Innovation Week Tanzania (IWTz) 2022 | Njombe
Impressions of the first edition of IWTz in Njombe
Valiant Hands of Care (VAHACA) Foundation had a privilege to coordinate the Njombe Regional Edition of Innovation Week Tanzania 2022 (IWTz2022) from 11th to 13th May 2022. The IWTz2022 has jointly being organized by UNDP Tanzania through the Funguo Innovation Programme (FUNGUO) and Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) under the coordination of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST).
IWTz2022 Njombe edition involved various activities such as workshop, panel discussions, presentations, innovations exhibition, pitching competition, and exhibitions from partners and entrepreneurs.
This year main theme was
“Innovation for sustainable development” or “Ubunifu kwa kwa maendeleo endelevu” in Kiswahili
VAHACA Foundation (Ibrahim Gambaseni being the Chief Coordinator) organized this year IWTz 2022 Njombe edition with the following key partners;
Njombe Innovation Academy (NIA)
Southern Highlands Participator Organization (SHIPO)
Kings FM radio
Chagua Kurudisha Tabasamu (CKT)
Community Development Department, Njombe Town Council
We conducted a week-long radio campaign from May 8 to May 13 to promote IWTZ 2022 Njombe edition, spreading the word about MAKISATU and IWTZ 2022 along the process.
IWTz 2022, Njombe edition commenced with a panel discussion on the “Malnutrition in Njombe”. Participants discussed the current situation and how can innovation help to end malnutrition in Njombe, a challenge that has been here for decades despite the region being one of the top food producers in Tanzania. The panelists were:
Mr. Kiyenze - SIDO Regional Manager, Njombe.
Mariet Putika - CEO, Mariet Food Products & Chairman, Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce.
Dafroza Kyando - Director, Chagua Kurudisha Tabasamu (From Makambako)
Mr. Kinyamagoha – Community Development Officer, Njombe Town Council.
Imani Henrick, Programmes Manager – Kings FM Radio
Omary Burude – A seasoned Entrepreneur/ trainer from Musoma, Mara.
Mr. Magallah – Lecturer, Njombe FDC
Ibrahim Gambaseni, Operations Director – VAHACA & lead organizer IWTZ 2022 Njombe Edition.
Later on we were graced by the Njombe District Administrative Secretary. He noted on the importance of innovation especially for the future of our nation and for the enormous individual benefits. He also mentioned that now the government is changing its perspective towards innovators, where he said:
”Zamani ilikuwa ukivumbua bunduki – unakamatwa unafungwa… ukivumbua hiki, unaambiwa huna vibali n.k. Lakini sasa huku serikalini tumeanza kubadilika, tunawabeba wavumbuzi kwa kutambua umuhimu wao katika kutupeleka mbele kimaendeleo.”
Exhibitors
We had several exhibitors, but a notable one was Mr Ezekia Stephano Mgeni, a Form Four Leaver who is passionate about electricity. He has created a welding machine using water and salt instead of a coil. It is still in a prototype stage, with a lot of variables to test and collect data, but he was the most talked about person of the event.
Way forward
Before the event we enlisted a number of online session’s organizers from abroad, some of which we referred the to the Dar es Salaam and National editions; but we had to postpone almost all the online sessions due to several reasons; the main reason being low number of the “Right audience”. Therefore, VAHACA and NIA are organizing events that will be held at different times upon availability of the right audience. So far the progress is good.
For the IWTZ 2023, we plan to start engaging partners earlier this time around, so that we should be able to cover most of the costs by ourselves.