Josephine Uwase Ndeze of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the winner of Miss Geek Africa 2019, the third edition of the competition.
She is a Congolese innovator who clinched the award for her mobile platform that enables expectant mothers to monitor their progress, check any symptoms they might be experiencing and connect them to their healthcare providers in case of an emergency.
She received the award at the closing ceremony of the fifth Transform Africa Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. According to The New Times newspaper, the platform is connected to a smart bracelet which checks the woman’s vital signs and sends them to an emergency service provider in real time. This allows expectant mothers to monitor their progress and check up on symptoms if any are present. It will also connect them to their healthcare providers should the result necessitate an emergency response.
Owing to her contribution to bringing down maternal mortality, Ndeze will receive Rwf3 million in cash, a certificate and a technical membership in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). As a member, she can access essential technical information and networking opportunities globally.
Other winners on the day included the first runner-up, Gladys Wairimu of Kenya, who received Rwf2 million for her drone surveillance technology that seeks to tackle illegal poaching in game parks, and second runner-up Ndeye Fatou of Senegal, who received Rwf1 million for SOS Sang, a web platform that links healthcare providers with blood banks to ensure that they have efficient access to blood.
The contest was created to inspire girls in Africa to solve challenges on the continent using technology and to encourage them to pursue careers in technology, science, mathematics, and engineering.