Uganda comes third in Apps4Africa contest
By Sharon Tibenda
23rd January 2012:
The U.S. Department of State has announced the East African winners of the Apps4Africa: Climate Challenge, a regional competition designed to address local climate change challenges through the development of web-based and mobile applications.
Appfrica International, a private sector partner, announced the winners on January 14th at the Villages in Action Conference in Masindi District. Third place was awarded to Agro Universe, a mobile and web-based app from Uganda that creates a regional marketplace, helping communities prepare for pest- and drought-induced food shortages by linking these communities to farmers with available produce.
First place however went to The Grainy Bunch, an application developed in Tanzania. The Grainy Bunch features a national grain supply chain management system that monitors the purchase, storage, distribution, and consumption of grain across the entire nation. It was designed to ensure both food and economic security.
Second place was awarded to Mkulima Calculator, a Kenyan application that will help farmers decide when to plant crops and how to select the best crops for a given location using climate and weather data. In a statement issued last week, the U.S. Department of State said all the three East African winners support “climate-smart” agriculture in the region.
The competition, the US said, “…demonstrates that the United States is working with partners to bring together practitioners, policy-makers, and African technology innovators through programs such as the global Adaptation Partnership and Apps4Africa in order to highlight country-driven solutions to climate change adaptation in East Africa.”
Apps4Africa: Climate Challenge consists of three African regional competitions. Winners from the West and Central Africa contest were announced in December, and winners from the Southern Africa competition will be announced in April. The contests build on the outcomes of regional climate change adaptation workshops organized by the Adaptation Partnership which has more than 20 countries.
Winners will receive cash prizes. Private partners, including TED and Indigo Trust, are contributing follow-on support. END: Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
