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A young Malawian inventor has taken matters into his own hands to support his community. VOA Africa reports that Ernest Andrew sparked electricity in his village through an air-powered generator that he created. Andrew claims that what he’s innovated doesn’t require fuel, oil, or batteries. “After realizing that we were facing a lot of problems without using electricity, I thought of trying to make electricity,” Ernest told the outlet. “Now, here we are.” According to Andrew, his generator creates 1,000 volts of electricity and has helped to power nine homes. He aims to build out capacity to connect his entire village as well as a nearby primary school. “This system generates electricity using air. To make a lightbulb illuminate, I use power stored in bottle s,” he explained . “I experiment with magnetic power to determine how much electricity I can produce. After that, I generate power based on the number of houses I want to supply.” The outlet shares that Andrew’s generator has...
“When your crops are caught on fire, you don’t wait for somebody to put it [out]. You are the one who faces the heat.” The proverb from William Kamkwamba’s grandmother lit a fire in him to strive to take action himself to create solutions. From a very young age, the Malawi native’s mind was always filled with curiosity. His vivid imagination as a child had him taking apart radios because he initially thought tiny people were talking inside of them.
The phrase “NEPA took the light” is something that you hear quite often in Nigeria. The acronym stands for the National Electric Power Authority, the former name for the company that keeps the power running in the country. Now, named the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, electricity cutting off sporadically continues to be an ongoing issue. In 2014, Beacon Power Services (BPS) founder and chief executive officer Bimbola Adisa launched his company to help improve electricity access in not only Nigeria but across Africa, TechCrunch reports. A report says that in 2020, 77 percent of Sub-Saharan African countries had no access to electricity, having to turn to alternatives like generators. After eight years invested in providing energy management software and analytics for utilities, BPS has recently raised $2.7 million, according to the outlet. “Africa is home to the fastest growing cities in the world, but when most people think of energy access in Africa, they think of the rural...
The Solo Bag is brightening the future! After the tragic loss of his cousin, Mike Bellot created the Solo Bag — an innovative school backpack that not only provides light for reading and studying but power for charging, too! “While studying in Taiwan for my Master’s degree, I received a phone call that changed my life,” Bellot told AfroTech. “My cousin passed away because he was studying by candlelight and had fallen asleep. All of this happened because he didn’t have access to electricity to study.” It was this tragedy that influenced Bellot to address the alarming problem in his home country of Haiti — lack of access to electricity. “I started working on some ideas because in Haiti only 37% of the population has access to electricity,” said the 26-year-old entrepreneur. His target audience was students so he began to work on a project that would address this issue for a specific group of people. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mike Bellot (@mikebellot) “I thought...
Many may not realize it, but there are still countries in Africa that live in darkness without access to electricity. According to The Economist , the continent is home to almost a fifth of the world’s population, but only accounts for less than 4 percent of global electricity use, and urban communities are faced with the most challenges. In an effort to solve this issue, Face 2 Face Africa reports that Dutch goalkeeper Andre Onana is bringing light to the native people of Mengueme in the small town of Ossoessam, Cameroon — a place his mother once called home. Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana has funded an electric grid to provide electricity for his mother's hometown in Mengueme, Cameroon 👏 pic.twitter.com/8BzlHVLZF3 — B/R Football (@brfootball) August 10, 2020 Onana — through his gesture — funded an electric grid that has been able to provide citizens of Ossoessam with the vital energy resource they need, according to Bleacher Report’s Twitter. Actu Cameroun reports Onana has made it a...
President Trump is back on his trade war wave — and this time, it’s rolling straight through the auto industry. With a fresh round of 25% tariffs on cars and auto parts set to take effect on April 3, people from the auto industry, from C-suites to dealership floors, are bracing for the impact. The administration says it’s about protecting national security and strengthening the U.S. manufacturing base. But if you’re thinking about buying a car this year, or if your job has anything to do with auto production, here’s the truth: You may be paying more, waiting longer, and dealing with fewer options. And that’s just the beginning. Why The White House Is Saying This Is Necessary According to an official statement from the White House, these tariffs on cars are aimed at keeping America safe. The administration is emphasizing that too many imports are “undermining” the “domestic industrial base” and weakening the U.S. supply chain. The idea is to hit foreign-made cars and parts with a 25%...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. During his second term, Donald Trump has continued to change how the United States operates with its allies. Recently, Trump and JD Vance met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House to ease tensions with the current administration and finalize a mineral deal intended to be celebrated following their televised meeting. However, the way Zelenskyy was treated during the exchange was a shocking break from modern diplomatic norms. This incident is just one example of a broader shift—one that becomes clearer as the Trump administration continues to signal a closer alignment with Russia, making its willingness to bully allies increasingly apparent. Previously, Donald Trump claimed that tariffs on Canada and Mexico would be paused before they were set to go into effect earlier this year. CNN reported that he kept to his word and imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports...
The thing about economic policies is that they don’t operate in a vacuum. Every decision — every tax, every regulation, every tariff — sends ripples through the system. Some people surf the waves. Others get drowned by them. Tariffs have long been used as a tool of economic warfare, a way for nations to protect their industries or punish their rivals. But under President Donald Trump, tariffs have become something else entirely: a high-stakes bargaining chip in a trade war that seems to have no end. According to CNN, his latest round of 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, along with another 10% levy on Chinese goods, has thrown American businesses, workers, and consumers into a state of economic uncertainty. The White House insists tariffs will protect American industries, but history tells a different story. Prices are rising, businesses are struggling, and working-class families — many already battling inflation — will be forced to make tough choices. Tariffs In Context:...
Green technology, also known as cleantech or sustainable technology, refers to innovations designed to reduce environmental impact, conserve resources, and promote sustainability. It focuses on creating solutions that are energy-efficient, low-emission, and environmentally friendly, addressing issues such as climate change, resource depletion, and pollution. Green technology covers various sectors, including renewable energy, water conservation, waste management, and sustainable agriculture, and plays a crucial role in protecting the planet while supporting economic growth. What Is Green Technology? At its core, green technology is aimed at improving environmental sustainability. It includes technologies that promote the use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind, as well as those that enhance energy efficiency and reduce waste. The goal of green technology is to minimize the environmental footprint of industries and individuals by shifting away from fossil fuels and...
Cliff Vmir continues to build on his success as a seasoned hair stylist. Turning His Passion For Hair Into A Brand Vmir began showing interest in hair care at 8 years old. However, at 14, when his parents separated, he fully committed to his passion. This allowed him to financially support his mother, who had been out of work for three months due to a knee replacement. “It wasn’t until my mom and my dad split up completely, when I was 14, that I was able to kind of go in full-throttle and understand that this isn’t something that I wanna just play around with. This is something that I can make money from,” Vmir told AFROTECH™ in an interview. “It’s crazy ’cause it’s something that I love to do… I also feel like with my mom and my dad splitting up, it was just kind of something that financially I wanted to help my mom. So not saying that I was forced into it, but I felt like it was only right for me to just use what I have to get what we need, and I was able to kind of help support...
Highlighting bias in artificial intelligence (AI) is essential, but equally important is educating people on ways to prevent it. In 2019, Salesforce established its Trusted AI Principles to address the ethical implications of predictive AI and machine learning. By 2023, with the rapid evolution of generative AI, Salesforce deepened its commitment to responsible AI by participating in the AFROTECH™ Conference, where it discussed strategies for prioritizing ethical and inclusive practices in generative AI. During the session, “ Closing The AI Trust Gap: Battling Bias | Presented by Salesforce,” Jackie Chambers de Freitas, Vice President of Agile Delivery and Coaching at Salesforce, shared how Salesforce’s focus on AI began in 2014, when CEO Marc Benioff declared that the company would become an AI-first company. Watch the session here via AFROTECH™ Labs. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFROTECH (@afro.tech) “The goal was to transform Salesforce into an intelligent...
Ghana is stepping up to the plate to be a part of Africa’s electric vehicle (EV) movement. Wahu Mobility seems up for the challenge as it has opened Ghana’s first EV assembly plant that has the capacity to build about 200 e-bikes per month, CNN reports. The e-mobility brand was founded to create a more sustainable last-mile delivery option. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Valerie Labi (@valerielabi) “It really kind of struck me that I didn’t want the mobility to be fulfilled by petrol motorbikes,” Wahu Mobility Co-Founder and CEO Valerie Labi told CNN. “By 2030, there will be 30 million delivery riders across Africa and it just made me think, as a continent, we are more conscious around becoming sustainable and moving to net zero.” Labi added, “And transport was just a huge opportunity to make a difference in that way.” According to the outlet, Wahu Mobility’s e-bikes take around four hours to charge. Labi also noted that the e-bikes were designed to suit Ghana’s...
With more than 100 patents under his belt, Lanny Smoot has never been afraid to take his imagination to the next level. As a Disney Research Fellow, Smoot is in a position where he has access to a different type of freedom — one that helps him explore different concepts and bring them to life. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, Smoot was inducted into the 2024 National Inventors Hall of Fame. He’s also the first Disney Imagineer to receive the honor and the second in the company, aside from Walt Disney himself. “To be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame means that you’ve made inventions that have changed the world in some sense, right? And it’s a great honor,” he told AFROTECH™ from his Walt Disney office in Los Angeles during an event to unveil the latest Disney Imagineer contributions, including the all-new Princess Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Animatronics. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Disney Parks (@disneyparks) “I didn’t know when the induction...
A high school student is shattering the glass ceiling! While attending school in Nigeria, Damilola Awofisayo remembers unstable electricity disrupting educational lessons. At the time, Awofisayo and her classmates were not exposed to the solutions that existed in the world of computer science. Nearly four years later, Awofisayo moved to the United States and would attend Thomas Jefferson High School in Virginia. The computer science-driven school encourages all students to take a course in the field before graduating. Awofisayo did not understand the value of computer science initially. With that said, she planned to take the course her senior year of high school but a counselor placed her in the course her freshman year instead and the rest is history! “Within the first three weeks in the class, I fell in love with computer science. It was my tool to create solutions for problems I had seen in my society and with my experience living in Lagos, Nigeria,” Awofisayo said to AfroTech.
When an energy company decided it wanted to build a solar farm in the sleepy town of Archer, Florida, activists stood up and took notice. The town, which is steeped in Black history (rock legend Bo Diddley was born there), is also one of the few counties in Florida where Black homeownership — the prime driver for middle-class wealth — is at a much higher rate than most other counties in Florida. Yet, if this proposed solar farm — reported recently by The Grio — were to go up on 650 acres of vacant farmland near the St. Petersburg area, the residents would receive no benefits from its presence. And, in fact, they’d be all but driven out — which, they say, is the point. Jeraldine McMillan, who is a native of Archer, told the local CBS affiliate that none of the residents would receive benefits like cheaper electricity, for example. “We get our power from Clay Electric, and this whole project does not benefit us at all, and that’s where they overlooked us,” she said. “We grew up in...