Did You Know About The “Hackathon” And About It’s Potential For Technology Innovations In Kenya?

Today I learned how technology afficionados from Kenya and Canada are trying to make a difference by using computer technologies such as Skype for developing innovations. From November 20th to the 22th, these brilliant minds will hold the so called Poverty Hackathon aimed at developing innovative applications that will reduce poverty in Kenya. The winning solution will be implemented by Free the Children, an international charity, in rural Kenya.

“A Hackathon is an event designed for computer programmers, software and hardware developers, graphic designers and project managers. This particular one spearheaded by Devs Without Borders hopes to bring charitable minded developers from Toronto and Nairobi together to create feasible solutions for education, farming and business for people in the developing world in just 28 hours. The best idea will then be implemented by Free The Children in 18 rural Kenyan communities in January. Free The Children is an international charity and educational partner founded mainly to empower communities to lift themselves out of poverty.”

(Source: VenturesAfrica.com)

By making a difference in health, farming and access to education, the initiators want to improve life conditions of the local communities in rural Kenya. I was thrilled to learn about the unconventional ways, these tech-savy users are adapting to make a difference in Africa. And what’s more, the collaboration between local developers in Kenya and the tech-community in Canada sounds very promising. I can’t wait to see what interesting developments the Hackathon will bring. I’ll surely keep you posted.