These were a series of hackathons hosted by Dalberg, ACTED, Earth AI, Strathmore University, and the Nairobi Climate Network, aimed at elevating AI-driven solutions for critical regional climate challenges. The first two-day event gathered students, practitioners, and social enterprises to build AI-based concepts, with expert mentors offering guidance on tech, sector specifics, and design thinking. It was great to see solutions incorporating valuable local knowledge, with one group using meteorological practices in their design for pastoralist communities. The winning group, "Shamba AI", created a prototype that uses AI to assess waste for economic and recycling potential.

Building on that success, the partnership expanded in 2025 to include Circle Innovation and Amazon Web Services for a second climate-focused hackathon. This iteration continued to champion AI-driven solutions while broadening its reach, notably inviting women participants from Kenya's Arid and Semi-Arid areas. Participants collaborated closely, benefiting from guided masterclasses and mentorship in AI tools, Human-Centred Design, and receiving technical support on climate issues, ultimately developing more innovative AI-based concepts to provide impactful climate solutions. Read more.