On the 15th of May 2019, I took part in an event call the AfriAlliance Innovation Bridge (or IBE for short). The IBE is a one of the many events that is umbrella-ed by the African Utility Week Conference. This conference took place in Cape Town between the 14 to the 16th of May.

AfriAlliance IBE saw delegates from the Netherlands, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, South Africa and many other countries.

The Conference aims to promote the development in African countries. The show is the one world assembly location, convention and trade exhibition for African vigour and water utility professionals and offers a distinct networking possibility for engineers, stakeholders and resolution vendors alike. This event shows products like discuss strategic and technical improvements in the utility power, water and gas sectors etc. in the Business Services, Power & Renewable Energy industries.

Apart from me were many other innovators in the water sector. We all had to present a 1 - minute pitch on our innovative ideas (on how to combat climate change within the water sector through innovation) in the aim to be funded by potential stakeholders who were eagerly awaiting to hear our pitches.

I was being interviewed by a journalist from Media24 on my project called Living Wetlands.

The event was a success! I heard wonderful ideas being pitched, moreover I saw prototypes of the ideas that they came in to pitch as well. my idea had no prototype because it is a large scale project that is based in Lesotho. 

A little 'HAPPY' dance after a successful occasion. 

The event even gained local news coverage and had wonderful responses on social media. I hope more of such events are established. I like how the event took the issue of climate change, and water scarcity and aligned it with innovation as a means of finding solutions. 

Reference list (Photos):

Credit for the first photo goes to https://www.african-utility-week.com/press-releases/expenditure-on-research-for-water-security-not-reflecting-water-scarcity-reality

The last three - Ms. Rosa Domingos