain in the wild today, according to the foundation.
But the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWRI) claims that their aerial survey data recently found a mere 28,850 giraffes in the region.
Despite the giraffe being a national symbol protected under the country's conservation laws, independent researchers believe that almost 2,246 giraffes are illegally poached every year.
Alleged poacher, officer collusion
Herman said that gun-wielding poachers from the northern Arusha region often collude with local ward officers to trap and kill giraffes. They then extract their hair, tail, brains, and fats, which are highly valued on the black market, before escaping into the darkness.
“It’s very easy to kill a giraffe, that’s why many people are attracted to doing so. A single gunshot is more than enough to take down the big animal,” he said.
Benjamin Kuzaga, Manyara regional commander of the police force, said that in the past three months they have seized 560 kilograms (1,235 pounds) of poached giraffe meat.
“This is a serious problem here in Manyara,” said Jeremia Kizinga, a resident of Vilima Viwili village. “The police force should intervene, otherwise these animals will be finished.”
William Mwakilema, commissioner of conservation at Tanzania National Parks Authority, said growing human activity and settlements coming up near the wildlife corridors in the region have also increased the killing of giraffes.
Need to create awareness
“We’re working hard along with other security organs to identify and dismantle a vicious network of criminals involved in this illegal business,” he said. “We will leave no stone unturned until all the perpetrators are arrested and punished under the law.”
Selemani Juma, a local leader at Vilima Vitatu village in Manyara, said there was an urgent need to create awareness to stamp our superstitious beliefs.
He said the illegal trade is fueled by mistaken beliefs that giraffes’ fats and bone marrow and other organs help to treat chronic diseases and increase male sexual prowess.
“These claims are not true. We’re trying to educate the people to ignore these false claims and understand the importance of conserving wildlife, including giraffes, whose population is decreasing at an alarming rate,” he said. - Kizito Makoye, Anadolu Agency
Informer East Africa is a UK based diaspora Newspaper. It is a unique platform connecting East Africans at home and abroad through news dissemination. It is a forum to learn together, grow together and get entertained at the same time.
To advertise events or products, get in touch by info [at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447957636854. If you have an issue or a story, get in touch with the editor through editor[at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447886544135.
We also accept donations from our supporters. Please click on "donate". Your donations will go along way in supporting the newspaper.
