LocationsHow One Young Innovator Is Reimagining Public Services and Proving That Malawi’s Next Generation Is Ready to Solve the Country’s Biggest Challenges
September 25, 2026
Chisomo and her winning team.
When the winners were announced, Chisomo Kambalame froze. For a brief moment, the fourth-year Computer Studies and Information Technology student at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Thyolo wondered if she had heard correctly.
Then, everything changed.
She and her teammates had been sitting next to each other when their names were called. They immediately jumped to their feet, screaming with excitement before pulling each other into a joyful group hug. As the excitement continued, they made their way to the front, where Chisomo was handed a large gold trophy.
She held it tightly against her chest, almost as if she were hugging it herself. It was a simple gesture, but one that captured the weight of the moment not just the physical weight of the trophy, but everything it represented: months of hard work, teamwork, innovation and the belief that young Malawians can create solutions to some of the country's most pressing challenges.
The moment became one of the defining memories of the ICT Association of Malawi (ICTAM) National Students Hackathon 2026.
The hackathon, organised by the Information and Communication Technology Association of Malawi (ICTAM) with support from UNDP Malawi through the Inclusive Digital Transformation for Malawi (IDT4M) project, brought together some of the country's brightest young innovators to develop technology-driven solutions to national challenges.
But the real victory had begun days earlier, with a simple question. What if getting a passport in Malawi didn't have to be so difficult?
Chisomo and her team worked against the clock to develop the e-Pass System, replacing paper-based passport procedures with streamlined digital applications and processing.
Turning a common frustration into an opportunity
Like millions of Malawians, Chisomo understood the frustrations surrounding passport applications. The long queues, paperwork that seemed endless and repeated trips to immigration offices. On top of that, there were always hours and sometimes days lost navigating a system that many found confusing.
Instead of accepting those challenges as inevitable, Chisomo and her teammates, Austin Thedzengwa and Nyasha Chinthu, saw an opportunity. Competing against students from five universities during the national hackathon, the trio decided to tackle a problem almost every Malawian could relate to.
"We didn't just want to create something technical," Chisomo explains. "We wanted to solve a real problem."
They had just four days.
Four days to build a solution
Working against the clock, the team designed the e-Pass System, a digital platform that streamlines passport applications and processing by replacing paper-based procedures with a more organised and efficient system.
Recognising that many Malawians still rely on basic mobile phones, the team also integrated SMS functionality into the platform, ensuring that citizens without smartphones could still access the service.
For Chisomo, the project was more than a software application. It was proof that technology could make government services more accessible, more efficient and more dignified.
Building the system in just four days was no easy task.
"There was pressure," she recalls. "We had limited time, but we trusted each other. Everyone contributed their skills."
When the judges announced the winners, the team from MUST had emerged victorious.
"We wanted to solve a real problem."Chisomo Kambalame.
Chisomo (fifth from left) with her winning team and representatives from the ICT Association of Malawi.
A victory that changed everything
Winning the competition came with more than a trophy. The team received MK3 million to further develop the e-Pass System and secured six-month paid internships at NICO Holdings, allowing them to transform their prototype into a practical solution.
For Chisomo, however, the biggest reward was something less tangible.
"It showed me that the problems we see every day are not impossible to solve," she says. "Sometimes they only need people who are willing to think differently."
Later that day, after the celebrations had settled, she picked up her phone and called her father.
"I was nervous," she says with a smile. "I wasn't even sure he would believe me."
Creating opportunities for young innovators
Beyond the competition itself, the initiative aims to equip young people with practical skills, expose them to industry mentors and demonstrate how innovation can contribute to Malawi's development.
For Chisomo, it became the moment where years of studying computer science finally connected with real life.
"I realised that what we learn in class can actually change people's lives," she says.
Building Malawi's future, one solution at a time
Today, the e-Pass System continues to be refined. But Chisomo is already thinking beyond passport services.
She imagines digital solutions that improve healthcare, education and other public services. She believes Malawi's young innovators have the talent to solve many of the country's development challenges if given the opportunity.
"What we have to do is to start , we already have it within us," she says. "If we want our country to be better, we have to be part of creating that change."
At just 20 years old, Chisomo has already demonstrated what is possible when talent meets opportunity. She arrived at the hackathon hoping to learn.
She left carrying a trophy in her hands , new confidence in her abilities and a belief that innovation can improve the lives of millions of Malawians.
And perhaps most importantly, she left knowing that this was only the beginning.