A total of 16 global innovators from 14 countries are to receive funding from Expo Live’s flagship Innovation Impact Grant Programme after pitching their solutions to an evaluation committee in Dubai in August.

The recipients – from five continents – operate in an array of fields, including healthcare, education, renewable energy, fintech, waste management and sustainability, and join Expo Live’s community of other Global Innovators who have already received support from the programme.

Among the latest recipients is a Nigerian doctor who co-launched a mobile app and website, Omomi, to help save children’s lives after watching a baby unnecessarily die in an emergency room.

The Omomi application helps expectant mothers and parents of under-five-year-olds monitor the wellbeing of their children from home, which can be life-saving for families living in remote areas or those who cannot afford to attend a medical facility.

Since it was launched in Benin City in 2015, more than 30,000 parents have used the platform. The grant from the Expo Live programme will help it reach even more families.

Expo 2020 Dubai’s Expo Live programme has an allocation of $100 million to back projects such as Omomi that offer creative solutions to pressing challenges that impact people’s lives, or help preserve the world – or both. Organisers are looking for projects that would not reach their full potential without its support.

The programme will grant up to $100,000 per initiative to be made available incrementally depending on progress and results.

Yousuf Caires, vice president, Expo Live, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “We see innovation not as the process of generating ideas, but as the relentless commitment to solving a problem worth solving.”

“It is the Global Innovators’ character, their drive and their reasons for choosing this path – the path of a change-maker – that earns them a place in our Expo Live family and the opportunity to inspire millions at Expo 2020 Dubai.

“I would like to congratulate all the recipients and we look forward to working with them to develop their innovative solutions further,” he added.

World Expos, which trace their origins back to the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, have always celebrated the latest in innovation and technology, from the x-ray machine to television and the Eiffel Tower.

The Expo Live programme was launched in January 2017, following a pilot phase last year. It aims to stimulate innovation that has a social benefit by supporting projects with funding, business guidance and promotion. Successful applicants will also have the chance to showcase their work to many millions of visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai.

To date, the programme has attracted more than 1,100 applicants from 107 countries around the world. Following a rigorous evaluation process, 16 grantees from 14 countries have joined Expo Live’s community of Global Innovators. With these new members from the second cycle, the community now comprises 45 Expo Live Global Innovators from 30 countries.

The third cycle of the programme is now open and will receive creative and innovative solutions to real life challenges by 2December.

Caires added: “We want to prove that innovation can come from anywhere, to everyone. If you have a solution that improves lives, we are here to listen and we are here to welcome you to our community of innovators.”

Among the other latest grant recipients is the Afghan Institute of Learning, an initiative that is using mobile phones in the classroom to educate and empower illiterate women in Afghanistan.

The course teaches women and older girls how to read and write with the help of mobile phones rather than pen and paper, as well as education on topics such as health and hygiene, values and human rights. Expo Live’s grant will help the institute hold more literacy classes in rural and urban areas.

Dr Sakena Yacoobi, founder and CEO of the Afghan Institute of Learning, said: “My mandate is to make sure there is no girl without education in Afghanistan. Even after 25 years, it’s still not easy to persuade people that a little investment into education goes a long way. Despite the difficulty, I remain convinced and committed to this cause, especially because now many of the students have grown to become valuable members of society.

“Through the Expo Live grant, I hope to reach more women and communities, and I want to change people’s perception about women and education.” – TradeArabia News Service