MBB Grantees: Cohort 2
MBB Grantees: Cohort 2
Teaching Literacy to IDPs, Solar Cookers, and Sickle Cell Warriors.
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:
“Boko Haram and other non-state armed groups as well as clashes between herders and farmers have pushed some 3.0 million Nigerians (as of November 2021) out of their homes, especially in parts of North-East Nigeria and the country’s Middle Belt, but increasingly also in North-West 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.
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.