In South Africa, a remarkable transformation is underway as the African Impact Initiative funds ventures aimed at enhancing its local communities through impactful community projects. Recognizing the power of grassroots efforts, The African Impact Initiative has launched its own Community Impact Project stream .

To catalyze these worthy projects, Community Impact has committed resources to support local teams. Selected projects receive financial backing, with grants of substantial value from CAD$1500 to CAD$5000, enabling them to turn their ideas into tangible improvements for the community. These grants serve as a testament to South Africa's dedication to creating positive change at the grassroots level.

The Community Impact Stream is: 



MiDesk Global : Creating an innovative school backpack that transforms into a workstation complete with solar-powered lighting and a USB charging port. They understand the unique challenges faced by school going children who may not have access to conventional school desks. MiDesk Global is dedicated to making their educational journey more comfortable and engaging. Their portable workstation is ergonomically designed to promote better posture and concentration, fostering a conducive learning environment wherever they go.

United Siyafunda: At United Siyafunda, the founders dream of a world where every individual, regardless of their background, has the knowledge and skills to thrive in the digital age. Their mission is to make this vision a reality by providing comprehensive access to coding and robotics training ti all. Coding and robotics education goes beyond technology; it's a gateway to a world of possibilities. It teaches critical thinking, teamwork, and resilience—skills that are invaluable in every aspect of life. We believe in equipping individuals not just for a career but for a lifetime of success.

Agri-Key Farming :is not just a business; it's a beacon of hope and opportunity for youth and women in rural areas. Their mission is clear: to empower individuals in underserved communities to become thriving entrepreneurs. They envision a future where rural areas are hubs of economic activity, and every aspiring entrepreneur, especially the youth and women, has the tools to succeed. Agri-Key Farming stands as a pillar of support on the journey towards realizing this vision.

My Pregnancy Journey: is a pioneering company specializing in maternal education services. They offer a unique and digital educational handbook meticulously crafted to cater to the specific needs and challenges faced by South African women during pregnancy. Their business is committed to equipping expectant mothers with essential knowledge and resources, promoting healthier pregnancies, and ultimately contributing to improved maternal and child outcomes in South Africa.



Bophelo-phelo Care: Improving community distribution of medication, by making it faster for users to receive their medication with technology.Bophelo Phelo Care is a visionary organization on a mission to revolutionize the distribution of medication within communities. We are committed to significantly reducing the time it takes for users to access their vital medications by leveraging cutting-edge technology solutions.In many communities, the distribution of medication can be a time-consuming and cumbersome process, often requiring individuals to travel long distances to clinics or pharmacies. Bophelo Phelo Care understands the critical importance of timely access to medication for maintaining health and well-being, especially for those with chronic conditions or acute medical needs.

Obzee Cares :is a transformative initiative dedicated to breaking down barriers and expanding horizons for underserved learners. We are committed to increasing access to career guidance, mentoring, and bursaries through an innovative digital platform designed to nurture talent and unlock opportunities.n today's fast-paced and competitive world, access to career guidance and financial support can make all the difference for underserved learners. Many of these bright young minds face significant challenges in pursuing their dreams, often due to limited resources, lack of guidance, or a dearth of role models to look up to.

In 2022, teams eligible for the community impact stream were selected from the Rwandan African Impact Challenge pool of applicants. We received technological and mentorship support from ICUBE, an organization embedded within the University of Toronto Mississauga, focused on empowering social entrepreneurs and early-stage startups. Each team was awarded $2000 CAD, and 300+ coaching hours for technical, marketing, and product support and development. The community impact project event was held on December 17th, 2022 and teams were able to engage with the community while showcasing their demos/prototypes.

The top three teams were:

• YoRide: There are presently no on-demand ride-sharing systems available in Rwanda. YoRide proposed a ride-hailing mobile application that lets you find a taxi, rent a car, share a trip, and allows registered private car owners to pick up a passenger traveling in the same direction as theirs.

• Edutainment: This team aims to produce educational videos on contraceptives and family planning on an online platform where the information is accessible to users and community members.

• Fiber Trans Waste: Their idea was to recycle waste from sugarcane and maize husks to produce organic sanitary pads to sell at affordable prices via an automated vending machine.

The People’s Choice Award was also given to Fiber Trans Waste!

After a successful launch of the Community Impact Projects in Ghana, we hosted the 2021 challenge in Kenya. Our goal was to support one team from the ventures that participated in the pre-incubation phase of the African Impact Challenge whose idea would have a significant impact on their community.

The selected team was Motobrix: a social enterprise that engages unemployed youth to transform environmental waste into organic briquettes (renewable energy products). The idea has been effective in cutting dependency on expensive fossil fuels and has enabled communities to take part in the global fight against climate change.

We awarded Motorbrix a grant of KES 133,000 (roughly $1500 CAD) to facilitate the purchasing of the tools for briquette production and their demo day preparation.

Motorbrix has progressively established partnerships with organizations such as the Nairobi Metropolitan City, Plan International, Kenyatta University among others and they continue to engage in community projects in Mathare, Nairobi where they are located.

We launched the first official community impact project stream in Ghana. After looking at the applications submitted for the African Impact Challenge in 2020, we noticed that some ideas were more suited for a charitable donation to execute a project that addressed a societal need while engaging community members. These ideas either did not have technological features or a business model. We awarded the selected team with GH₵4000 (roughly $500 CAD).

The selected project was called Provision of Furniture for Blema D/S School in Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of Savannah Region. This project is the idea of students who attended the University for Development Studies. The goal of this project is to contract a local carpenter who will design ergonomic chairs and desks for primary and secondary students to use in schools. Students and staff are invited to engage in the project by painting and finalizing the designs of the desks.