This World Humanitarian Day, we join the global call to #ActForHumanity by highlighting a new generation of innovators developing bold solutions to reach vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities. As global conflicts and crises intensify, traditional humanitarian methods are often insufficient.
We are proud to announce the addition of new proof-of-concept innovations to our humanitarian portfolio, all focused on bridging gaps that leave millions without critical support. We will also be announcing additional innovators in the near future.
Through Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenge (CHIC), Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) supports entrepreneurs and organizations that are redefining crisis response with transformative solutions. From life-saving health interventions to life-changing access to energy initiatives, CHIC-supported innovators are reshaping humanitarian aid to ensure no one is left behind.
The new portfolio of seed innovations includes:
- Spark Charity for Innovation and Creativity – AI-powered breast cancer diagnosis in Gaza.
- Africa GreenTec Electrification Rurale Sarl – Solar mini-grids for energy access in Mali.
- Convexity Technologies Ltd – Improving medication distribution for hard-to-reach populations in Nigeria.
- Berine and Bokwe Foundation Maternal health mobile hub in Matoh District, Cameroon.
- International Training and Development Center – enhancing the well-being of rural communities through solar electric vehicles in Yemen.
- Alliance for International Medical Action – Telemedicine for remote consultations in the Central African Republic.
- University of Juba – Empowering frontline health providers to save newborn lives in conflict zones in South Sudan.
- Thrive Gulu – A mental health innovation that serves South Sudanese refugees through dance therapy in Uganda.
- Dalhousie University – Life-skills education and psychosocial resilience, facilitated by local experts for displaced Nigerians.
- STAND-UP – Real-time disease surveillance in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
- African 1000 Days Action (ADA) – Supporting displaced women in South Sudan by converting waste into clean energy, improving living conditions, and promoting sustainability.
These innovations exemplify how creative thinking and localized solutions are crucial for addressing gaps in humanitarian aid. By focusing on community-led initiatives and breakthrough technologies, we can more effectively meet the urgent needs of populations in crisis.
This World Humanitarian Day, we honour the humanitarians on the front lines and celebrate the visionary innovators working tirelessly to deliver life-saving solutions to those facing extreme challenges. By investing in these innovations, GCC and the CHIC partners are paving the way for a future where everyone, regardless of location, can access the life-saving assistance they require.
About Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenge
Created in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Global Affairs Canada, and Grand Challenges Canada, CHIC aims to find and fund locally-based solutions that address the most pressing challenges facing conflict-affected communities in the hardest to reach communitie. Since 2019, CHIC has done just that, investing more than $33.4M CAD across 88 innovations.