They are Mozambicans, they have experienced Mozambican problems, they have dreamed up and created solutions to solve them and they have been honored for their altruism. From Mozambique to the world, they have received distinctions from the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, there have even been partnerships with Elon Musk and patent registrations in the United States of America. In the face of adversity, they have remained steadfast and inspired people. They are proof that every Mozambican counts, in the importance of an inclusive and resilient gesture.

Their goals are clear and, to a certain extent, aligned with some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From Maputo to Cabo Delgado, they want to continue positively impacting the lives of more Mozambicans.

"Our strategy is to leave no one behind"

Dayn Amade implemented the initiative Community Tablet in 2015, with a view to digital inclusion, in order to bring the technological reality of the metropolis to the most remote communities in Mozambique, "where almost everything is missing". He wanted people to be able to access basic social services such as education and to be sensitized to a more holistic sense of life and the future by touching a screen. The project went ahead and has already reached more than two million people across the country.

"I noticed that we in the urban areas were already living in the digital age, and the remote communities were still completely out of the digital age. I began to realize what a difference it makes, even for learning issues. I asked myself how those who don't have access to digital technologies can access educational tutorials instead of reading manuals, which are almost non-existent. But also, how to empower communities quickly to solve pressing adversities and improve the quality of life," said Amade, about the ideological principle of the initiative.

"The divine light" came to him in a mixture of perceptions, including the analysis of the various forms of communication in the communities, such as the projection of films in the evenings, musical shows and lectures.

"In the meantime, I saw that my children, and other children in the same age group, liked and handled the tablets. Then the idea came to me to create a Community Tablet" he said.

As Amade describes, it is a structure with Digital Giant Rugged Monitors through which you can watch videos, and, on the opposite side, there are interactive booths where people can interact with each other as a tablet 'common' multipurpose, which allows tactile and audio visual interaction.

Community Tablet in use in a remote community in Mozambique.

O Community Tablet has broken with the paradigms of pre-established and inefficient digital inclusion models. For Dayn Amade, "it's not very sustainable" to offer technology devices to people who lack the relevant education, live in areas without electrification, and are unable to guarantee follow-up and monitoring of the desired benefits.

His initiative, which he has since designed and implemented with a group of ten permanent employees, has been well received in the communities he has visited, from Rovuma to Maputo.

Evolution has been enormous in recent years, since the first model of the device comprised a structure and four individual cabins, connected to a computer and linked to a generator. Today Community Tablet is made from recycled plastic-based material; in addition to solar panels, it runs on reusable batteries; it is now equipped with a giant external monitor with a dual function: videos and videoconferences; the screens in the individual cabins are no longer just touch screens showing videos, but are now multi-purpose (audio visual), providing virtual interaction in real time with bilingual content, in the local language and/or in Portuguese; and integrated mechanisms for illiterate people and people with disabilities, physical-motor or even in wheelchairs.

O Community Tablet is, in fact, a resource that can be used as a universal model of digital public infrastructure for remote areas, with the aim of making life easier for communities in immeasurable ways. In addition to the advantages already mentioned, it can be used to carry out medical consultations and receive diagnoses - it can now measure blood pressure and heart rate, among other things - as well as to carry out financial transactions - it already disseminates messages from the Bank of Mozambique on financial literacy, in targeted campaigns.

In fact, the Financial Sector Deepenig Mozambique (FSDMoç), in its annual publication of December 2021, states that "financial inclusion is the key to reducing poverty, increasing individual well-being and improving the economic potential of individuals."

The same document reveals a growing trend in the use of financial solutions through technological devices. For example, in rural areas, the percentage of people subscribing to formal non-bank financial services increased from three percent in 2014 to 16% in 2019. "This change has been largely driven by financial services via cell phone."

FSDMoç believes that technology and infrastructure are fundamental for digital technology to work, requiring robust mobile network coverage, electricity sources to charge cell phones and a reliable system for financial transactions.

Awareness campaigns on financial education through the Community Tablet encourage people to sign up for financial banking services, mobile wallets and carry out financial transactions with mobiles. However, the project is even more ambitious.

"Through Community Tablet we want to make rural banking a reality, together with those involved in banking. We have the project already designed. We will be mobile wallet agents in a digital and virtual format," he said, noting that this is a model capable of guaranteeing "financial inclusion for all".

The whole set of innovations led Dayn Amade to fight for the Intellectual Property registration of the project for around three years, following negative responses and proven arguments.

"That was another very difficult war. It went through a lot of scrutiny. It's very complicated and complex, but we succeeded and today we have a registered patent, after three years of discussion at international level. Today we are also part of the study group of the ITO [International Telecommunication Union], which is the telecommunications sector of the United Nations, where we have our technical report approved and published. These are steps we have taken after going through many challenges," he said.

He also said that the certainty that more than two million people will be covered by the initiative is due to another patented technology of his. "It comes down to a small thermal camera at the top of the giant monitor. It can capture, distinguish and count the people present," he revealed.

The first patent for Community Tablet arrived at the end of 2018, registered and approved, namely the industrial design patent, and the second, the technical patent, arrived this year. But there's more: "we have a third patent registered, which is the Amphibious model, designed to connect islands, because our strategy is to leave no one behind."

And it was in this spirit that, in the face of adversity, Dayn and his collaborators stood firm. Of the 11 Community Tablets two were destroyed by cyclones Idai and Kenneth, "but are being revitalized".

Regardless of geography, the Community Tablet seeks to reach communities, as it can be attached to any type of road vehicle, including canoes, and even draft animals.

This just perseverance, and even the conceptual nature of the project, in that it overcomes the difficulties of the lack of means of transport, has guaranteed them a partnership with billionaire Elon Musk's company, Space X/Starlink, in 2022.

"We saw the challenge of remote and online communication that we have to reach communities. We got in touch with Space X, which is Starlink, and they bet on us," he said.

This bet was on the experimental supply of a Starlink satellite for the Community Tablet work perfectly and quickly in the worst weather conditions.

"This partnership came about because it is our common goal to cover remote areas. And we were the 'number one' antenna doing the tests here in Africa. We use Tesla batteries in the same unit, and everything is working well, even in the most adverse conditions. In particular, I'm very impressed with the capacity and efficiency," he said, noting that another benefit is the sharing of the internet network (Wi-Fi/hotspot) for those in the vicinity of the unit.

In the project's equations, the constant will always be raising community awareness. Practical examples of Community Tablet are awareness-raising in the academic, health, financial, civic and nutritional spheres.

Fewer bills, more benefits

Also using technology, the couple Jessen and Nilza Sengulane, co-founders of Xiphefu - a lamp in Xichangana, a language in southern Mozambique - set out to reduce energy consumption in homes and businesses. In 2016, they created an automation system that allows electronic devices (light bulbs and water heaters) to be switched on and off using a cell phone. And they didn't stop there: the system reached air conditioners, and they developed solar lamps, contributing to energy efficiency.

Although the project's representativeness is limited to the south of Mozambique, with the greatest impact in Maputo, they have taken the country's name to various latitudes of the world and made it count in the biggest technology exhibitions.

In 2019, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, they took part in the Africa Week technology fair, organized by Unesco in Paris (France). At the event, "people were surprised to have something like that, 'controlled by telephone'".

That same year, in Budapest (Hungary), the Xiphefu represented Mozambique in the world's largest technology competition, the ITU Telecom World Global SME Awards for Greastest Social Impact, in which it became a finalist among more than 140 entries from different countries. "There we were distinguished with the project of great social impact, and nominated to do the speech of the closing ceremony of the edition."

That was leitmotiv to develop the project further in Mozambique. "I was working at the time and all the money I earned I invested in the project," said Jessen. But that's when the pandemic arrived, with new accounts to be counted...

Projects against the times of covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the world, and people have been able to adapt themselves and their activities to the times. For Dayn Amade and the Sengulane couple, the pandemic has given relevance to their projects.

During this period, the government resorted to the Community Tablet to spread messages about prevention and the importance of vaccination to communities far from cities. And for the Sengulane couple, who were already taking on their project in its entirety, their innovative capacity was being put to the test.

They played a key role in stopping the spread of covid-19, creating disinfection booths and solar-powered body temperature gauges.

"We distributed the disinfection booths to some municipalities in the south of the country. With the sensors it was possible to measure body temperature and water would pour out of the tap just by touching hands," recalled Jessen Sengulane.

He said that the innovation was well received, as people were looking for solutions to the pandemic, and "there wasn't much time to think".

The thought was right, in an environment of great pressure and because, instead of relaxing their work, they were intensely committed to keeping the 15 or so disinfection tunnels operational. "Nothing could stop, and there was a lot of work."

"That helped us, in a way, to get through the Covid-19 era, because it was a financial 'cushion'," he noted. However, the tunnels were put aside by a government decision, "and then we went through a very difficult period. We weren't producing anything, we weren't selling anything, and companies were closing their doors."

"In 2016, they created an automation system that allows electronic devices (light bulbs and water heaters) to be turned on and off using a cell phone"

They thought about giving up on the project because of the long months without success. That certainly wasn't the idea. All they had to do was develop what already existed in the company. They had to prove their resilience once again. Thus, the devices that used to work with technology bluetooth started to work through WiFi and internet, extending the remote use of its functions.

"Although we didn't make any sales, it motivated us to keep going. I went back to work on some external projects to reinvest in the Xiphefu. And if we'd stood still, just moaning, we wouldn't have had our doors open anymore," said Jessen, pride in his eyes.

Another support for the difficult times was a grant awarded by TEF Connect - Africa's digital networking platform for the continent's entrepreneurs - which brings together 5,000 Africans each year to provide a platform for entrepreneurs. budget for investment.

"That helped us hold out a little longer, and we invested a lot in raw materials to go ahead with what we had already thought of. That's what we did," he said.

Other national awards, including best innovative digital solution, and international awards for innovation and energy efficiency also served to keep the Xiphefu on the trail I was already following.

The doors that remain open today serve as an entry point to the job market for students at the Matola Industrial Institute. In fact, the startup offers rotating internships to these students. More than 20 trainees have already passed through, some of whom are working in large companies.

One major project, among several already in the pipeline, is automation to reduce energy consumption in a seven-storey building in Maputo. In it, each room has independent energy control programming, and the verified success rate with the consumption reduction system was 32%. "In that project we used digital switches."

The winds of a sustainable future

These two projects contribute in some way to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). O Community Tablet reuses recycled materials such as plastic and batteries to generate energy, in addition to the main source of electricity, which is solar panels.

"We see ourselves with the solution to realistically implement digital public infrastructures in communities that lack infrastructure and energy," said Dayn Amade.

In fact, solar panels are a product that keeps the bills down. Xiphefu In order to face up to the competition, the company produces and sells automated solar lamps. They are equipped with sensors that allow them to be automatically programmed to turn on and off when there is a moving body within a certain radius, including an anti-theft device - an audible alarm.

Also contributing to the achievement of the SDGs is environmentalist Carlos Serra. As well as promoting campaigns to remove plastic waste from Mozambican beaches, he tries to give the collected materials the right destination. In fact, in Macaneta, in the Marracuene district of Maputo province, he has built two residential structures made of glass. These houses have environmental and tourist value for the area, and are an example to follow.

There, in Macaneta, the houses serve as centers where local residents and visitors can hold various environment-related activities and meetings. "It's our eco-center."

Serra, who already has extensive experience in fighting for environmental causes, is the mentor of the Environmental Education Cooperative Rethinking (former Ntumbuluku), which seeks to reuse marine waste.

"We developed Operation Caco in 2015 and continue to carry it out. It was designed to raise awareness about the seriousness of our attitudes and the impact on human health, the urban economy and the country's image," he explained.

This vision attracted and awakened new activists across the country who began to replicate the movement, "and we started to network".

The global movement Let's do it (Vamos à Acção), where this clean-up action has been integrated since 2018, already has representations in all the cities and towns of Mozambique. "That's something we're very proud of."

But it wasn't always a beach without shards. He said that the movement resisted reverse forces. "A big clean-up operation that took place one morning and removed thousands of tons of garbage was devalued because the next afternoon people were throwing garbage on the beach again."

However, there was an unshakeable strength there. "Over time we've realized that any big change sometimes involves working upstream, and there are several formulas. And the great commitment is to a greater cause: our country's environment."

"I never thought about giving up. I'm quite stubborn. I can stop, think and do it again. In 2017, our organization had no funds, we only managed events, we had no physical structure and we used the address of one of us," he said.

Even so, the work continued and, in 2018, Carlos Serra received an international award signed by the Queen of England, Elizabeth II. "This was the biggest. The recognition is there, especially in the Let's do It World."

In the global clean-up campaign, Mozambique is among the top 5. "Last year we came third in the number of participants and second in mobilization."

On the other hand, the focus is on creating job opportunities for people from the environment. "That's always been my dream". In 2019, he created EcoNsilaa unit for crushing discarded glass and bottles used for various purposes, such as the production of blocks.

"The cooperative RethinkingAs a whole, it already has 47 people," he said, but lamented the tax burden on the project. "The lack of proper tax legislation means that we have the tax burden of companies, but we're not a company."

He said that there is a booklet of intentions to legally reverse this situation, but nothing concrete, such as a proposal for parliamentary debate. "But there is also a lack of unity among cooperatives."

Carlos Serra's personality is transcendental, such that it extends to human actions that endanger and violate the environment and human survival.

"Struggles are carried out in various ways, and now Carlos Serra is leading a technical team that is drawing up the National Urbanization Policy at the Ministry of Administration and Civil Service.

A video circulating on social media showed the initial progress of the construction of a residential area on a mangrove swamp in the Costa do Sol area of Maputo city. The landing phase was underway.

"We continue to insist on mistakes like building in inappropriate areas and outside the legislation. The whole area is ecologically sensitive," he said. As a result, the Maputo City Council embargoed the work.

This struggle has earned him death threats and persecution. "But as time goes by I feel the formula is right. We just need to be cherished."

He acknowledged that he was dealing with high-investment real estate interests. "But the purpose is not to prevent investment". It's more than that: "to draw attention to creating municipal environmental protection zones".

In his view, even if a certain project is essential, there needs to be remaining mangrove areas and rainwater retention basins. "But, unfortunately, wetlands are disappearing faster than mangroves. They are being converted into real estate."

Struggles come in many forms, and now Carlos Serra is leading a technical team that is drawing up the National Urbanization Policy at the Ministry of Administration and Civil Service.

"This document is an opportunity that integrates a strong environmental and climate dimension," he said, highlighting the aim of influencing urban development, "starting next year".

"My vision for the future is to educate for resilience," he concluded.

The accounts for Cabo Delgado

The province of Cabo Delgado is suffering from a widespread humanitarian crisis due to armed attacks. It is part of Mozambique, and efforts are being made to rebuild it every day. And every Mozambican is helping in any way they can.

Although the focus of Community Tablet n order to reach the communities furthest away from everything, Dayn Amad believes that people who have lost their way need and deserve opportunities to get back on their feet. The device will therefore be available to displaced people in accommodation centers.

"We are now working on a project to turn the displacement centers in Cabo Delgado into interactive centers. The Tablet is already there, but it's not operating yet. The idea is that people there can do some training and have tools to redirect their lives," he said.

This plan will even allow people who were separated during the trips to meet up again. To do this, they will be able to leave their personal details and much more via videos that will be shown in the centers where the Community Tablet passes through. It's an ambitious plan which, this year, proved to work in the Boane district, in Maputo province, during the floods, allowing around 80 families to be reunited.