The Women Hackathon 2025 Phase One (virtual) is here with us! This follows a competitive selection of 63 young women in STEM, organised in 21 teams, from a pool of 93 concept submissions that were received. The hackathon 2025, themed “Innovations for climate change, adaptation and mitigation,” seeks to address the gap in innovations supporting climate change adaptation and mitigation, and the gender gap in software applications development in Africa. This comes against the backdrop of the past two successful regional hackathons, where 35 young women were mentored and trained.
The 21 teams shall be guided by academic and industrial experts to develop innovative digital proof-of-concept solutions tackling climate change mitigation and adaptation challenges. Webinars on topical issues shall also be mounted to impart relevant skills and build confidence among the future women technology leaders. The developed solutions shall provide the teams with innovative proof-of-concepts for them to seek funding for further development and commercialisation. At the end of the virtual programme, the teams shall pitch their solutions.
As the regional Research and Education Network of Eastern and Southern Africa, we are thrilled to officially onboard the 63 participants to the hackathon 2025. We join hands with the successful young women innovators throughout this journey of discovering their full potential, incubating their skills, and presenting them with an enabling environment to share their experiences with each other. Below shows details of the participants selected from various countries across the region.
| Title | Team Members | Country |
| AquaWise – Water Conservation and Management Tool | Thelma Chiromba, Nesta Mabiku, Marion Munkuli | Zimbabwe |
| Digital Innovation for Sustainable Bamboo Energy: BamPower | Joyce Achom, Bernadette Ajalo, Victoria Hope Apolot | Uganda |
| Eco Innovator Lab | Mariam Nabukenya, Hadijah Nalukwago, Patricia Namayanja | Uganda |
| EcoFleet: Intelligent Monitoring and Emission Profiling of Used Car Imports in Lesotho Using AI and IOT | Nthatisi Hlapisi, Mamasole Leepile, Lintle Tsiu | Lesotho |
| Climate Quest: Eco Heroes Concept Note | Musiime Doris, Marble Nakaye Babirye, Dorothy Martha Namutamba | Uganda |
| Innovate for climate change adaptation and Mitigation | Eunice Chipeta, Shannie Chirwa, Saidat Uwicyeza | Malawi |
| ICT Solution for Toxic Waste Smoke Detection and Alerts in African Urban Areas | Amina Ibrahim, Ayaan Abulkadir Mohamud, Farhio Hassan Abdulle | Somalia |
| HeatShield + Geo-Targeted Heat Protection | Maymun Elmi Dirie, Hani Abdi Ali Amira Anwar Mohamed | Somalia |
| Urban Resilience Platform (Green City Hack) | Onayi Theresa Chikumo, Anesu Guveya, Gugulethu Beatrice Sebele | Zimbabwe |
| CityAir+: A Proactive Community-Based Carbon Emission Monitoring and Response System | Martha Kisakye; Martha Namugga; Daphne Nakamyuka | Uganda |
| IOT-based water quality, temperature, and oxygen monitoring system for fish farms | Jocelyn Munapo, Mary Masimo, Munashe Mashaka | Zimbabwe |
| Deforestation Tracker | Chimwemwe Phiri, Chikondi Moffat, Hariet Ngano | Zambia |
| EcoGrow proposal | Tlotlisang Mahloko, Mpho Lemena, Mpho Lerotholi | Lesotho |
| Smart Waste Tracker | Sharifa Ali Khamis, Aisha Hamadi Bakari, Najat Abdalla Abeid | Tanzania |
| DisasterShield: A Climate Resilience Scoreboard for Households | Ekariorama Magaleta, Joana Mhone, Yankho Kamtukulo | Malawi |
| Hydro-Link Rural | Tlalane Sechele, Karabo Makoetje, Malomile Brazy Ramochele | Lesotho |
| ClimaGuard – Climate Change mitigation | Rutendo Sengera, Fadzayi B Nyaguse, Simangiliso Chideme | Zimbabwe |
| Innovative Approaches for Tackling Waste Management Through an ICT Solution | Phumlile Dlamini, Asiphe Malangwane, Nonduduzo Mkhaliphi | Eswatini |
| Development of Smart Water Monitoring System with IoT Technology | Angela Nickson Mbwambo, Laila Yassin Chang’a, Mwajuma Hassan Sangole | Tanzania |
| Smart Waste Alert and Response System (SWARS) for Urban Communities in Tanzania | Regina Mlay, Priscilla Lupenza, Schola Makanja | Tanzania |
| A Solar-Powered eLearning Hub for Climate Education | Abigail Agwena, Christine Kerubo, Valery Odinga | Kenya |
This intensive programme will culminate in further selection of top 4 teams (12 innovators) who will participate in a 3-day in-person Phase II session planned for 27 – 29 October 2025, in the Sunshine City of Harare, Zimbabwe. The activity shall be collocated with the UbuntuNet-Connect 2025 Conference. For more information, please visit https://ubuntunet.net/uc2025/.
Meet our Mentors!
| Mrs. Miriam Chahuruva |
| Chief Executive Officer of Zimbabwe Research and Education Network (ZIMREN) and a seasoned IT Executive with 25+ years’ experience in higher and tertiary education and health insurance sectors. She is passionate about leveraging technology for transformative impact and is an active supporter, facilitator, and mentor of girls and women in STEM. Her specific areas of expertise include strategic planning, financial acumen, IT risk management, creative development, corporate governance, operations review, and policy formulation. She is a former non-executive director of Zimbabwe’s Public Service Medical Investments, Interim Chairperson for Women in ICT Zimbabwe, and has worked collaboratively with ICT directors of all Zimbabwean universities as the Chairperson for Zimbabwe University ICT Directors Association. She is currently serving as a National Council member of the Computer Society of Zimbabwe and non-executive director for ZESA Holdings, and is affiliated with the Institute of Directors, Zimbabwe, and the Internet Society of Zimbabwe. She has been recognized for her leadership, receiving awards such as the “Outstanding Thought Leader of the Year, Platinum Award and Outstanding Women in ICT and e-Commerce Gold winner. |
| Mrs. Rachael Chikoore |
| Researcher, Reviewer, Consultant, Mentor, Entrepreneur, Certified Data Protection trainer, and currently serves as the Dean of the School of Information Science and Technology at the Harare Institute of Technology (Zimbabwe). With over 15 years of lecturing experience, she has nurtured several minds, supervised numerous undergraduate and postgraduate projects, and played a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of tech professionals. Beyond academia, she is deeply involved in the tech community, serving on various conference organizing committees and adjudicating at multiple hackathons. Her international engagements include being an Erasmus+ teaching exchange fellow. She was the TechWomen 2024 Emerging Leader, representing Zimbabwe on global platforms that foster innovation and collaboration. |
| Ms. Linda Amos |
| Lecturer at the Harare Institute of Technology, Harare, Zimbabwe, serving under the School of Information Science & Technology. She is a mentor and tutor of Software Engineering courses. Before joining the institute, she served in the industry as the systems engineer for almost two years. She is a writer & researcher who enjoys writing research about Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Software Engineering. |