Elizabeth Nyamwange, the winner of HP’s Girls Save the World Challenge from Byron, Illinois, is the inventor of the groundbreaking device to solve the global identification crisis, a low-cost, solar-powered fingerprint scanner that provides women in developing countries with a digital proof of identity. Her invention, Etana, is a game-changer for women who lack access to basic necessities such as healthcare, judicial protection, and banking.
Nyamwange’s inspiration for Etana came from her close relationship with her family in Kenya, where she witnessed firsthand how women struggle to access services due to lack of identification documents. Her invention has caught the attention of the tech world, with companies such as HP recognizing her innovative creation and awarding her a $10,000 grand prize.
So, what exactly is Etana? It’s a blockchain-enabled solar-powered gadget that allows women to produce distinctive biometric digital identification without relying on the internet or electrical access. In other words, it’s a device that provides a secure, decentralized, and accessible way for people to prove their identity. And all this from a 17-year-old who had the foresight to combine her passion for social justice with programming.
What makes Etana stand out from other digital identification solutions is its use of blockchain technology, ensuring secure and private storage of data. The icing on the cake? It doesn’t require internet connectivity, making it accessible to women in remote regions.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Nyamwange. Despite being incredibly skilled and driven, she struggled initially to raise funds for her project due to her age. But, as the saying goes, where there’s a will, there’s a way. According to Shaw Local, she also received $36,000 in prizes as the winner of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Solv[ED] Youth Innovation Challenge. A program within MIT Solve that aims to “inspire and spark a sense of agency” in young people worldwide, said Eliza Berg, lead of Learning and Solv[ED] communities.
It’s important to note that the global identification crisis is no laughing matter. According to NPR report, around a billion people lack legal identification, and half of women in low-income nations don’t have identification documents, which severely restricts their freedom and the resources they have access to as highlighted by World Bank.
For Elizabeth, winning HP’s Girls Save the World Challenge from Byron, Illinois is a testament to her innovative thinking and problem-solving skills. Her achievement is not only significant for her personal growth but for Africa’s talent pool. Elizabeth’s success underscores the importance of investing in and nurturing African talent, which has the potential to advance change in the world through innovation and creativity according to Africa Giant.
However, it’s heartening to see that young people like Nyamwange are taking on these challenges, using technology for good, and making a real difference in the world. Her dream now is to start her own tech company.
