Kenya’s rising profile as an innovation hub in the global software scene has been bolstered after a local developer won the just concluded World Bank Applications (apps) for Development challenge.
Edging out a field of more than 107 entries from 36 countries, Athman Ali managed to clinch an award in the competition, which aimed to push developers to create software solutions that can be used to solve development issues around the world.
“We recognised we don’t have a monopoly on innovation. These apps clearly demonstrate how the software development community can harness technology to analyse and tackle some of the world’s long-standing problems,” said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick.
Mr Athman, a local developer, created an application that allows users to compete online to complete MDG challenges, which was dubbed FACTCHA: Stop Spam, Advocate for the MDGs!
Among the other entries in the competition were an application that allows users to visualise development indicators using powerful charts and maps, a web-based tool to measure the impact of global events on progress toward the Millennium Development Goals, and an interactive app that lets users make their own comparisons of countries’ performance.
Last year, the World Bank issued a challenge to software developers from across the globe to take on some of the world’s most pressing development problems by creating digital apps using the Bank’s freely available data.
The response was overwhelming, with 107 entries from 36 countries across six continents, and nearly a third from Africa.
A panel of expert judges, including technology gurus such as Kannan Pashupathy of Google, Ory Okolloh, co-founder of Ushahidi, and Craig Newmark of Craigslist, selected the winners.
A total of Sh4.6 million ($55,000) was awarded in cash prizes to competition winners.
“This competition has brought software developers into the development conversation. We see enormous potential in crowdsourcing solutions to persistent development problems, and we are especially excited when our data can be used as raw material to spark creativity and innovation,” said Aleem Walji, Manager, Innovation Practice at the World Bank Institute.
The Apps for Development Competition was launched in September 2010 by World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick as part of the Bank’s Open Data Initiative, an effort that unlocks the institution’s world-class knowledge and development data for researchers, activists, students, and development practitioners across the globe.
The initiative is rapidly expanding, in line with the huge demand for development data and information.
Comments