LocationsWith His Eyes on Inclusion, a Young Malawian Innovator Opens the Digital World to People with Motor Disabilities
August 20, 2026
Chimwemwe’s innovation won the Best Social Impact Award at the National ICT Innovation Awards.
At 24, Chimwemwe Liwonde has already learned that innovation is not only about building technology. It is about seeing people who are often left behind and creating something that brings them closer to opportunity.
A recent graduate of the National College of Information Technology, where he earned a Bachelor’s Honours degree in Computing and Information Systems with First Class, Chimwemwe is the mind behind an Artificial Intelligence powered computer eye-control system designed for people with motor disabilities.
His innovation allows people who cannot effectively use their hands to control a computer using their eyes.
For many people, using a computer is an ordinary part of daily life. They type on keyboards, move a mouse, click icons, browse the internet, apply for jobs, study online and connect with the world. But for people with motor disabilities, especially those who cannot use their hands, this simple interaction can become a barrier to education, employment and full participation in society.
Chimwemwe wants to change that.
“Imagine having a brilliant mind but not being able to hold a pen, click a mouse, or even type on a keyboard,” he says. “For thousands of Malawians with motor disabilities, that is their reality. They drop out of school, not because of lack of intelligence, but because of physical access.”
That realisation became the foundation of his innovation. The AI-powered eye-control system uses machine learning to enable users to operate a computer through eye movement. Instead of depending on imported, hardware-based assistive technologies that can be costly and difficult to access, Chimwemwe’s solution is designed as software that can be installed on a personal computer and used offline.
This is important in a country where internet access can be limited, and affordability remains a major challenge.
“The innovation part of this project is that it uses machine learning tools,” he explains. “Another thing is that it works offline. You just install the software on someone’s PC, and they can use it anywhere.”
For Chimwemwe, the goal is not simply to create a piece of technology. It is to restore access. It is to help someone study, write, work remotely, apply for an online opportunity, or communicate more independently.
"Imagine having a brilliant mind but not being able to hold a pen, click a mouse, or even type on a keyboard."Chimwemwe Liwonde
As the world becomes increasingly digital, Chimwemwe is concerned that people with motor disabilities risk being left further behind.
In a world that is becoming increasingly digital, he worries that people with motor disabilities are being pushed further to the margins.
“Nowadays, everything is going digital,” he says. “For someone to apply for online jobs, work remotely, or even do education, they need digital access. This innovation can help people who have been digitally excluded to be connected.”
Chimwemwe’s journey into technology is also a story of personal determination. He comes from Machinga an eastern district of Malawi and describes himself as a first-generation achiever in his family. In a family of five, he is the only one who has gone into ICT, and in his home area, he says, he is among the first to study in this field.
“I can say I am first generation,” he says. “In my family, I am the only one who has gone into college. Not only in my family, but also in my whole area, I am the only one who is into ICT.”
That responsibility weighs on him, but it also motivates him. As the second-born in his family, Chimwemwe knows that his journey is inspiring others behind him. His success is not only his own. It is a signal to his siblings, his community and other young people that technology can be a pathway to solving real problems.
The innovation began as his final-year project at college. But after graduating, Chimwemwe saw that it had potential beyond the classroom.
“I sat down and thought, this is something innovative that can help someone out there who is motor disabled,” he recalls.
That reflection led him to UniPod Malawi.
Located at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences in Blantyre, UniPod Malawi has become a home for young innovators seeking to transform ideas into practical solutions. Funded by the United Nations Development Programme and the pan-African timbuktoo initiative, the facility provides a supportive ecosystem for youth-led innovation, startup incubation, prototyping and local product design.
For Chimwemwe, UniPod offered the right environment to refine his idea and prepare it for real-world use.
Chimwemwe presents his innovation to visiting dignitaries during the ICT Awards.
He came to the space, met the manager, and explained what his innovation could do. The response gave him confidence.
“He was impressed with the innovation,” Chimwemwe says. “He told me that he was going to give me support, like mentorship, so that we can make this innovation effective for the people who need it most.”
At UniPod, Chimwemwe has found more than a desk. He has found mentorship, workspace, high-end computers, reliable internet and a community that understands the value of turning ideas into impact. The computer room has been especially important for him, as his innovation requires access to computing power, online resources and a focused environment for development.
“This space has supported me with mentorship, workspace and free internet for me to be able to deploy this innovation,” he says.
The recognition has already started coming. Chimwemwe’s innovation won the Best Social Impact Award at the National ICT Innovation Awards, a milestone that affirmed the power of technology designed around human need.
But for Chimwemwe, awards are not the final destination. They are encouragement to go further.
Over the next two to five years, he hopes to see the innovation deployed in rehabilitation centres and other spaces where people with motor disabilities can access it. He wants it to reach multiple users across Malawi and eventually become a tool that can change lives at scale.
He is also thinking about language inclusion. Currently, the commands are in English, but he plans to integrate Chichewa, Malawi's most common language spoken by more than half of the country's population, so that more citizens can use the system comfortably.
“I have a plan to integrate Chichewa so that people can be able to use the innovation,” he says.
That attention to language, cost and offline access shows the heart of Chimwemwe’s work. He is not building technology for technology’s sake. He is building for people who may never have been considered by mainstream digital systems.
His message to other young innovators is clear: innovation must serve people.
“We should not only look at the technology,” he says. “We should look at the impact it can have on the community.”
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