Just a day after the Presidential speech during the State of the Nation address, during which President Museveni promised that the country was to shift from Petroleum-fueled vehicles to Electric-fueled cars, they are already in operation in Rwanda, within the East African region.

The rolling hills of Rwanda produce great endurance cyclists. They might not all be attempting the Tour de France, but perhaps even more impressively, some are able to traverse mountainous terrain with 100 kilograms of fruit on their heads and shoulders.

It launched a fleet of two trucks in Western Rwanda in April 2021, which has now grown to 12, transporting everything from fruit to livestock, lumber to school equipment. “Before, our clients would take any means of transport that would come around,” explains Rwanda managing director Francine Uwamahoro. “They were taking bikes from their farm and they would be gone for a long time around two days.”

The OX Truck boasts large tires and high ground clearance. The company says that parts are carefully selected to reduce breakdown time, and some basic componentsare interchangeable and easily removed in the event of being damaged by rocks (a regular occurrence on dirt roads).

Customers book space on a truck through a basic “app” designed for 2G feature phones. Since the app cannot yet process payments, drivers negotiate prices and build relationships face to face with their customers. “Our growth is in the hands of our drivers,” says Uwamahoro.

Connecting rural Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa has fewer than a quarter of the average paved roads per kilometer of all low-income regions. A lack of roads can mean higher cargo prices and longer transit times, which can make it harder for economies to develop.

“Bananas cost 10 times in Kigali (Rwanda’s capital) what they cost in a village,” says OX Delivers managing director Simon Davis. “You can get good fruit and ship it to Kigali, but the transport will just eat all the cost.”

One solution is simply to build more paved roads, but Davis believes a more sustainable solution is to have more affordable vehicles that can drive on dirt roads.

“What happens when there’s a flood and it washes away a bridge? You can’t pay for a new one because you have no money,” he says. “But if you build a truck that works on the existing roads, we create a bunch of revenue, and ultimately, some of that becomes tax revenue.”

OX Delivers says it charges the same as cargo bicycles – around 50 cents to transport a 100 kilogram sack 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) — but can travel further, and offers a discount for return trips.

The company says it keeps down its costs by owning and streamlining every stage of the supply chain. Its parts, for example, are flown from Britain to Rwanda in flat-pack form, allowing materials for six vehicles to fit into a shipping container that would normally carry just two whole trucks. OX says the truck can be assembled by three “skilled (but not necessarily expert)” people in 12 hours, using an image-based, IKEA-like guide.

Davis says that running on electricity costs 50% less per day than diesel engines. The trucks have a range of 170 kilometers and the company has installed private charging depots — where they can take up to six hours to completely recharge — to make up for a lack of public charging infrastructure in Rwanda.

Impacting people who have been left behind

Fransua Vytautas Rasvadauskas, mobility and cities senior consultant at market research firm Euromonitor, agrees that the off-road delivery market could function as an infrastructure stopgap, but sees its potential in the short-to-medium term. “There is a lot of future potential for sub-Saharan Africa to grow and this would hopefully translate to better road infrastructure,” he says. “But I think for the next 10, 20, maybe 30 years, off-road vehicles stand a good chance in the region.”

Other companies in Rwanda have been trying to fill the gap in food delivery, with Vanoma geared towards last-mile delivery from online sellers to customers’ homes, and Get It mostly transporting food from suppliers to hotels and restaurants. But OX Delivers is aimed squarely at undeserved rural traders looking to get their goods to market.

The company says it has 65 employees, including 40 drivers, and has served 1,000 clients. Global Vehicle Trust is its biggest shareholder but it also taken on for-profit “impact” shareholders and has £8 million ($9.6 million) in seed funding, as well as £20 million ($24 million) in UK government grants. It now plans to further develop its app and deploy a cold-store fitting for perishable cargo.

In theory, the model can be transferred outside of Western Rwanda. “It works in any rural African place where transport is a challenge,” says Uwamahoro. “People depend on agriculture, and products need to be moved around.”

Davis says the company has had offers to expand into other East African countries such as Zambia, Uganda and Kenya. But more than just being an example of growth, the business model is seen as a means of facilitating it.

“It’s about impacting the people who have been left behind,” says Uwamahoro. “OX is giving them power to grow economically.”

The post East Africa to Embrace Electricity-Fueled Vehicles – Trucks appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

The annual event aims to secure high participation levels of MTN staff in high-impact social projects to uplift and empower the local communities in which the company operates.

The campaign that is always executed within the first 21 days of June, will this year run under the theme: “Empowering Communities to Drive Economic Recovery”.

The aim is to inspire MTN staff to upskill local communities in order to drive economic activity and participation through focusing on digital skills training and digital job creation.

This is linked to MTN’s strategic priority to build digital skills for digital jobs aligned to the company’s Ambition 2025 Strategy.

While launching the MTN Uganda 2022 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign at the Kiira Road Police grounds in Kampala, The MTN Chief Executive Officer Wim Vanhelleputte said that it was heart-warming for the staff of MTN Uganda to once again dedicate their time, financial resources, and skills, with the communities in a bid to uplift them socio-economically, especially now, following the drastic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Focusing on empowering communities to drive economic recovery after Covid-19 through training, upskilling, and knowledge sharing will create lasting and sustainable change in our communities”, Vanhelleputte said.

This year, MTN’s 21 Days of Y’ello care program will focus on upskilling and supporting women, youth, and disadvantaged population groups across the country.

10 groups have been selected in; Lira, Jinja, Masaka, Fort Portal and Mbarara as well as the 5 divisions of Kampala i.e. Nakawa, Kawempe, Rubaga, Makindye and Central Division.

Two MTN Uganda staff teams interfaced with the Kamwokya Women tailoring group in the Kampala central division as well as the Tesobar deaf carpentry group in Lira.

The two groups underwent digital upskilling training sessions delivered by MTN staff, to help them harness the power of digital usage to bolster their economic activities through various digital channels that resonate with the current digital era.

The MTN team also engaged in community cleaning sessions before handing over assorted items to support the groups in their economic activities.

The Kamwokya Women’s Tailoring group received a recovery package comprising of tailoring equipment as well as soap-making machinery while the Tesobar deaf carpentry group received a package comprising carpentry tools and timber to support them recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

ALSO READ: MTN’s New Launched Kabode Supa Smartphone is Available on the ‘Mpola Mpola’ Scheme

Lillian Cheptoek, the Kamwokya women’s team leader thanked MTN for reaching out to their group.

“Our group was badly affected during the pandemic. We are happy that MTN has reached out to support us. We have learnt how to manage our business better and how to market our products on social media. We shall use the things they have given us to empower more women in our community,” Cheptoek said.

Other groups that shall be supported include; the Masaka Diocese Youth, the Jinja based Tabulera Kawuma deaf carpentry, the disabled association of Fortportal, the Bunusya abarema twetungure association in Mbarara, the Glorious widows of Makindye, Focus for Life Development Link in Kawempe, Missionaries of the poor in Rubaga and the Nakawa Market Vendors association.

All the above groups will undergo a digital upskilling training and receive recovery packages specific to their business needs, from MTN Uganda staff, who will also engage in a cleaning activity in their areas of operation.

Launched in 2007, 21 Days of Y’ello care is a global award-winning staff initiative that has seen MTN staff step out of their offices every year, to make a difference in the lives of the communities within which they work.

Some of the past initiatives in Uganda include a successful two-day career expo, various training programs aimed at tackling youth unemployment, and entrepreneurship training among many mentorship programs aimed at positively impacting communities across the country.

This year, MTN is committed to adding economic value by contributing to society through its programs focused on digital education, digital skills and digital skills training.

The company believes that reducing the digital skills gap will help address issues of digital and social inequalities while at the same time ensuring the sustainability of the business.

MTN is striving to ensure that it continues to strengthen and uplift all community members in their pursual of economic development within each community since everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life.

ALSO READ: Emata Has Been Selected to Participate in the 2022 Norrsken Impact Accelerator

The post MTN Uganda resumes 21 Days of Y’ello Care Campaign to drive economic recovery appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

PC Tech brings you a graphic use of data from a recent report by Sensor Tower to show the top 10 most downloaded apps around the world in Q1 2022 from the Google Play and Apple App Store.

Social Reigns Supreme

According to the report, total app downloads reached 36.9 billion in Q1 2022, a 1.4% increase compared to Q1 2021.

A majority of the top 10 most downloaded apps were social media platforms, with Meta and ByteDance owning six of the top 10.

Meta’s four platforms on the list are Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Messenger, while ByteDance owns TikTok and video-editing platform CapCut. Just outside the top 10 are Zoom and WhatsApp Business (yet another Meta-owned app).

TikTok’s Winding Road to the Top

In Q1 2021, TikTok exceeded 3.5 billion all-time downloads, becoming the fifth app (and the first non-Meta app) to reach this milestone. This is impressive considering the app has been banned in India as of June 2020. Prior to the ban, India accounted for 30% of TikTok’s downloads.

India’s not the only country that’s banned the use of TikTok. Pakistan has blocked TikTok multiple times because of concerns over “inappropriate” content. However, it’s worth noting that the bans in Pakistan only lasted a few days before being lifted, and currently, Pakistanis are able to access the platform.

Top 10 Highest Grossing Apps

TikTok isn’t just the most downloaded app in the world—it’s also the highest-grossing non-game app, based on Q1 2022 revenue from the App Store and Google Play:

TikTok generated an impressive $821 million in consumer spending in the last quarter. The video-sharing platform was the top-grossing app on the App Store, and the second-highest-grossing on Google Play, coming just after Google One.

While none of Meta’s platforms made it onto the top 10 list for gross revenue, these platforms make a ton of money that doesn’t necessarily flow through app stores. In 2021, Meta generated more than $117.9 billion in revenue, with over 97% of that coming from ads.

Growth’s on the Horizon

The pandemic had a massive impact on the app market.

In 2020, app spending on things like premium access, in-app purchases, and subscriptions surged by 30% year-over-year to reach $111 billion.

And while COVID-19 restrictions are easing in most places around the world, app spending isn’t likely to taper off anytime soon. By 2025, spending is expected to grow to $270 billion.

ALSO READ: How TikTok Took Over The World

The post The Top Most Downloaded Apps in 2022 So Far appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

ISACA Kampala Chapter on March 31st organized a panel of experts that provided insight on the outlook, key trends that will define digital transformation this year (2022). The experts that addressed the event included Business Transformation Manager at NITA-U; Rowena Turinawe, Osbert Osamai, and Cybersecurity & Privacy Expert; Emmanuel Mugabi.

The webinar highlighted the need for organizations to keep sight of trends in order to make appropriate business decisions, especially in the post-Covid-19 recovery period where the use of digital will be king.

During the webinar, Mugabi emphasized that security and privacy by default is a must-have given the increasing use of the cloud for hosting business systems and related threats. Turinawe on the other hand noted that Covid-19 sparked off an increased use of ICT-enabled services and as such, organizations will need to elevate the IT role to decision making table. She emphasized that ICT is now a business enabler and must be treated as such. This is collaborated by Gartner research that shows that organizations that prioritize the ICT role are more likely to accelerate digital business outcomes. Osamai mentioned that 2022 will see a rise in data-driven businesses to accelerate time to market and transform customer experiences. This will create an increase in demand for professionals skilled in data science, AI, and big data.

Turinawe, Osamai, and Mugabi are currently working on authoring a book that will showcase best practices for organizations that seek to succeed on their digital transformation journey. The book will provide valuable information to CEOs and CIOs in decision-making concerning their organization’s digital transformation journey. Readers will also learn the pitfalls to avoid and new trends to futureproof the use of ICT.

ALSO READ: REASONS WHY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS GOOD FOR ANY BUSINESS

The post Experts Provide Insights That Will Define Digital Transformation in 2022 appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, some of the latest data on video game consumers worldwide shows that an estimated 40% of the world’s population plays games. That level of interest certainly explains growing investments in the gaming sector, which is now larger and more lucrative than the movie and music industries combined.

The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Mobile Gaming Market

The number of active mobile gaming users exploded following the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Stuck at home or trying to adjust to the era of social distancing, many people started downloading mobile game apps as an escape. But these games also became a tool for families and friends to socialize and interact.

In China alone, which was the first country to impose lockdowns, mobile game downloads increased to 284.3 million in February 2020. This trend quickly spilled over into Western countries, paving the way for the unprecedented growth of the gaming sector.

The success story doesn’t end there. The mobile gaming sector is forecast to have another good year in 2022. Last year the market generated just over $90 billion in revenue, with earnings expected to surpass the 100 billion mark in 2022.

The biggest game-changer in mobile gaming was the increase in the use of mobile social games such as Among Us, Pokemon Go, and various Bingo chat games.

Why Social Mobile Games Are Driving the Mobile App Gaming Market

The number of social mobile game users may have skyrocketed at the start of the pandemic, but the easing of lockdowns and other restrictions hasn’t dampened people’s enthusiasm, and interest in these games is still growing. We’ve decided to explore the reasons behind this hype and see how these types of games are going to drive revenue growth in the mobile game industry during the coming year.

Factors Influencing the Growth of the Social Mobile Games Market
These are some of the key factors fuelling the growth of the social mobile game market:

• Tech Development

Advancements in smartphone technology are among the most important prerequisites for the social mobile gaming industry to thrive.

The gaming industry is rapidly growing, and smartphones are playing a vital role in this growth. In 2021, mobile game revenues accounted for 52% of the global market. And according to some of the most recent data, mobile games will generate more than $116 billion via consumer spending by 2024.

Furthermore, some of the biggest players, such as Samsung and Apple, improved the quality of their phones to satisfy the growing demands of today’s mobile users. Today’s mobile phones and tablets are packed with quality features and have bigger screens and greater storage capacities, all of which open up a world of possibilities for a broader range of users.

• Affordable Pricing Models

The availability of affordable social mobile games is another important factor contributing to the growth of this industry. Also, free-to-play models give players the opportunity to try the game before they decide to make a purchase.

This resulted in more downloads, which wouldn’t necessarily be as high if users had to pay right away. Pokemon Go, one of the most popular mobile social games, allows users to play for free, which is one of the reasons for its exponential growth over the years.

• The Social Component of the Game

Social interaction is another reason for the growth of the mobile social game market. Since the start of the pandemic, a growing number of people have begun to appreciate games with social features to substitute for the absence of actual social activities.

A study conducted by Simon-Kucher and Partners shows that around 60% of users played more multiplayer games and games with social components. Naturally, developers are expected to boost these features to make their games more competitive. The study also concludes that games with social components are more likely to become viral, lock players to their platform, and attract and retain players of all types.

Final Word
The growing demand for mobile gaming that was initially fuelled by the pandemic is not slowing down. The numbers speak for themselves – mobile gamers were spending $1.7 billion every week on both iOS and Google Play purchases in 2021. These impressive numbers have a lot to do with the development of social features. And with game developers looking to introduce further improvements, the future looks bright for the mobile gaming market.

The post The Growth of Social Mobile Gaming appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

The URCS Secretary-General, Mr. Robert Kwesiga while handing over the award to MTN Uganda’s General Manager, Ms. Enid Edroma —thanked MTN for being a reliable partner to the URCS initiatives.

“We are honored to have a great humanitarian partner in MTN Foundation Uganda, which has unwaveringly supported us and the people of Uganda over the years. And for the last two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, they took their support several notches higher, something that enabled us to protect and save lives across the country,” Kwesiga said. “It is therefore with great pleasure that URCS presents this award to MTN Foundation Uganda,” he added.

Ms. Edroma accepted the award on behalf of MTN Uganda CEO, Mr. Wim Vanhellpeute —expressing MTN’s profound gratitude towards URCS for the noble recognition award. “We take such great honor in this award, and we remain committed to our duty as a corporate citizen,” said Ms. Edroma.

MTN has always and is concerned about the welfare of the communities in which they operate, for their business can only thrive in thriving communities, hinged on the company’s belief that we are good together.

The Humanitarian Recognition Award was in recognition of MTN Foundation’s response to complementing the government’s initiatives during national crises to save lives, working through URCS.

In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country, MTN immediately worked through URCS and the Ministry of Health to support the high-risk areas such as markets that remained open when the country was under lockdown. MTN Foundation Uganda collaborated with URCS to implement and enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on Covid-19 prevention in 15 high traffic markets in Kampala metropolitan with funding totaling UGX297 million for 3 months, thereby curbing the spread of the deadly virus and saving lives.

Ms. Edroma said, “MTN was the first corporate company to pledge support to government and people of Uganda in fighting the Covid-19 with over UGX2 billion spent in various interventions to uplift communities from the pandemic effects in the last two years.”

Notably, MTN Foundation was recognized for being the first corporate entity to help the people of Kasese who were affected by floods, donating UGX41 million to support the delivery of 100 non-food relief kits to the affected families. Furthermore, the Foundation was also hailed as the first company on the ground when Bundibugyo flooded in back in December 2019. In the same year still, the Foundation worked through URCS to reach out to the Bududa mudslide victims.

“We are so grateful to the leadership of MTN Uganda and the technical team for always responding very fast whenever an emergency happens in the country, and most importantly, choosing to reach the affected families through the Uganda Red Cross Society,” Kwesiga said.

Established in 2007, MTN Foundation Uganda has undertaken a plethora of initiatives in the areas of health, education, youth empowerment as well as key national priority areas through government and private partnerships.

The post MTN Foundation Receives Humanitarian Award From Red Cross appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

Agile businesses always find a way to protect themselves from technological, commercial, economic, political, or cultural challenges. Businesses with agility tend to have flexible technology, which is the key to business continuity and allows you to work anywhere and at any time. Let’s look at why Virtual Office Jersey City agility in business is important.

Reasons to adopt business agility

1. Stabilizing cash flow
A survey shows that more than 50 organizations have closed their doors due to COVID-19. The reason is a lack of stable cash flow. Immediately following, COVID-19 declared a pandemic loss, and the company regretted not having a cash flow plan. Business leaders require flexible business plans that guarantee reliable revenue streams and a firm foundation. Financial security plays a vital role in the business environment.

2. Expand the market
Businesses can be greatly affected by a slight shift in the market and demands. Markets are becoming more dynamic and fast-paced these days. Flexibility in marketing can give you an edge over your competitors and enable you to bounce back after a setback. Identifying new trends and getting to the market at the right time can significantly impact business success. COVID-19 requires business agility, therefore.

3. Improve customer experience
A successful business environment provides high-quality products and services and responds quickly to customers. Customer satisfaction and trust in your organization can be improved by doing this daily. A business agility plan that includes this will help you in a time of crisis.

4. Improving employee morale
According to a survey conducted, the COVID-19 outbreak proves how important business agility is to C-level employees. To be successful in business, you need happy, satisfied employees. Your employees need to feel secure, and putting their input to good use can improve your organization’s overall performance.

5. Continually evolve
Being agile allows you to find new solutions to old problems and improve the quality of your products and services. You can grow your business by taking proactive measures to deal with the changing business environment. It is why agility in business is important.

ALSO READ: MUST HAVE SERVICES WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS

What should a business agility plan look like?

1. An open-minded business mindset
Being agile means being prepared for outbreaks. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, changing the organizational mindset and culture is imperative. You can remove more obstacles if your organization and workflows are flexible.

2. Multiple agile methods
A company must know how many agile approaches they will need to manage their business if there is an outbreak. Knowing in which areas your organization requires an agile plan is important. Marketers need to adapt their techniques to meet new trends.

3. Satisfaction of employees
Put employee satisfaction at the heart of your agility plan. Create tools to ease employees’ work during outbreaks for the company’s growth and success. For instance, you could provide backup and recovery tools. Agility involves flexible training to ensure all employees and leaders are on board.

4. Adaptability
COVID-19 itself needs to be agile. It shouldn’t be easy to adapt to it. Rather than waiting for an outbreak to strike, business leaders should continually adjust their plans and strategies. Adapting to a change in resources or processes is essential for a business to succeed. The first rule of business is: Be prepared for anything so must analyze the situation first before making any rash decisions.

ALSO READ: HOW TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES THAT CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS GROU AND STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

The post How is Agility Important to Businesses During Pandemics and What You Can Do to Build it appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

Liquid will share anonymized data to support Giga’s work to map the location and connectivity status of schools in Africa.

Liquid will also share information with Giga about schools’ proximity to telecoms infrastructure and will help develop a connectivity monitoring platform.

ALSO READ: UNICEF Innovation Fund to Invest in Early-stage AI and ML Startups

The partnership will initially focus on Kenya but will aim to incorporate other Liquid markets over time, including South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Rwanda.

“This partnership with Liquid will allow our Giga team to gain a deeper understanding of the connectivity landscape in Kenya and across Africa,” said Thomas Davin, Director, Office of Innovation at UNICEF.

He added that knowledge will help UNICEF to get more schools online, giving children access to the opportunities they need to flourish.

Ben Roberts, Group Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Liquid Intelligent Technologies said the Giga Initiative from UNICEF and ITU echoes Liquid’s sentiment of creating a digitally resilient economy in Kenya and Africa at large.

“There is no better place to start than our schools that shape the minds of our children, thereby securing our future. Through our expertise in the digital and telecom landscape, we will support UNICEF in its endeavor to map school connectivity data across Kenya by providing real-time figures to measure impact.” Added Ben Roberts.

“This initiative also reiterates the vision of our parent company – Cassava Technologies, of creating a digitally connected continent that leaves no African behind”  Remarked Ben Roberts.

Around half of the world’s population still has no meaningful access to the Internet. UNICEF and Liquid are committed to addressing this digital divide, which has widened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Giga has already mapped over 1 million schools and their connectivity around the world and has connected over 3,000 schools.

Liquid has connected 4,000 schools to internet across Africa. The company aspires to continue empowering schools with digital technology and has mapped 150,000 schools through the continent.

A public record of this data compilation can be accessed at https://schools.liquid.tech/

Giga is part of UNICEF’s broader Re-imagine Education initiative, the UN Secretary General’s Common Agenda and Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, and ITU’s Partner2 Connect Coalition.

It has the potential to transform efforts to narrow the digital divide, providing a connectivity layer on which digital empowerment initiatives can build.

ALSO READ: NITA-U, UNICEF Introduce a Free Digital Learning eLearning Platform for O-Level Students

The post UNICEF and Liquid Intelligent Technologies launch a partnership to help Giga bridge the digital divide in Africa appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

While addressing the press at the launch, Founding Partner and Outbox Hub Lead; Mr. Richard Zulu said the persistent Covid-19 Pandemic has amplified very many inequities in childhood education, access to health services for women and girls, and access to protection services for children.

“This has been more evident in low-income communities around the world, Uganda not excluded. The UNICEF Uganda Innovation Fund Challenge will continue to provide a platform for various actors to work together to address these challenges innovatively and sustainably,” said Zulu.

UNICEF Representative in Uganda Dr. Munir Safieldin in his remarks said UNICEF believes that innovation is about doing new things to solve problems and improve the lives of children around the world. He further adds that the Covid-19 Pandemic has reminded them [UNICEF] to continue working with partners to innovate and match today’s challenges with tomorrow’s solutions.

The UNICEF Uganda Innovation Fund will address challenges on access to basic education and adolescent development for girls and boys between the ages of 3-19 to achieve appropriate learning outcomes, enhancing and improving child survival and development.

Outbox and UNICEF are calling on interested participants to submit their ideas through the UNICEF Uganda Innovation Fund Challenge web portal https://www.unicef.innovationchallenge.ug and will be eligible for consideration.

The most promising innovations will have an opportunity to further co-create their propositions with Outbox, UNICEF, and subject matter experts, receive technical assistance over a six month period that includes mentorship, social business training, linkages to partners, and market to enable them to realize and implement their ideas as well as scale their products/solutions

UNICEF Uganda introduced this challenge to deepen participatory practices in providing innovative solutions to national social policy challenges, with a view of transforming the local ecosystem by leveraging on the disruptive power of technology as a driver for inclusive and sustainable growth. The main objective of the challenge is to provide innovative avenues to enhance UNICEF’s ability to achieve the SDGs.

Launched in December 2020, during the course of the challenge, four startups were identified as winners and these include;

1. SeatPack, is solving the lack of affordable classroom furniture by providing a school bag that turns into a mobile bamboo classroom chair with a writing surface to help school children read and write in more dignified conditions while social distancing.
2. Safe Water Harvester, a solar-powered device that traps humidity/water vapor from the atmosphere providing clean and affordable water to the underserved rural communities, schools, and communities at any time.
3. Fine Reed Limited, which promotes the use of biofuels made from sugarcane waste that is environmentally sustainable, hence making cooking affordable for families, and subsequently leading to a reduction in child malnutrition cases.
4. KAINOafrica, providing nursery schools and parents with access to quality curriculum-aligned STEM blended lesson guides which they deliver to learners using through the web and mobile application. In addition, it is able to teach children how to read and write.

These previous (first cohort winners) have made a lot of progress since their winning. SeatPack began production of over 1,000 SeatPacks for free distribution across the country in Early Childhood Development centers and schools. Safe Water Harvester has managed to develop a fully powered solar machine and reached out to several primary schools —and KAINOafrica has established 5 Early Childhood Development homeschool centers in Soroti, Adamai Village to cater for 160 nursery children and trained over 33 women.

“We see progress being made by the winners of the first cohort who not only received a seed pack but mentorship sessions to bring to life their ideas. The winners will continue to be supported by our implementing partner and other stakeholders to ensure that their ideas contribute to the well-being and protection of Ugandan children, especially during these Covid-19 times,” said Safieldin.

The post Outbox, UNICEF Launch the Second UNICEF Uganda Innovation Fund Challenge appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

Recovering from the aftermath of the pandemic will be difficult, yet you can still try to take some steps towards it. From using public transport to applying for a lifeline cell phone, here are seven smart tips that will help you save some money during the pandemic.

1. Create a budget and stick to it

The first step towards improving your financial condition is to get a grip on your expenditure. You will always fail to save money if you don’t know how much money you need for survival every month and how much you actually spend. The difference between those two can be staggering.

To deal with your financial situation better, you need to create a budget for yourself and your family. Consider different expenses like travel, accommodation, groceries, electricity, water, and other recurring costs, and budget them according to priority or necessity.

This budget will help you stick to fixed spending to avoid exceeding that limit and worsen your financial situation.

2. Get a side gig

Having a skill can help you create an additional stream of income apart from your job. If you have a full-time job and can spare a few hours in a day, you should consider starting a side hustle based on your skills so that you can earn more money to support your expenses in the pandemic.

Numerous sites like Freelancer, Upwork, and Fiverr help you build a portfolio based on your skills and earn money by fulfilling clients’ requirements. It might take a little time to build your presence on such platforms, but it will be worth it.

3. DIY your housework

Is your kitchen sink broken, or is your garden hose leaking? Though such problems are essential to fix, can you afford to spend that much money on repairing a leaking faucet?

If you plan to hire a plumber or handyman to fix minor issues in your house, you’ll have to pay them on an hourly basis. Their charges range from USD$45 to USD$200.

You can get some tools and fix minor household issues by yourself. You can watch a few youtube videos for guidance, and save a lot of money. However, you must remember that DIYs are best suited only for minor repairs. If you have a complicated issue, let the professionals deal with it.

4. Look for offers and discounts.

Many offline and online brands and retailers offer good deals and discounts on their products. Always be on the lookout for them. If you don’t see any recommendations on the product, feel free to ask them if they provide any suggestions on bulk orders.

While availing discounts and sales, do not fall prey to the marketing gimmicks of the brands. Many brands offer false discounts on their products to lure the customer. If you buy them, you end up spending money on unnecessary products that you don’t need while not getting any actual discount.

5. Apply for the Lifeline program

Many people who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic have a difficult time dealing with their expenses. Internet connectivity is an essential expense that can take a big chunk out of your money.

The internet is not just a medium of communication; today, it is used for educational purposes, financial transactions, and staying connected to the outside world.

Applying to the lifeline program can help you get free or heavily discounted internet connectivity and a free lifeline cell phone to stay connected online. You may have to fulfill specific requirements to be eligible for it.

6. Shop for refurbished and used items

Even though no one wants to buy used and refurbished goods, sometimes, it makes sense to opt for those, as they can save you a considerable amount of money.

Instead of buying a new car with a massive car loan, you can buy a used car in good condition. After all, all that matters is whether it can take you from one place to another or not. You don’t want to break your bank, especially if you are struggling financially during the pandemic.

7. Review your entertainment subscriptions

TV and cable subscriptions might feel like meager expenses, but if you add up all your subscriptions, you’ll be amazed to see how much money they cost. If you plan to save some money, you might want to reconsider your choices about media subscriptions and make a better choice.

Apply the same logic to your streaming service subscriptions. Sure, watching your favorite sitcom for the 100th time gives you more joy than watching most contemporary shows, but do you really need to be subscribed to every major streaming service at a time like this? Even an extra USD$12 a month can add up to USD$144 a year.

In the current scenario, it can be challenging to save money while maintaining your current lifestyle. Thankfully some simple lifestyle changes and good financial habits can help you improve your financial situation in the pandemic.

ALSO READ: A COMPLETE BEGINNER’S GUIDE ON HOW TO SAVE MONEY

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