Reaping from the collaboration with the International Development Innovation Network (IDIN) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Development Lab (MIT D-Lab) as labs within the Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN). Makerere University School of Public Health- ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) was offered a full scholarship for 2 innovators to attend and participate in a 2 weeks long (25 October – 7 November, 2017) Creative Capacity Building Training of Trainers Design Summit. This was a practical and hands-on engagement organized by the International Development Innovation Network (IDIN), Massachusetts Institute of Technology Development Lab (MIT D-Lab) in partnership with Kulika Uganda.
The Creative Capacity Building Training of Trainees (CCB ToT) Design Summit brought together 35 creative thinkers, engineers, innovators, entrepreneurs, social and community solutions workers, architects, facilitators, community members among others from the United States of America (USA), Brazil, Colombia, Guatemalan, Uganda, Zambia, Cameroon, Tanzania, Sudan, Botswana and South Sudan. Participants gathered to learn the design process, use the design process to create technologies that help to solve the pressing community challenges, co-create innovative ideas to solve design challenges and to see some of the technologies created through use of the design process.
The summit aimed at passing out Trainers of Trainees who are expected to teach design as a way of creating technologies, design, develop and disseminate innovations that improve the lives of people living in poverty, equipping the participants with facilitation skills to enable them run practical and hands-on design trainings in their local communities or as part of their work, exploring ways to improve their teaching, increasing on their confidence and capacity to create their own technologies.
The curriculum of the CCB involves first, learning the design process, how to go about with design challenges, Hands-on and practical skills building, team building exercises, project selection, prototyping and showcase of the different technologies created through use of the design process.
We identified challenges affecting communities real time, co-created innovative ideas and went ahead to build prototypes for the identified problems as a framework for learning the design process. ‘It was exciting and fulfilling too for us to come up with real tangible prototypes using locally and readily available materials’ shared Joseph Obore, Former RAN Student Intern 2016 Cohort and now an Innovator designing, initiating and implementing innovative projects for the beneficiaries of Action for Development of Grassroots Communities (ADEGCO)- a Community Based Organization operating in Bukedea District, Eastern Uganda.
Another critical element was underlying belief in everyone to create technologies that can improve their livelihoods. “Using the design Process, we worked with community members from Kulika village and developed a household solar drier for fruits and vegetables using locally available materials. Thus with FAITH we can solve community problems with community members. As a ToT, I will use CCB curriculum to design technologies that reduce wastage of fresh fruits and vegetable in Uganda” shared Hadijah Nantambi innovation fellow at Resilient African Network, designing solar powered cold rooms (Eco Cold Room) for bulk seasonal fruits and vegetables at EcoLife Foods.
As Innovators who are passionate about designing and implementing innovative projects in the communities, this training has equipped us with design skills and knowledge necessary for our work. We thank RAN for selecting us to attend and participate in the design summit.
Below are some of the technologies we created applying the design process.
Hadijah Nantambi and Joseph Obore pose for a picture with their certificates as Creative Capacity Building Trainers of Trainees
A Solar Drier for drying vegetables ready for sale and consumption
A groundnuts plucker
A groundnuts pounder
A charcoal press used for making briquettes as energy fuel for cooking
“Solutions through Innovation”