I am finishing up my website reorganization here, recall that Bifarin V Substack is now episteme Engine, with it’s own dedicated YouTube channel, and instagram page.

Now updates about my grant program, mbbgrant has effectively been moved to mbbgrant.substack.com. If you would like updates about the project, feel free to subscribe to the newsletter.

This article was written by Patricia Uma a grantee in the Mary Babatola Bifarin Grant Cohort 2 for her project on Scaling Literacy Education for Struggling Learners. I would like to extend my thanks to the donors and the judges that assisted for the second cohort of the MBB grant.  

I am delighted to present this project completion report for the digitization of RABNI's iLearn Literacy Toolkit, made possible by the generous support of the Mary Babatola Bifarin Grant. This report highlights the successful completion of the project, the significant impact of the digitization process, and our future plans for scaling the program through technology. For example, via the USAID Opportunities to Learn (OTL) activity for the Northeast, the toolkit will be piloted in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states in the coming months.

Project Overview

RABNI received grant money to digitize the iLearn Literacy Toolkit. The primary objective of the project was to convert the existing six-week bootcamp lessons into videos, thereby enhancing accessibility and reducing costs for students across Nigeria. The project also aimed to empower teachers in low-resource settings to implement the bootcamps without requiring RABNI's physical presence.

Project Milestones

The digitization process involved several key steps and milestones, which were successfully accomplished within the project timeline.

-       Recording Sessions (Video & Audio)

Professional instructors conducted recording sessions of the iLearn Literacy Toolkit lessons. These sessions ensured high-quality content capture and adherence to pedagogical standards.

-       Video Editing

The recorded lessons underwent meticulous editing to enhance their visual appeal and optimize engagement for the target audience. The editing process included refining the audio, enhancing visuals, and adding subtitles for better comprehension.

-       Graphical Design of Interactive PDF Templates

The assessments within the iLearn Literacy Toolkit were transformed into interactive PDF templates. This graphical design not only improved the user experience but also facilitated self-assessment and progress tracking for students.

-       Website Development

A domain name was purchased, and a hosting plan was established to support the deployment of the digitized iLearn Literacy Toolkit. A professional web designer was engaged to create a user- friendly interface, ensuring seamless navigation and accessibility or students and teachers.

Toolkit Interface

Actual screenshots of the iLearn Literacy Toolkit online platform

https://ilearnliteracyproject.online

Please try a different device, browser and possibly clear cache on your browser if you get the security warning on visiting this page. We are actively working to resolve the issue. Thank you.

Toolkit’s Key Features

-       Hosts all lessons of the iLearn Literacy Toolkit

-       Hosts all class activities and assessment materials for easy download.

-       Contains all teacher support resources to successfully implement the bootcamp.

-       Provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Impact of Digitization

The digitization of the iLearn Literacy Toolkit has had a profound impact on the delivery of education and literacy development across Nigeria. Some of the notable outcomes and benefits include:

Improved Access: By converting the bootcamp lessons into videos, we have significantly increased accessibility to the iLearn Literacy Toolkit. Students, regardless of their geographical locations can benefit from the program.

Affordability: the infusion of technology has led to a reduction in the overall costs of implementing literacy bootcamps, making it more affordable to implement for communities with low resources settings.

Empowered teachers: The digitization process has empowered teachers in low-resource settings to implement the iLearn Literacy Toolkit without the physical presence of RABNI. Teachers can access all videos, interactive assessments and other resources to conduct literacy bootcamps independently.

Key Achievements

We are thrilled to share that the digitized iLearn Literacy Toolkit has already emerged as one of the top six Edtech solutions in the USAID Opportunities to Learn (OTL) activity for the Northeast in partnership with the North East Innovation Hub. This recognition is a testament to the impact and potential of the toolkit.

Building upon this achievement, we are pleased to inform you that the toolkit will be piloted in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states in the coming months. This pilot initiatives will further validate the scalability and impact of the digitized toolkit, enabling us to reach even more students and teachers in the region.

Future Plans

Through this platform, we are launching our 7-year goal of reaching 1,000,000 children across Africa through the iLearn Literacy Toolkit. Tagged "Unlocking 1,000,000 Dreams," this vision aims to empower teachers across Africa with the toolkit, enabling them to successfully run independent literacy bootcamps. We firmly believe that with the ability to read, children can unlock their full potential and fulfil their dreams.

Conclusion

The digitization of RABNI's iLearn Literacy Toolkit has been successfully completed, we express our deepest gratitude to the Mary Babatola Bifarin (MBB) Grant program organizers for the opportunity. Your contribution has played a vital role in transforming the lives of countless students and teachers, empowering them to acquire essential literacy skills.

We look forward to your continued partnership in our journey towards achieving equitable access to quality education and unlocking the dreams of one million children across Africa.

This essay is written by Olatunbosun Mobolaji a co-winner with Ayeni Idowu in the Mary Babatola Bifarin Grant Cohort 2 for their project on sickle cell in an underserved community in Southern Nigeria (Ifaki Ekiti). I would like to extend my thanks to the donors and the judges that assisted for the second cohort of the MBB grant.  

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On the 3rd of June 2023, an event unfolded in the serene town of Ifaki Ekiti, located in the heart of Ekiti State, Nigeria. This event was dedicated to promoting genotype compatibility awareness, and it left an indelible mark on all those who attended. The event kicked off with a captivating training session led by Olatunbosun Mobolaji.

Mobolaji passionately conveyed the significance of understanding genotype compatibility in relationships and the potential consequences of neglecting this crucial aspect. Participants, spanning from children to young adults, eagerly absorbed the valuable insights and practical knowledge shared by Mobolaji, empowering them to make informed decisions about their future partners.

One of the event's highlights was the opportunity for 90 attendees to undergo genotype testing. This essential procedure allowed individuals to discover their genotypes and gain a deeper understanding of the potential risks associated with their future relationships. By participating in this exercise, attendees became more aware of the importance of making informed decisions regarding their partners, ultimately fostering healthier relationships and reducing the risk of genetic disorders within their families.

The success of the event would not have been possible without the invaluable support of the The Mary Babatola Bifarin (MBB) Grant program. Their contribution played a pivotal role in making the event a reality, providing genotype testing kits, educational materials, and a conducive learning environment. Attendees expressed their heartfelt gratitude towards the MBB Grant, recognizing their commitment to improving the overall health and well-being of the community.

The Ifaki Ekiti community warmly embraced the event, displaying genuine enthusiasm for raising awareness about genotype compatibility. The locals' open arms and active participation reflected the strong sense of unity within the community and their collective desire to foster healthier relationships among its members. This unwavering support from the community further emphasized the importance of addressing genotype compatibility as a shared responsibility.

I am glad to announce The Mary Babatola Bifarin (MBB) Microgrant awardees for the second cohort of applications.

1.

Patricia Uma, N400,000

iLearn Literacy Project

The UN Refugee Agency states concerning the state of Internally Displace People (IDPs) in Nigeria:

For many, going to school in their communities was no easy task. Indeed, becoming an IDP wouldn’t make such task any easier, if possible at all. 

Patricia, via her, Read a Book Nigeria Initiative (RABNI), works to provide education to underserved communities in Nigeria, like the IDPs, by empowering struggling learners with foundational reading and arithmetic skills.

In 2022 with support from the Mohammed Sanusi Foundation, her team piloted a literacy project for kids from non-English speaking communities in Internally Displaced Person camps with a marked improvement in English language proficiency.

Here are some scenes from their classes:

You can learn more about them via their Facebook page.

This microgrant will fund Patricia’s effort to digitize their iLearn Literacy Toolkits, which will afford them an unparalleled advantage to scaling within the IDPs, allowing them to reach more children for a fraction of the initial cost.

In one of our conversations, she stated, “Making over 60% of the project digital allows us to reach  up to 25% more IDPs, and this digitization being one-time cost allows for scaling at minimal extra cost.”

2.

Bamidele Idowu and Ademola Agunbiade, N150,000

Design, fabrication, Simulation, and Performance evaluation of a solar box cooker.

Almost 70% of Nigerian households still cook with solid biomass (wood and charcoal). As such, while sad, it isn’t surprising that an estimated annual death of 95,300 is linked to harmful smoke from firewood in the country. And, of course, we are talking about a non-renewable energy source here.

Here are more interesting data via Our World in Data

So, Solar cookers must be a welcome development.

Bamidele and Ademola are Materials Science and Engineering undergraduate students in Nigeria whose final year project entails building a solar cooker. MBB grant is supporting them with funds to design and fabricate a prototype.

3.

Ayeni Idowu, Olatunbosun Mobolaji, N350,000

GENO 100

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary group of blood disorders that causes an abnormality in the hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells, resulting in them taking on a rigid, sickle-shaped form. The disease is mired with pain, anemia, bout of infection, et cetera.

This paper from Lancet shows the estimated birth prevalence of SCD and the number of children born with SCD in different zones in Nigeria.

Ayeni Idowu and Olatunbosun Mobolaji, through their organization, serve the underserved communities in Ekiti State (one of the states in the region with high prevalence of the disease) with health education on SCD, free testing, and care.

The grant is supporting their efforts for free genotype testing in underserved communities.

MBB Grant Awardee Chat

Here is an highlight of a Zoom chat with the awardees.

I will plan for a third cohort towards the end of 2023. Place your email here if you would like updates when it’s launches. Updates will also be shared here on substack.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Taiwo Akinyemi and Feyi Fawehinmi for financially supporting this cohort of grantees.

In addition, I want to thank all reviewers: Obiora Okechukwu, Oladayo Bifarin, Taiwo Akinyemi, and Bukunmi Ajani.

Alayonimi Bifarin for website updates and folks who helped share on social media. While the entire process was quite tasking, I am glad I am continuing this project, and I hope the funded projects do some good in the world.

Applications is open, see mbbgrant.com for all the information contained in this post and more.

For this batch of the MBB grant, Dr. Saad Bhamla, a world expert on frugal science/tech at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, has indicated an interest in mentoring a grantee in the science and tech track if the project pitched is excellent.

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Background

MBB microgrant program will give at least N300,000 grants to at least two teams/individuals in Nigeria to do something impactful.

MBB grant was started by Olatomiwa Bifarin. The grant is named after his late grandmother Mary Babatola Bifarin, who was a maternity nurse from southwestern Nigeria.

This personal grantmaking endeavor is an experiment to foster innovative thinking amongst young people in Nigeria. To foster foresight and responsibility by taking on challenging problems in society.

Olatomiwa Bifarin has started the fund with a donation of $1,000. As a Post-doc, who still live on a stipend and doing so right in the middle of Atlanta, he wishes he could do better.

Last year he wrote about his Ph.D. journey in a memoir essay. If you have read it and found it helpful - and if you can - kindly consider donating to the fund here. If you like to be a sponsor anyway, that's also fine!

There are two categories of projects Bifarin is looking to fund.

Science & Technology Track

This track is open to any project that espouses the philosophy of frugal innovation. With up to 133 million Nigerians living in poverty, this means little or no access to electricity, healthcare, and drinking water. We ought to be thinking aggressively about how to innovate with scarce resources. I recommend all applicants to read my essay on frugal innovation to inspire ideas on suitable projects, in addition to the resource I provide on frugal innovation examples.

Dr. Saad Bhamla, a world expert on frugal science at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, has indicated an interest in helping mentor a grantee. This is an excellent opportunity to work with a world-class engineer.

Clinical Track

This track is open to Nursing students or interns. This track does not require frugal innovation, however, projects that embody the philosophy of frugal innovation will have priority. I recommend all applicants to read my essay on frugal innovation to inspire ideas on suitable projects, in addition to the resource I provide on frugal innovation examples.

FAQ

Are there required academic qualifications?

1. See details in the clinical/nursing track.

2. For the science and tech track, there are no academic qualifications. However, if you do have relevant academic qualifications for your project, be sure to state that in your application.

Will the winning projects be made public?

Yes. For transparency purposes and to magnify the positive impact.

How do I know the outcome of my application?

Only successful grant applicants will be contacted.

What does your ideal winning team/individual/project look like (especially for the science and tech track)?

If it’s a team, it will be ideal if it’s multidisciplinary. You could also be a lone wolf. Fine with me. The (potential) impact of your project is the most critical factor. I recommend all applicants to read my essay on frugal innovation to inspire ideas on suitable projects, in addition to the resource I provide on frugal innovation examples.

My project is a little complicated, and I will need more that N300,000?

Submit your application anyways. If it's terribly good. We might be able to find a way around that. Otherwise, preference goes to around N300k

What is the age limit?

Preference will go to applicants who are 35 years old or younger.

How will I get the money?

Ideally in two or more chunks (directly in your bank accounts or via Paypal), you will need to give project update to initiate each round of collection.

I have additional questions, how do I contact you?

Send an e-mail to mbbifaringrant@gmail.com

How can I get updates about this project?

Here on my blog. I am on Twitter, Instagram. I will share the updates on these Platforms.

What is the time frame for the project completion?

None. However, preference will be given to shorter projects (without sacrificing potentially impactful ideas).

Previous winner

Note that there was no requirement for frugal innovation for last year applicants.

Blog about 2021 (Batch 1) MBB grant winners.

Zoom chat with MBB grant 2021 winners.

MBB Grant Documentary: Digitizing Local Markets and Cancer patient care.

A Grantee talks about his Experience Applying for an MBB Grant.

A Clinical Nurse talks about her Cancer Care Project

Apply

Link to apply

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In the next coming days, I will make another round of calls for applications for the Mary Babatola Bifarin (MBB) grant. Doing this in mid December might appear a little weird. Still, late December/Early January is the only time of the year I can take my foot off the pedal for my research work at Georgia Tech. So basically, I read grant applications during my vacation.

Anyways, around fourth of July, I had the idea of shooting a documentary film about last year's program, specifically about the projects funded.

I was a little skeptical at first, as I am always worried about the tasks I am putting on and my efficiency in managing them. I knew it would take some work, but I figured it should have a good PR impact on the next program in December.

So, I did it.

Before going to the documentary, here is a quick plug for the next program. Please help spread the word to innovative young Nigerians that might benefit from it. It will be on frugal science and innovation. There will be more details about the program in next coming days.

If the quality of the winning project(s) is excellent. A world-class engineer here in the United States expressed interest in virtually mentoring the winner in the science and tech track, in addition to microgrant money that will be received. So, I am really hoping someone back home will take advantage of this incredible opportunity.

Talking about money. If you are able to, I would appreciate it if you could chip in into the grant money to increase the number of people to be funded or increase grant money.

Now to the documentary – it’s about 20 minutes long.

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Here is the winner of the clinical track, talking about some details of her projects that we cut out from the main documentary but might be helpful for applicants in the clinical track or people interested in her project

Finally, here is the winner of the tech track giving some advice to future applicants and about his experience of applying.

On August 12, 2016, I launched an online fundraising campaign to help indigent folks with cataract surgery in Ile-Ife environ, Nigeria.

$1920 was raised on GoFundMe, and N250,000 was raised in Nigeria.

The campaign succeeded in providing sight-restoring cataract surgery to 40 indigent patients at an average cost of $65!

Watch the 5 bucks for cataract documentary.

Let us continue to do good well.

And as a reminder, if we can prevent something bad without sacrificing anything of comparable significance, we ought to do it.

I am glad to announce The Mary Babatola Bifarin (MBB) Grant awardees for the 2021 applications:

1.

Olamide Jasanya, Irewole Adewumi, Olumide Jasanya, Anuoluwapo Joy Komolafe, N350,000

Project Title: ProjectGiiv

Following our research, we realised there are certain needs that orphanages and care homes have that can be easily met by the regular people. Regular people though are willing to share these items but are unsure how to go about it. We thought to build a solution to this problem by creating a platform where the latter can conveniently donate to the former without breaking a sweat. Via our platforms, anyone can donate to charity from the comfort of their homes and for free too. We serve as the logistic company aiding the exchange at no cost to both parties.

Grant money will be used for specified operations and platform maintenance.

IG/FB/Twitter/LinkedIn: @projectgiiv

2.

Olusola Bukola Ogundepo, N250,000.

Project Title: Experiences support needs and quality of life among cancer patients in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex Ile-Ife Nigeria.

This is a pilot study to explore how twenty- five (25) cancer patients experience their illness and capture the wholeness of their experience as only the patients themselves can describe what they go through. The study can identify the needs of patients with cancer at every stage of the disease process and treatment. Awareness of this experience helps caregivers in supporting patients with cancer in their process of coping with the illness. Findings from the study will give nurses insight to individual patient’s feelings, interactions, perceptions, and behaviours that could dictate the outcome of their treatment (Yeh, Yueh-Chen, et al, 2021). It will expand the knowledge base for nursing and also help nurses to provide quality, holistic, and individualized care. It will also inform validation of culturally accepted Nursing Languages that could be standardized for use in Nigeria and Africa as a continent with similar culture.

Grant money will be used for conducting the research.

3.

Ibrahim Gbadegesin, N400,000.

Project Title: Check Oja

Check Oja is a reliable platform to check the current prices of goods in local markets across Africa. Powered by remote data routing and real-time data analytics. The goal is to create the heartbeat of the African e-commerce ecosystem that allows people to track prices at their convenience while also providing a data bank for old prices and connecting millions of local markets to the internet.

Grant money will be used for developing Check Oja bot which will serve a local market well and can be scaled proportionately, in addition to other expenses such as datasets aggregation, database setup, and server hosting.

Twitter: @CheckOja

MBB Grant Awardee Chat

Acknowledgments

I will like to thank Oladayo Bifarin and my parents, who read the first draft of the grant-making proposal and encouraged me to proceed. I started out the grant with an initial $1000, and I wouldn’t have been able to fund all these young men and women without additional donations from funders, so I will like to thank Oluwatobi Badejo, Oladayo Bifarin, Fadodun Oluwadamilola, Oluwadolapo Bifarin, Jan Oyebode, Funmilola Elujoba, and Joanne Ivancic for their donations.

Inaddition, I will like to thank my friends that assisted with reviewing the applications: Adeyera Pelumi, Taiwo Akinyemi, Oluwadamilola Fadodun, Obiora Okechukwu, and Oladayo Bifarin. Bukunmi Ajani for designing the beautiful photo essay, and finally, my able assistant, Alayonimi Bifarin for assisting with everything from setting up the MBB grant website to sending out update emails.

Special thanks to everyone involved that I haven’t mentioned, folks who helped share on social media, and the like. While the entire process was quite tasking, I am glad I started this, and I hope some of the funded projects do some good in the world. I intend to do this again most probably towards the end of 2022.

Ire O.

My long-time readers might know of my interests in philanthropy. My last public project was a few years ago when I helped with fundraising to provide sight-restoring cataract surgery for a few dozen indigent folks in Nigeria (see here and an accompanying documentary). I had always wanted to continue with similar projects, but I have been quite bereft of the time flexibility and the ease of international travels to monitor progress.

These constraints had led me to a new fond seed-stage/angel-investing-styled philanthropy – The Mary Babatola Bifarin [MBB] grant

The MBB microgrant program will give at least N250,000 (~ $600) grant to at least two teams/individuals in Nigeria to do something impactful.

I have named it in honor of my late grandmother.

If you are a young innovative (35 years old or younger) Nigerian who has ideas and projects revolving around technology, humanities, or nursing, you might want to consider applying.

In addition, I have started the fund with $1000. I also recently published my Ph.D. memoir. If you have read and enjoyed it – and if you can – consider donating to the fund here so we can fund more grantees.

Apply and see more details at mbbgrant.com.

After I defended my Ph.D. this last summer at the University of Georgia, I wrote a ten-thousand-word memoir essay that I planned to publish for a few dollars on Kindle.

Due to a few complications and a paywall that might prevent some people from reading, I have decided to publish it free here on my substack.

In addition, I have also decided to launch a personal grantmaking experiment that will target innovative young Nigerians. You can think of these microgrants as a giveaway for intelligent folks who want to solve important problems (in their communities). But the only problem is that they need some money to do it (there will be rigorous competition for the microgrant).

Since it is a personal project, I have earmarked some of my money to fund a couple of teams that will emerge as the winners. But, living on a post-doc salary and doing so right in the middle of Atlanta, one can only do so much. So, for anyone who finds the memoir useful and is willing to support grantees, I will create an avenue to do so.

I will be making more announcements in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, here are a few quotes from the memoir.