Innovations in the News and Around the World |
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Field Trip to TBI: an Inspiring Journey in the Far, Far North of Kenya
One hour and forty-five minutes after leaving Nairobi, the Cessna Caravan, carrying Fredrick Odhiambo and Kilian Blumenthal from the GIZ WE4F East Africa Hub, starts its descent towards a sand airstrip on the western side of Lake Turkana. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, it is the first chance to visit the project with the Turkana Basin Institute (TBI) in Ileret, Marsabit County in Kenya.
Much has happened since the partnership between TBI and WE4F began in October 2020. The solar-powered water pump and reverse osmosis system, as well as the hydroponic system are now installed; and trainings of local entrepreneurs interested in vegetable production have started. Perfect timing for a visit on the ground!
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EGreen: Social Media Marketing for the Growing Biogas Company
In a new era of virtual businesses and changing marketing best practices, it’s becoming crucial to understand and use social media. By making a strategic investment in marketing, businesses can thrive. A strong communications strategy, a creative video, a new focus on digital presence, all of these often result in growth and sales. Companies can stay on top of their performance and improve their ability to educate, engage, and sustain their customers throughout the product life cycle.
To see how the prize has affected EGreen’s business and marketing strategy, Wanweena Tangsathianraphap, Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist for the WE4F South and Southeast Asia Regional Innovation Hub, sat down with Duc Tho Pham, Chief Executive Officer from EGreen. They spoke about their online marketing pilot project and how the experience helped boost their marketing campaigns and online presence.
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Agroforestry in Côte d’Ivoire: Creating Optimal and Sustainable Agricultural Production
Great news from West Africa! On August 19, 2021, Water and Energy for Food (WE4F), in partnership with the University Jean Lorougnon Guédé of Daloa, launched the Innovative Technique for the Improvement of the Production of Agroforestry Systems in Côte d’Ivoire (SAFIR) project.
The partnership by WE4F and the University of Daloa, will include a four hectare demonstration site that will serve as a learning site for agroforestry best practices and solar powered irrigation for about the 7,000 students who attend the University of Daloa and the 37 cooperatives in the Haut-Sassandra Region, representing about 5,600 members. The site combines many different plants and trees to improve soil fertility, biodiversity, and store carbon, all of which is important for climate change adaptation and resilience.
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Apply Now: Iraq Call for Innovations
WE4F has launched a unique new support program for Iraqi innovators promoting local, sustainable, and scalable solutions for challenges in the water, energy, and agriculture sectors. The $1.5 million program, funded by USAID, will be implemented by the Middle East and North Africa Regional Innovation Hub and will support Iraq-based companies working on providing more sustainable water or energy solutions for agriculture. The selected companies will receive customized support in the form of grants, technical assistance, and investment facilitation to grow their businesses, combat resource scarcity, and foster the transition to a green economy.
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WE4F Launches Fifth Regional Innovation Hub in Southern and Central Africa
Farmers in Southern and Central Africa are facing many challenges. Some of the most notable are felt across the entire region: growing water insecurity, energy crises, the impacts of climate change, and agricultural markets limited by poor infrastructure, low productivity, and pandemic-related movement restrictions. Not to mention, the millions of smallholder farmers and their families whose livelihoods and food security have been put at risk due to pandemic-related demand shortfalls for food products, trade in export crops, and agricultural and food production in the region. To meet these challenges, improve food security, and develop a more resilient water-energy-food nexus that supports farmers as they grow more food with less water and energy, WE4F is launching its fifth Regional Innovation Hub.
In the coming months, the S/CA RIH is looking forward to engaging water-energy-food nexus businesses, investors, and other potential partners in its activities. Businesses interested in working with WE4F S/CA RIH keep an eye out for the coming Call for Innovations, while investors and investment organizations who would want to invest in the WE4F-supported companies should watch for an Expression of Interest (EOI) from Investors in October.
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Impact Farmers, Support Climate Resilience Activities, Invest with WE4F Innovators
Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) is looking for investment partners who are committed to addressing challenges within the water-energy-food nexus and are interested in working with innovative and sustainable companies. Based in the Middle East and North Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Southern and Central Africa, WE4F works with more than 35 countries like Morocco, Jordan, Vietnam, and India. Each region has unique investment potential and equally important, the program provides the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and impact key regional challenges.
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Now Available: WE4F's Session at World Water Week 2021
On August 25, WE4F hosted its first World Water Week session! "Building resilient water-energy efficient agriculture through regional innovation hubs" was a dynamic hour-long session that brought together panelists, videos, interactive polls, and a Q&A session to tell the story of the program, share our activities, and explore new possibilities for future water-energy-food programming. If you missed out on attending the session, don't worry! It's now available on SIWI's YouTube channel.
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Get Hands-on Monitoring & Evaluation Experience with WE4F's External Surveyor Program!
WE4F is seeking current or recent graduates students based in Egypt, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Lebanon to conduct four to six weeks of in-the-field surveying. Candidates should have a background in agriculture, water, energy, technology innovation, environmental studies, research methods, international business, or international development. They must also speak Arabic, Khmer, Indonesian, Javanese, or French.
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Overcoming Barriers to LGBTQI+ Labor Market Participation - Innovative Programs for Economic Empowerment and Inclusive Growth
This webinar outlined the barriers and challenges that LGBTQI+ people face in the labor market and highlighted three successful programs to address them in Brazil, Kenya, and Cambodia. Discrimination, stigma, violence, and criminalization cause widespread exclusion from economic opportunities for LGBTQI+ people, ultimately lowering development outcomes and reducing overall economic potential of societies. Despite this, LGBTQI-led organizations and activists have developed a variety of targeted solutions and partnerships to address barriers, enhance livelihoods, and develop sustainable paths for market participation.
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Creating Better, Decent and Greener Jobs for Youth in Sustainable Agrifood and Other Sectors
Increasing young people’s access to more and better quality jobs in many low- and lower-middle-income countries (LICs and LMICs) is an urgent priority. At more than 1.2 billion and rising, today's global youth population aged 15 to 24 is the largest in history. Almost 90% of these young people are living in developing countries, mostly in rural areas with high agricultural potential. While some countries will see declines, the youth population in the 47 least-developed countries will increase 62% by 2050. In Africa alone, 440 million young people are expected to enter the labor market between 2015 and 2030.
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