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Year: 2025

Year: 2025

WSEI

WSEI Alumni Networking Event

The WSEI Alumni Networking Event that took place at the end of September saw women entrepreneurs from WSEI’s Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 come together. We had stories about where each of the entrepreneurs had come from, and where they have reached, as a show of encouragement to everyone who was present. Additionally, a panel discussion was set up where women showed up as their true authentic selves, reminding others that your journeys are just as important as the results you hope to achieve. Lastly, entrepreneurs from Cohort 2 had the opportunity to sell their products to the attendees of the event, boosting their business reach.

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Digital Fabrication

Unveiling Flood Detector – Type 2!

Sit tight, we have news for you! Mercy and Felix, members from the I.O.Me001 FabLab, have created a new flood detector, something that works a little different as compared to the first one. The first flood detector worked by detecting when waterbodies were about to break their banks, whereas this new version has sensors around an area to monitor flash floods during the rainy season. How it works is that sensors will communicate with each other during floods, and if they register the same/similar data they will send out alerts. This is helpful, as this will be able to differentiate between a flash flood and when someone pours a bucket of water on the ground. This new version of the flood detector is more portable as it works using lithium-ion batteries and GSM network vs. the older floor detector that works using solar power and LTE network. The motivation behind this new model came from the flash-floods in Kijabe in 2024. There was wide-spread devastation where families were wiped out and people had to start their lives again from scratch. All of that could have been prevented by an alert system.  

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Events

Blue Economy Innovation & Investment Summit 2025

I.O.Me254 was present and heard during the 2025 Blue Economy & Investment Summit, held at Pride Inn Paradise. Present was Derrick Mugasia – I.O.Me254 Labs Coordinator for the Kenya Red Cross Society and Nadhifa Jama – Entrepreneurship Co-ordinator for Kenya Red Cross Society. The agenda included discussions on sustainable solutions for ocean pollution, marine biodiversity, and community empowerment. This was reinforcing our commitment to environmental stewardship as I.O.Me254, and as the Kenya Red Cross Society as a whole.

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Events

Plastic Odyssey Visit

The MV Plastic Odyssey is a ship that left Marseille on October 1st 2022 for a world-wide voyage to places most affected by plastic pollution. We hosted them at I.O.Me254’s Mombasa Branch (I.O.Me001 Social Innovation Center) for a period of 2 weeks, whereby we had an exhibition depicting their travels in the co-working space. We had children steaming in from Mbaraki Girls School as well as the Aga Khan Primary School, brimming with curiosity and creativity. For the children, it was a meaningful learning experience where they saw more practical approaches of environment preservation by recycling and repurposing the materials that we would otherwise have disposed of. We had the opportunity to have our staff, together with 10 waste management companies, attend an onboard incubation training on plastic recycling onboard the Plastic Odyssey. They then ended their stay in Mombasa with I.O.Me254’s partnership launch event that was held at the I.O.Me001 Social Innovation Center. This event was crucial as it market the day that Plastic Odyssey signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kenya Red Cross Society.

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Development

Men’s Mental Health Talk

In September, I.O.Me254’s branch in Lamu (I.O.Me005) in partnership with the Rehabilitation Center hosted a Men’s Mental Health Talk. The focus was on financial freedom: how men can achieve it, secure it, and avoid misusing it. In our generation, financial pressures have become one of the biggest causes of mental anguish among men, leading to stress, depression, and sadly even suicide. We discussed the importance of financial discipline, saving, investing, and avoiding unnecessary debt, whilst also reminding ourselves that true freedom is not about competition or showing-off, but about peace of mind and stability. A strong message was shared: a man’s worth is not defined by his wallet, but by his health, resilience and integrity.

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FabKids

S.T.E.A.M Squad: Create, Build, Explore!

Over 50 bright young minds lit up the I.O.Me001 Social Innovation Hub in Mombasa during an unforgettable STEAM event hosted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) at I.O.Me001 Social Innovation Hub, Mombasa. The room was crackling with curiosity and creativity as children explored everything from circuit boards to virtual reality, diving headfirst into hands-on activities that challenged their thinking and sparked their imaginations. But this wasn’t just about fun tech experiments — it was about asking big questions, solving real-world problems, and nurturing the innovators of tomorrow. This energy wasn’t just felt in Mombasa. The ripple effects of events like these echo across all I.O.Me254 spaces. As we continue bridging creativity with technology and purpose, it’s clear that when young people are given tools and the space to explore, they don’t just participate – they lead. And that’s exactly the future we’re working to build.

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Development

Pwani Edtech Summit 2025

At the Pwani EdTech Summit 2025, I.O.Me254 brought innovation to the forefront – demonstrating the value of creating contextual teaching and learning aids using locally available tools and creativity. The session also addressed how powerful collaboration has been in supporting innovators to get more ideas that meet unique local needs. From 3D-printed learning aids to locally made water filters crafted from wood in Lamu, our presentation highlighted solutions that serve learners at all levels including children with learning disabilities.  The labs continue to be a stepping stone towards facilitating the realization of a more inclusive, accessible, and meaningful educational experience for all learners. Whether it’s supporting children with disabilities or enhancing learning for early learners, our mission across I.O.Me001 in Mombasa and I.O.Me005 in Lamu remains rooted in community driven impact. The Summit was a reminder that when education meets innovation, and when technology is guided by empathy, the possibilities for positive change are endless.

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Training

Women Social Entrepreneurship Institute Phase 2 of 2025

The Women Social Entrepreneurship Institute (WSEI) continues to uplift informal entrepreneurs, helping them grow into impactful business leaders. Following a successful pilot in Mombasa, Phase Two of WSEI launched in April 2025 through a partnership between the French Red Cross, Kenya Red Cross Society, and ICC Merchants of Peace Foundation. This six-month phase is supporting 25 early-stage female founders in the green and circular economies across Kenya’s Coastal region. The program includes training in entrepreneurship basics, human- centered design, financial literacy, digital skills, mental health, and more. A key milestone was the Mid-Program Pitch Competition on June 26, 2025, held at the I.O.Me Fablab in Mombasa. Entrepreneurs received valuable feedback from distinguished ecosystem players, including Dr. Tayba Hatimy of Baus Taka, Biabu Shaffie from YEPI, and Vincent Mutisya of Sieg Strategy Group, boosting their confidence and investor readiness.  As the program progresses, the focus will shift to advisory support and real-world business exposure.

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Events

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2025

Celebrating International Women’s Day! Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress! During this year’s International Women’s Day, I.O.Me254 brought together voices, stories, and sisterhood under the global theme: Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress. Across our spaces, the day was filled with powerful conversations that stirred reflection, sparked new ideas, and reminded us of the strength in community.  There was laughter, connection, and a shared energy that could only come from women showing up for one another.What truly stood out was the collective intention to build and grow together. At both I.O.Me001 in Mombasa and I.O.Me005 in Lamu, participants forged new networks and fresh collaborations began to take root. International Women’s Day 2025 was a reminder that investing in women means investing in sustainable change. Progress moves faster when we move together.

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Development

Innovation Talks – Innovation and Humanitarian Response

During a powerful session hosted at I.O.Me001 Social Innovation Centre in Mombasa, Professor Bailey Briscoe Jones of the University of Texas – Austin shared insights that challenged and inspired. With his background in Humanitarian Product Development as well as his collaboration with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(IFRC), Prof. Jones spoke about what it truly means to innovate for impact. Prof. Jones emphasized that effective solutions in humanitarian contexts must scale down – not up – to meet individual human needs. Big ideas, he reminded us, only matter if they make life better for families and communities on the ground. At the heart of his talk was a strong call for Human-Centered Design (HCD) – a philosophy that puts real people, not just theoretical models, at the center of the creative process. He outlined five key principles for effective humanitarian innovation: Direct engagement with those affected Securing community acceptance Developing quickly Testing and iterating Implementation   For both I.O.Me 001 in Mombasa and I.O.Me 005 in Lamu, this session served as a timely reminder that our work must remain grounded in lived experience if it is to create lasting, meaningful change.

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