Hannover (Germany), 9 July 2024 – In the first half of this year, more than 1,300 applications for the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE were received from NGOs, foundations and other public and private social initiatives from 131 countries. More than ever before. Twelve of them were awarded the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2024 in the first round and received a total of EUR 50,000 in funding. An international jury consisting of ten experts from the social sector decided on the best and most worthy projects.
Since 2017, iF Design has been supporting outstanding social projects and initiatives worldwide with the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE with EUR 100,000 per year. The award is presented twice a year to projects that address the SDGs of the United Nations, i.e. the pressing challenges facing our society: from the fight against hunger and poverty to the promotion of sustainable agriculture, respect for human rights and the promotion of education. The selected projects are also presented on the iF Design website.
iF Design Managing Director Uwe Cremering is impressed by the projects and the creativity they show in finding solutions to the problems: “Never before have so many projects been submitted as this year. This clearly shows us what an important role design can play in solving social problems. The SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE is a matter close to iF Design’s heart. Supporting these projects is our contribution to a better, shared future in this world. We honour the people and organizations that are committed to these projects and offer them and their ideas a platform.”
These twelve projects will receive a total of 50,000 euros as part of the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE:
- Building safe homes for women leaving prison / Support for women released from prison in Kenya
- PHL Reduction / Use of Solar Powered coldstores in East Africa
- Culinary Community: Cooking Training Program / Hospitality training for refugees in Athens
- The Digibots / Digital training for young women and men in South Africa
- Letters to Strangers / Online correspondence platform for better mental health for young people worldwide
- MedBrain / AI-based diagnostic support system
- Omena: Breaking the cycle of emotional abuse / Project against emotional abuse in Madagascar
- Ability in Disability / Job platform for young disabled people in India
- La Fábrica De Hobbies / Center for Creativity and Entrepreneurship in Valencia
- Agriculture Guide Program / Climate-friendly agriculture across Africa
- Contratá Trans / Website connecting transgender people with inclusive employers in Argentina
- SOMA Surf – Proud Surfers of the African Women / Surf therapy and women’s empowerment program in Sao Tomé
The jury for the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2024 is made up of international experts:
Clara Bazán Ceo, Managing Director, Fundación MAPFRE/Spain
Wadi Ben-Hirki, Founder Wadi Ben-Hirki Foundation/Nigeria
Christian Benimana, ArchDaily/Rwanda
Vivian Gomes, Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer, SHNORH/United States of America
Aylin Groenewoud, Senior Experience Lead, Philips Experience Design/The Netherlands
Estella Haesoo Kim, Project Manager, Seoul Design Foundation/South Korea
Harald Machielse, CHUVA/ The Netherlands
Raffaella Perrone, Director, IED Barcelona/Spain
Guto Requena, Founder and Owner, Estudio Guto Requena/Brazil
Nicole Wilett, Social Impact Leader, Open Society Foundations/United States of America
These are the best 12 concepts of the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2024 in detail:
Project: Building safe homes for women leaving prison
SDG: Gender Equality
Initiator: Clean Start Africa, Nairobi/Kenia
For women who are released from prison, it is almost impossible to find affordable and secure housing. Clean Start offers transitional housing, economic opportunities and psychosocial support for women and girls who want to stand on their own two feet again after their release from prison. Women often lose their homes while in prison. However, secure accommodation is crucial to breaking the cycle of reoffending.
Jury statement: “Few have it as hard as mothers coming out of prison with children. Clean Start has a specific, straightforward plan with strong partners in government and academia to support these families. Philanthropy for “brick and mortar” is underfunded but provides the foundation for change.”
Project: PHL Reduction – Use of Solar Powered coldstores
SDG: Zero Hunger
Initiator: Sokofresh Agri-innovations East Africa Limited, Nairobi/Kenia
The aim of SokoFresh is to minimize harvest and income losses for small farmers. To this end, an infrastructure of solar-powered cold stores has been set up to extend the shelf life of food. The project includes recruitment, training and cooperation with local youth and creates over 1,000 jobs in rural areas every year. So far, SokoFresh has engaged over 7,000 farmers in nine AgriHubs across the country. The aim is to almost double the number of AgriHubs and improve the participation of women in the sector.
Jury statement: “This measure recognizes that farmers should do what they do best: Farming. What we find so brilliant about this solution is that it supports and respects farmers’ vocation and encourages farmers’ development.”
Project: Culinary Community: Cooking Training Programme
SDG: Quality Education
Initiator: Project Armonia, Athens/Greece
Culinary Community is a cookery training program for refugees that promotes their social
promotes their social integration and responds to the growing demand for qualified staff in the hospitality industry. The Athens training program offers free gastronomic training. This supports the employability of refugees, who often live in social exclusion. The two-month part-time course provides a solid foundation for a quick and confident start in the catering industry.”
Jury Statement: “This program represents the common goal linked to such an important need as eating habits and culture. The positive social impact and the enjoyment of the participants are tangible.”
Project: The Digibots – Digital Education Programme
SDG: 04 Quality Education
Initiator: Digify Africa PTY Ltd, Gauteng/South Africa
The Digibot addresses the problem of limited access to digital education in Africa by using WhatsApp to teach digital skills. The solution targets young Africans to bridge the digital divide and equip them with critical skills for the digital economy. More than 800,000 learners have been reached and a completion rate of 62 percent. By making education accessible through a widely used platform, it not only addresses educational barriers, but also contributes to solving a broader humanitarian problem.
Jury statement: “The Digibot addresses the problem of limited access to digital education in Africa by using WhatsApp to teach digital skills.”
Project: Letters to Strangers
SDG: Reduced Inequalities
Initiator: Letters to Strangers, California/USA
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the 15-29 age group worldwide. To combat this, Letters to Strangers (L2S) seeks to destigmatize mental illness and improve access to affordable and quality treatment. The student-designed online letter exchange platform has unique features, such as a rewards system and the ability to keep a diary. Currently, more than 35,000 people from over 20 countries use the tool every year.
Jury Statement: “The project offers anonymous letters, promotes empathy and cares for the mental health of marginalized youth aged 12 to 24. Their innovation, resilience and commitment to mental health ensure inclusivity by addressing all intersectional identities among youth worldwide.”
Project: MedBrain – Health Application on Clinical Diagnostic Support
SDG: Goodhealth + Well-Being
Initiator: MedBrain, Platja d’Aro, Girona/Spain
MedBrain is an AI-based clinical diagnostic support system for healthcare professionals in primary care. After entering the patient’s chief complaint, MedBrain generates a dynamic clinical interview based on questions to the patient and examination of their body. After 10 to 15 of these dynamic steps, MedBrain generates an accurate diagnosis prediction. This enables nurses and health officials to achieve specialist-level diagnostic accuracy in rural areas where neither specialists nor advanced diagnostic tests are available. MedBrain is now used in 25 hospitals in the Oromia region of Ethiopia.
Jury statement: “Medbrain’s AI app has the potential to significantly close the current diagnostic gap. The company has a skilled team, a proven product and the partners to scale with to help even more people. They also take care of the patients’ data.”
Project: Omena – Breaking the cycle of emotional abuse
SDG: Goodhealth + Well-Being
Initiator: Omena, Providence/USA
The Omena organization provides young people in Madagascar with social-emotional tools to combat emotional abuse. It reaches over 5,000 students in underserved areas. Integrating mental health prevention, psychosocial support and community empowerment, Omena focuses on breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma and fostering a resilient, more empathetic and healthier generation.
Jury Statement: “Great initiative! The revolution comes from the community and requires strong, resilient people who are able to stand up and challenge the status quo. Mental health and inner wellbeing are key. Omena represents all of this and is a true bridge builder between developed and emerging markets.”
Project: Ability in Disability
SDG: 01 No Poverty
Initiator: Youth4Jobs, Hyderabad/India
The Youth4Jobs Foundation is an organization with a heart dedicated to empowering young people with disabilities to live confidently and independently. SwarajAbility is Y4Js’ pioneering, AI-driven, accessible job platform for the disabled.
It focuses on building resilient livelihoods for young people with disabilities, including the most vulnerable women with disabilities. To this end, SwarajAbility works with governments, markets and civil society to remove physical and attitudinal barriers and enable effective solutions.
Jury Statement: “We are particularly impressed by the commitment and enthusiasm of the team that has driven the success of the project, the attention to detail, the clear passion and the fact that the model is designed to be easily adapted and replicated in different contexts.”
Project: La Fábrica De Hobbies
SDG: Goodhealth + Well-Being
Initiator: La Fábrica De Hobbies, Valencia/ Spain
La Fábrica De Hobbies offers a safe space to start businesses, make products, start new hobbies and socialize. The goals: To help people in big cities with their mental health by learning new skills and meeting their neighbors. Giving people a space for production, prototyping and testing to create innovations. It will also enable the restoration of lost crafts and support local artists. The project will be expanded to other neighborhoods and cities.
Jury statement: “La Fábrica De Hobbies shows how to combat loneliness, addiction and job insecurity by working together on a hobby. It is community-based, brings people together, touches on many SDGs and can be transferred not only from Valencia to Spain, but to all communities, large and small, around the world.”
Project: Agriculture Guide Program
SDG: Climate Action
Initiator: CAMFED USA, San Francisco/USA
Investing in women farmers across Africa is critical to tackling climate change. Through CAMFED’s Agriculture Guide Program, young women are taking a leading role in tackling climate change at the grassroots level in their rural communities. The women agriculture guides inspire the adoption of innovative and indigenous climate-friendly techniques, promote sustainable production and help build thriving businesses, which is expected to lead to higher crop yields, improved incomes, better household nutrition and job creation. The program is community- and gender-focused and supports women farmers in their resilience and adaptation to the extreme impacts of climate change.
Jury Statement: “This is an SDG changemaker program that addresses the exclusion of women by empowering them to lead the agricultural transition towards climate resilience under severe adverse conditions but at a consistent scale, in leadership through action, provision of education and community growth through innovation.”
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