The Silicon Valley of Africa
Technology
•
10m
Rwanda experienced a violent civil war between its two main ethnic groups, the Hutu and the Tutsi, that killed around 1 million citizens in 1994. Militant Hutu left the country in a state of poverty after using machetes to maim, rape, and murder civilians. Twenty years later, survivors of the genocide are using technology to improve life in Rwanda. TakePart World producer, Alex Stapleton, visited open-innovation space K-Lab, which offers free education and an environment in which citizens can share tech ideas. Alex traveled with Aphrodice Mutangana, creator of Incike, to meet Stephanie, a woman who lost her entire family and home in the genocide. Thanks to the Incike app, Stephanie now has a house with a kitchen and access to essentials such as food and clothing.
Director: Alex Stapleton
2014 | 25 min
Rwanda | USA
Up Next in Technology
-
The Promise of Gene Therapy
When doctors told Karen Aiach there was no cure for her daughter’s brain disease, she took matters into her own hands. With no scientific background, she created a gene therapy business that can fix the faulty genes in patients like her daughter. Now she’s racing against the clock to extend her d...
-
Right To Identity
With one of the lowest levels of birth registration in Africa, Tanzania’s failing infrastructure and logistical challenges have left decades of backlog in birth registrations. A Tanzanian governmental agency, RITA, joined forces with some strong partners and decided to tackle the issue of birth r...
-
Rain Harvests
Rain Harvests, exposes the harsh reality of an indigenous community in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Climate change has caused droughts, the rainy season comes only once a year and getting water has become a daily challenge. Without fail, the women of this community must make nearly 5 trips daily to ...