The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Accelerator Lab AccLab project in partnership with National Commission of Science and Technology (NCST) and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) trained community radio stations and public universities on identifying, scouting, and reporting innovative solutions that have potential to solve development challenges in Malawi.

The Initiative comes after UNDP in collaboration with Lilongwe University of Natural Resources (LUANAR) developed an android app called Innovate 265 to help in mapping and scouting grassroots innovations.  The app, which is accessible to android phones, and available on Google Play Store will be used by community radio stations, public universities, and other innovators to report locally made innovative solutions.

Addressing southern region community radio media practitioners in Blantyre, UNDP Resident Representative Shigeki Komatsubara indicated that in an era where Malawi, like other countries in the world, is facing unpresented challenges, it is prudent to look within for solutions to solve these challenges.

He further indicated that in 2020 the UNDP Accelerator Lab launched a national wide identification and scouting exercise for innovative grassroot solutions. The purpose of the exercise according to Komatsubara is to work with various stakeholders including the media to identify and document grassroots innovations that could be assessed or screened for potential of scale up.

“Mass media play a critical role on national development through information dissemination. Recognizing the role, we thought of partnering with them to build capacity on how to identify, scout and report grassroot innovations,” said Komatsubara adding that 26 community radio stations and six public universities are being trained on grassroots innovation.

"The app can be used by individuals, communities, institutions of learning, government departments, and organizations in the public and private sectors. The application has pre-programmed form to be filled and updated at any time offline, options to attach any relevant documentation in addition to the pictures as well as videos and update the content online when connected to internet,” explained Komatsubara.

For her part, one of the participants from Kasungu Community Radio station Shakira Davie said the training has equipped her with the right skills to easily identify and map innovations. She said many innovators at grassroot level have for long not be acknowledged due to lack of skills and expertise by media practitioners.

“Acknowledging grassroot innovators can help to motivate them as well as do more and contribute to the national development. This training has provided me the right skills to discover the innovators and help them to find platform where they can showcase their innovations at the same time contributing to the development of Malawi,” said Davie applauding UNDP, NCST and LUANAR for the initiative.

The UNDP Accelerator lab targets 35 potential innovations to be reported to a global UNDP AccLab database every year. The grassroots innovative solutions from local communities and public universities will be linked to the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) Innovation Pod  that UNDP is equiping and restructuring.

Furthermore, identified innovations will be linked to the National innovations Portal that the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) is developing. The NCST National Innovation Bridge Portal which among other functionalities is expected to link innovators and investors, provide information on intellectual property protection, act as national database and platform to showcase innovations as well as track progress on innovation funding and commercialisation.       

Innovation mapping is one of the key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the AccLab. A special focus for 2022 is on energy innovations and innovations done by girls and women.

The trained institutions include:

• Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR)
• Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST)
• University of Malawi (UNIMA)
• Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHES)
• Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS)
• Mzuzu University
• National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST)
• Voice of Livingstonia (Mzuzu)
• Radio Dinosaur (Karonga)
• Likoma Community Radio (Likoma)
• Radio Tigabane (Mzuzu)
• Mzimba Community Radio (Mzimba)
• Usisya Community Radio (Usisya, Nkhata Bay)
• Tuntufye Community Radio (Karonga)
• Nthalire Community Radio (Chitipa)
• Rumphi Community Radio (Rumphi)
• Chanco Community Radio (Zomba)
• Dzimwe Community Radio (Mangochi)
• Gaka Community Radio (Chikwawa)
• Neno Community Radio (Neno)
• Nzati FM (Mulanje)
• Nyanthepa Community Radio (Nsanje)
• Living Waters Radio
• Calvary Radio Station
• Nyungwe Community Radio (Chikwawa)
• Mudziwathu Community (Mchinji) 
• Bembeke Community Radio (Dedza) 
• Nkhotakota Community Radio (Nkhotakota) 
• Kasungu Community Radio (Kasungu) 
• Chisomo Community Radio (Salima) 
• Yetu Community Radio (Dowa) 
• Madziko FM 
• Mtunthama Community Radio (Kasungu)