Two students, Michael Mwaisakenyi and Kenneth Gichira, from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) are the regional winners of the 18th annual Microsoft Imagine Cup Competition.
The annual competition saw thousands of students across the world submitting innovations to impact their communities, both locally and globally. The competition advanced through hackathons, online semi-finals, and virtual regional final events, bringing together finalists via Microsoft Teams. Six teams, including a team of bright young minds from Kenya, were selected to move forward to the World Championship and present their projects to compete for the 2020 trophy on the biggest stage yet—the Microsoft Build 2020 digital event.
EMEA champions
The winning team, The Knights from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya, created an automated robot using artificial intelligence to identify and remove weeds from rows of crops. Their solution uses cameras as sensors to gather input from the environment and eliminate farmers’ need to use environmentally harmful pesticides in their weeding. As part of winning the regional finals, the team won 8000 USD each. Prizes also included Azure credits and a spot in the Imagine Cup World Championship event.
“Microsoft Imagine Cup has always aimed to empower students to use their imagination and passion for technology. To develop innovative and inclusive solutions that tackle key societal issues. This aligns directly with Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to providing students with the necessary resources and platforms to hone in on and grow their skillset. With an increasing focus on bringing the world together digitally, we’re continually encouraged by the projects young developers create to make a difference. We are also extremely proud of The Knights.Who by making it to the championship event, have reaffirmed Kenya and Africa’s immense potential to create solutions that directly address socio-economic needs within industries such as the agricultural sector,” says Kendi Nderitu, Country Manager for Microsoft in Kenya.
Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship Competition
Held in virtual format this year in light of the health safety recommendations, World Finalists pitched their projects during Microsoft Build’s inaugural digital event.
This year’s event saw innovation experts spanning a variety of technology, diversity, and social change-centred experiences that align to the core of Imagine Cup’s mission as judges. These are; tech innovator and leader Dwana Franklin-Davis, CEO of Reboot Representation. She has worked to empower underrepresented groups in technology. Young innovators and CyberCode Twins, America and Penelope Lopez. Who have participated in tech competitions across the world and hope to introduce other students to opportunities in the field. Finally, Microsoft president Brad Smith. He leads work on a wide range of issues involving the intersection of technology and society. Including ethics and AI, human rights, and environmental sustainability.
Kicking off the event with a short pitch of their projects in the lightning round, the judges selected Team Hollo from Hong Kong along with Team Syrinx from Japan and Team Tremor Vision from the United States to advance to the second and final round of the competition. Each of the top three teams then gave an in-depth presentation of their solutions. Assessed for their diversity, originality and innovative design.
Winners
Judges selected Team Hollo as the 2020 Microsoft Imagine Cup championship winners. The team, from the University of Hong Kong, won the grand prize. With a mental health companion web app leveraging Azure analytics and AI services to advance youth therapy practices. The grand prize included 100,000 USD, a mentoring session with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and 50,000 USD in Azure grants.
Also making it to the top-six position was Team RedWalls from Tunisia National Institute of Applied Science and Technology. With their I-Remember mobile application designed for the well-being of both the Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.
Innovations from bright minds in Africa
“We are thrilled for Team Hollo and look forward to future updates surrounding their winning solution. At the same time, we are also encouraged by the sheer talent of all this year’s finalists. Who clearly put a lot of thought behind their unique tech innovations. As we continue to navigate through the Fourth Industrial Revolution, particularly in such uncertain times, I am confident we will continue to see innovations from young bright minds not only in Africa but the world over,” concludes Nderitu.
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Microsoft is giving Kenya courts six months free access to its Office 365 collaboration platform dubbed Teams as social distancing rules take root in the wake of Covid-19.
Open court sessions are suspended to limit exposure to the virus. Kenya courts are therefore relying on technology to continue operations and avoid backlogs.
Chief Justice David Maraga notes the court’s activities involve an extensive exchange of paperwork which risks the spread of the virus.
While it is prudent to upscale court activities it will not be wise to have open court sessions at this time. This doesn’t mean the courts have closed down,court operations have never and will never be closed. The proceedings can only be conducted remotely through increased use of technology. Except in exceptional circumstances, all pleadings are being filed and served electronically. All other matters including the delivery of judgements shall be handled through video conferencing or email. I want to announce Microsoft has donated the application of Microsoft Teams for use for six months free of charge.
Global pandemic Covid-19 has changed the way most people work. Governments are issuing lockdowns, curfews, cessation of movements and restricting the number of individuals at gatherings to curb the spread of the deadly virus. This has compelled businesses and organizations including courts to rethink their work model.
Technology companies such as Microsoft, Facebook, Zoom and Google have stepped in to help companies wade uncertain times as they seek to stay afloat. Most of the tech firms are offering video conferencing, remote and team collaboration tools free of charge during this period. Microsoft announced it is making Teams – which comes bundled in Office 365 – free for everyone.
“During this extraordinary time, it is clear that software, has a huge role to play across every industry and around the world“, notes Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella. Speaking about the company’s unique role as a platform and tools provider during this global pandemic.
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Are you a female computer science, IT, or computer science-related course graduate? Or do you have six months or more coding experience? Apply to participate in the next software engineering cohort of the Microsoft LEAP Engineering Acceleration apprenticeship Program in Kenya.
The LEAP Engineering Acceleration Program is a Microsoft initiative that tries to increase diversity. Bringing more women into software engineering roles. By providing them with real world experience through development and project management apprenticeships with hands-on projects.
The selected participants will undergo six weeks of virtual classroom and labs training. Because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Microsoft notes, this is a training program only. However, successful candidates may be eligible to apply for Software Engineering roles within its Africa Development Center department.
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There are various ways to send money from your PayPal account to your M-Pesa wallet. These transactions are mostly done through third-party platforms leaving you with high transaction fees. I find the PayPal collaboration with Safaricom (Safaricom Money Transfer Services Limited) and Thunes (TransferTo Mobile Financial Services Ltd) the easiest and most cost-efficient.
Firstly you don’t have to create several different accounts. Or need to have a bank account. All you need is your PayPal email address and your M-Pesa mobile money number. The PayPal mobile money platform lets you link your wallet to your account in seconds. It also has a simple way to withdraw funds from your PayPal account. That is transferred to your M-Pesa in at least two hours. A 3% conversion fee applies to withdrawals and 4% for top-ups. I still find this better than the other platforms as they boast of a better forex rate.
Here is how to link your PayPal and M-PESA accounts
Enter the amount you would like to withdraw and click on continue to withdraw.
Verify the withdrawal and confirm it.
You’ll get a notification from Safaricom telling you your transaction from PayPal is being processed. Including how much you’ll receive and the duration.
After the duration lapses, you’ll get a transaction completed notification. And how much has been added to your M-Pesa.
During the withdrawal process, you will see the processing time. You are able to withdraw a maximum amount of 150,000 KES per transaction.
I hope this helps. Got questions? Shoot them at me. Did i miss something, let me know.
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Microsoft
and Ministry of Agriculture sign MOU to help farmers in Kenya solve key
challenges
As part of its ongoing investment into agriculture for social good and AI, Microsoft announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives (MALFC) to collaborate in accelerating innovation in the agricultural sector in Kenya.
The
Memorandum of Understanding will enable the Government of Kenya, through MALFC,
to tap into Microsoft technology to accelerate the aspirations of achieving
100% food and nutrition security in the country as part of the Government’s Big Four programme. This is
an accelerated five-year development plan designed to fast-track the
realisation of Kenya’s Vision 2030 programme through four key pillars,
including food security.
“To
ensure that we achieve our Food Security goal, we are striving for a 34 percent
increase in the daily average income of farmers, a 47 percent reduction in the
cost of food as a percentage of income, a 50 percent reduction in the number of
food-insecure Kenyans and to create 1,000 Agro-SMEs and 600,000 new jobs. Microsoft’s
technology will enable us to find innovative solutions that drive progress in
agriculture and support our 2030 vision,” says Principal Secretary for
Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Proff. Hamadi Boga.
Microsoft
aims to support digital transformation in agriculture in order to drive
economic growth. Microsoft is deeply
engaged with finding innovative agri-tech solutions for African agricultural
problems, and has previously partnered with the World Bank through its One
Million Farmers Platform, and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
(AGRA), to co-create technology solutions in Africa.
As a
partner to MALFC, Microsoft will design, pilot and launch a programme to drive
agricultural solutions innovation that addresses key challenges facing the
agricultural sector such as pests and disease control, sustainable agricultural
resource management, agri-weather data, and others.
“Microsoft
believes that adoption and integration of technologies such as the cloud, AI
and more, into the agricultural space will bring about this transformation in
the form of precision. Microsoft wants to enable agricultural firms to become
thriving digital businesses that provide sustainable food and nutrition to the
world,” says Microsoft Kenya Country Manager Kendi Nderitu.
Microsoft
will leverage its Open Data Platform and Azure Chatbot services to help farmers
with agricultural pest control diagnostics. Microsoft 4Afrika will also co-host
workshops involving a wide range of agri-tech stakeholders including the World
Bank Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Kenya Agriculture Livestock and Research
Organisation (KALRO), AGRA and others, to address issues in Kenya’s
agricultural data ecosystem.
In addition to its partnerships with AGRA and the
World Bank, Microsoft’s investments in agriculture include its FarmBeats project,
which is using is low-cost sensors, drones and machine learning algorithms to
support data-driven, precision farming. Previous winners of its AI for Earth
grants in Africa include SunCulture, DHI Group and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, who are all using artificial intelligence to
address food security and nutrition in Africa.
Through
its 4Afrika initiative, Microsoft will also partner with MALFC to recruit,
train and place interns through its Interns4Afrika
programme. This initiative seeks to offer young graduates the chance to grow
their careers through six-month placements in Microsoft partner organisations.
The programme helps bridge the gap between graduate skills and the skills set
employers are looking for, while providing graduates with real-world, hands-on
job experience to assist them in moving from learning to earning. By having
access to Microsoft trained and certified interns, Interns4Afrika partners can
extend their talent pipeline and retain strong talent.
“Agriculture is a priority area of investment for
us, not only because of the enormous number of livelihoods it supports and the
economic growth it drives, but also because it has a high potential to be a
data-driven sector,” says Amrote Abdella, Regional Director of Microsoft
4Afrika. “We’re fully committed to supporting agricultural transformation
starting in Kenya – and the rest of Africa – and more critically, the
innovators who are key drivers of this digital transformation.”
Microsoft 4Afrika has previously collaborated with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to co-create technology solutions in Africa. The partnership explores the uses of big data and AI in enabling data-driven, precision farming that increases farm productivity and profitability, and supports AGRA’s digital transformation as it works to improve food security for 30 million farming households across 11 countries by 2021.
The partnership is demonstrative of Microsoft’s ongoing investment in agri-tech across the continent, which also features partnerships with Twiga Foods, a mobile-based business-to-business food supply platform that links smallholder farmers in rural Kenya to informal retail vendors in cities.
