Three organizations, Jamiii Forums, Smart Foundry Ltd., and The Launchpad Tanzania were recently named the winners of the U.S.-Tanzania Tech Challenge, which brought together leading technologists, government officials, civil society, academia, and media professionals to address critical challenges and explore innovative solutions in civic participation, media literacy, and information integrity.
Through the program, Jamii Forums will receive US$100,000, Smart Foundry will receive US$80,000, and The Launchpad will receive US$70,000.
Guest of Honor Jerry Silaa, Minister of Information, Communication, and Technology, provided opening remarks at the event, which was also attended by Michel Toto, UNESCO Head of Office, U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Andrew Lentz, and Daniel Kimmage, Principal Deputy Coordinator of the Global Engagement Center.
“Partnering like we are today – government officials, private sector entrepreneurs, tech innovators, and consumers – can inspire the next great innovation and collaborative effort to shape our shared future,” said U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania Dr. Michael A. Battle. “Together we can strengthen the free and open global information infrastructure.”
Launched in June, the U.S.-Tanzania Tech Challenge sought innovative solutions to promote information integrity, fostering greater participation and involvement in civic activities, and strengthening the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate and interpret information in the digital age.
More than 100 entries were received and evaluated, and eight finalists were selected. These eight finalists then presented how their technologies can tackle pressing issues in the information space to a panel of judges from the United States and Tanzania on September 18.
On September 19, finalists, participants, business and technology leaders, and government officials gather to engage in a series of meaningful panel discussions and presentations centered around the themes of the Tech Challenge, as well as discussing the future of technology in Tanzania, the influence of artificial intelligence, and how to monetize and gain access to capital for technology businesses.
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