The University of Rwanda in partnership with the African Centre of Excellence in Energy for Sustainable Development (ACE-ESD) launched the Grid Innovation and Incubation Hub (GIIH) Week, also called Innovation Week, on January 31. The initiative has attracted exhibitors and stakeholders from Rwanda and the rest of Africa and will be showcasing and discussing how the country uses the innovation ecosystem to achieve the government’s objectives. They will also tackle the role of Rwanda’s universities in innovating to solve national challenges, among other topics. The New Times visited the exhibition being held at Kigali Exhibition Village, and in this article, we profile the five prominent initiatives that are being showcased in the innovation week (in no particular order). 1. Gorilla Cooking Stove This is a cooking stove that produces a blue flame from recycled waste that helps to reduce the emission of harmful gasses that are discharged into the air, according to Noella Umuhoza, the Product Manager of Gorilla Cooking Stove. “We wanted to reduce the emission of CO2 in the air, while providing an affordable solution to people who cannot afford cooking gas or charcoal,” she said. How it works: The user of the cooking stove puts dried peelings of potatoes, rice and bananas, dried maize cob, and others in the stove. The stove has an inbuilt fan that blows the smoke of the burning stuff, and produces a blue flame with heat, which is then used to cook. “In addition to this, the cooking stove is highly economical because you will only use the waste from your kitchen and recycle them to the energy you can use to cook” She added One cooking stove costs Rwf30,000. 2. PV-GRID Power System This is an automatic changeover switch that is connected to solar energy and electricity, and automatically interchange between the two power sources in case electricity goes, or if the solar energy battery drains. Jean Marie Julien Dushimimana, the Founder of PV-GRID Power System said that his initiative allows people to use affordable and clean energy, while preventing blackouts. How it works: The system has a panel that controls the solar energy battery and the grid electricity. It has a memory card that will allow you to see how much energy you have used on both sides. The panel can be remotely controlled through an app, or be set to automatic. “The benefit of installing this panel is to ensure that there is no blackout, but also with the use of solar energy, more money is saved compared to exclusively using on-grid electricity” he said. Since the establishment of the system in 2020, Dushimimana has installed the system in three commercial buildings and residential homes in the Districts of Bugesera, Nyaruguru and Nyarugenge. 3. Indintambwe Feeds This is the development of affordable poultry feeds by using insects like maggots. Jean Bosco Nshutiyimana, the CEO of Indintambwe Feeds said that he came up with the initiative as a way of solving the problem of lack of protein in animal feeds, while doing it at an affordable price for everyone. How it works: Nshutiyimana rears black soldier flies, which lay eggs that produce maggots. He dries the maggots or puts them in an oven and later crushes the dried maggots into powder. The powder can be mixed with other animal feeds like maize or soybeans, among others. “Although maggots are always associated with dirt and rotting things, they are highly nutritious to animals, because they contain proteins that are good for them.” “With climate change, it is harder to get enough food, especially for animals but the production of these maggots will allow us to feed more animals and give them the nutrients they need at a low production cost,” he added. A kilo of the feed costs Rwf350. Currently, the product is for poultry chickens only, but Nshutiyimana hopes to grow his business bigger so he can be able to feed more animals like pigs, goats, and fish. 4. Get It Fast (GIF) This is a web-based platform that allows people to post their lost items, and if found it connects the person who found it to the owner. John Tuwombe, the Founder of GIF described the software as a ‘lost and found’ platform. Tuwombe, who studied education at the University of Rwanda, took online coding classes and he was able to create the platform. “I wanted to reduce the hustle of people who always find it hard to get the items they have lost either because they are far away or unavailable to go get it” he said. How it works: When you log in to the Get It Fast portal, you sign up and register all your information including your contact, after signing up and you are able to post your lost item for example an identification card, documents or anything else. When found through different delivery agencies, your lost item will be delivered straight to where you are and you will be able to track it along the journey. An amount of Rwf1,000 is charged for every lost and found item. According to Tuwombe, the web currently has over 3,000 users and has been able to return hundreds of lost items to their owners. Tuwombe added that he is looking at expanding the platform into an application and expanding his partnership with different delivery agencies. 5. The Giant Technologies/ Shared Meter Giant Technologies is a company that came up with a device they call ‘shared meter. The company has three founders; Marcus Dushimiyimana, Janvier Nibishaka, and Honore Manishimwe. According to the trio, they wanted to create a solution to society. “We have seen conflicts between landlords and their tenants over the use of electricity, where some are overcharged and others take advantage, but our meter addresses all those conflicts,” said Dushimiyimana. How it works: A shared meter is installed in commercial buildings, offices, rented homes, among others. It is directly connected to the main meter of that area, however it allows each and every individual to buy their own electricity, and consume the same electricity they have bought. You buy electricity from the main meter but it is allocated to your house, office and once the units of the electricity you have bought are over, you will be cut off and no other person in the building will. “There is a system that manages the meter, and the user will use a password so as to avoid any mix up,” he added. According to officials of the University of Rwanda, the best innovations will be rewarded at the end of the week, during an awarding ceremony on Saturday February 5.
