Innovation: Africa

Innovation: Africa was founded by Sivan Ya'ari in 2008 and was originally called Jewish Heart for Africa.[4] Ya'ari was born in Israel, raised in France and furthered her education in the United States, earning a BA degree in finance from Pace University and a Masters degree in Energy Management and Policy from Columbia University.[5] [6]

Later, she interned for a time with Morgan Stanley.[7]

Ya'ari's connection to Africa began when she travelled to Madagascar on business and was moved by the people she saw suffering from hunger and a lack of clean water. [8] She identified a lack of reliable electricity around the continent as a catalyst for the lack of food and potable water and began thinking about how to create sustainable energy solutions to provide electricity to power both electric lighting and water pumps. She developed the groundwork for what would become Innovation: Africa. Having worked in Africa for over 20 years and running Innovation: Africa for the past 12 years, Sivan has vast knowledge, understanding and love for the African continent. She has received multiple awards, including the Innovation Award from the United Nations.[9]

Ya'ari has been recognized as one of the "40 Under 40 Most Promising Israelis" by Globes magazine and one of the "50 Most Influential Women in Israel by Forbes Israel.[10] In 2019 she was named one of the "Most Inspiring Israelis of the Decade"[11] and one of the "Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life.[12]

She lives in Tel Aviv with her husband and three children.

Clean Water Flowing for the First Time in Nyanza Village, Uganda

Innovation: Africa’s engineers developed a custom-designed remote monitoring system that collects data from Innovation: Africa's solar and water systems in Africa and sends the information to an online server. The collected data allows the team and donors to monitor the amount of energy produced and consumed as well as the water flow output in realtime. The off-grid remote monitoring system allows Innovation: Africa to predict problems before they occur and to address any issues before the community is impacted.[13]

In 2013, this remote monitoring system won the United Nations "Innovation Award".[14]

In 2019, Innovation: Africa’s engineering team developed the ‘Energy Box’. [15]The Energy Box has the capacity to electrify an entire school or medical center, providing light and energy to power laptops and medical equipment. It is composed of a long-lasting Lithium-Ion battery and LED light bulbs developed in Israel, and integrates the remote monitoring system. The compact technology enables a sustainable, efficient and scalable energy solution for rural clinics and schools across Africa. [16]

Nyanza

Innovation: Africa has completed over 300 projects across 10 African countries, impacting 2 million people. As of 2020, Innovation: Africa has projects in Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Cameroon, South Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Senegal and Democratic Republic of Congo.[17]

Projects focus on improving local infrastructure by introducing technology solutions to local problems. For instance, volunteers in Iringa, Uganda, have introduced electric lights in order to help pregnant women deliver babies at night and to keep vaccinations and medicines refrigerated.[18]

For solar projects, solar panels are installed on the rooftops of schools and medical centers. The community is educated about the project and about solar energy, and micro-businesses such as phone charging stations, and barber shops are set up in order to generate funds for replacement of light bulbs and other small maintenance. A solar committee is elected by the community to oversee the project and ensure it is functioning smoothly.[19]

For water projects, Innovation: Africa installs a solar-powered water pumping system, which pumps clean water directly from the aquifers in the ground and distributes the clean water across taps in the village. The process involves drilling up to 250meters in the ground, building a water tower with solar panels and a water tank and installing the water pump. Then trenches up to 8km are dug and the piping is installed to enable the clean water to flow to taps throughout the village.[20]

The pumping systems provide 30,000 liters of clean water per day per village, enough water for an entire village’s cooking, drinking, agricultural and livestock needs. [21]

Innovation: Africa also provides communities with Israeli agricultural innovations, such as drip irrigation to make agriculture and financial independence possible in regions of drought.[22] In 2017, the group launched a partnership with UNICEF Cameroon to bring access to clean water and proper medical care to villages in Cameroon, and to aid refugees from the Central African Republic.[23])

Water Tank in M'bwetu Village, Malawi

• 2020 - Cited in David Kramer’s book ‘State of the Heart’[24]
• 2019 - InnoDip Award for innovative diplomacy (The Abba Eban Institute for International Diplomacy at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya) [25]
• 2018 - Cited in in Hermund Haaland’s book ‘Startup Israel’[26]  
• 2015 - Cited in Seth M. Siegel’s book Let there Be Water [27]
• 2013 - Innovation Award (United Nations)[28]

• Netafim