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Year: 2025

Year: 2025

Development

Innovation Visit – Kakuma Refugee Camp

Earlier this May 2025, I.O.Me254 organized a needs assessment tour joined by students from Kenya and the University of Texas – Austin, on a meaningful 5-day visit to Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei settlement in Turkana County.  Together with humanitarian workers, youth, and local entrepreneurs, they interacted with community members within the camp, listening and learning. From damaged water infrastructure to salty boreholes and rising wastewater, it became clear just how much residents are working with limited resources.  But even in the middle of these challenges, there was a great sense of resilience, determination, creativity and hope. Now, those conversations and insights are helping shape new ideas back at our hubs in Mombasa (I.O.Me001) and Lamu (I.O.Me005) and the University of Texas in Austin.  Teams are exploring simple, community-led solutions for clean water and sanitation, better ways to manage waste, and tech skills programs that include youth and women in displaced settings. Innovation doesn’t have to be big or complicated – it just has to be thoughtful, useful, accessible and built together with the people it’s meant for. 

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Development

KEFRI Exhibition 2025

At Lamu, I.O.Me005, under the Kenya Red Cross Society Lamu Branch, recently participated in a vibrant exhibition hosted by KEFRI — one that brought our innovation lab’s work into the spotlight. From youth-led solutions to community-driven prototypes, we proudly showcased how technology and creativity are transforming lives in Lamu.  The event drew a diverse group of stakeholders including NYS, Kenya Prisons, NRT, Save Lamu, Action Life, Wetlands International, Cooperative Bank, and a host of students and fellow innovators. The exhibition looked past what we’ve built – it relayed the story behind why we build. Each product displayed carried a story of purpose and potential, designed with and for the youth of Lamu. With every conversation sparked and connection made, it became clear that innovation thrives when the community is involved. As I.O.Me005 continues to grow, this event affirmed that we’re not only building tools – we’re building futures.

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Events

IEEE Africa Entrepreneurship Summit 2025

At the recent IEEE Africa Entrepreneurship Summit in Rwanda, ICHA proudly had a seat at the table – represented through the Kenya Red Cross Society by Umi Sora, one of our very own Innovation Champions. Umi Sora shared heartfelt insights under the theme “Purpose Before Profit”, reflecting on how the Innovation Department helped shape what is now the I.O.Me254 Innovation Centres. Her message was clear: Innovation at the grassroots level can spark powerful change. From Mombasa to Lamu, I.O.Me254 continues to build on that foundation – offering programs that equip youth and women with practical, future-ready skills. Through incubations, mentorship, and initiatives like the Women Social Entrepreneurship Institute, we’re showing that humanitarian work goes beyond relief. It’s about empowering communities to thrive, using innovation and bold ideas to create a better, more inclusive future. Because in our world, doing business with purpose makes all the difference.

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Digital Fabrication

Training Session: Ideation, Prototyping, Manufacturing

We had a training session led by one of our lab members, Brayton Anderson, on Ideation, Prototyping, and Manufacturing. We explored how to research effectively, prototype rapidly, and navigate regulatory landscapes (KEBS, patents, and compliance).   Tips include: When in the stage of ideation, you need to do a lot of research, and you need to be intentional about what you are researching on. Additionally, what helps whilst researching is to think through the lens of the end-user instead of the builder When it comes to manufacturing, think of which manufacturers to use at which stages Also think about what the existing regulations are, together with what the regulating bodies are for compliance Then also remember how the regulations and compliance differs with the different country markets (e.g the European market and the American market) Also think about the different forms of testing, especially when it comes to electronics.

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FabKids

FabKids: Climate Conversations

Our 3-Day holiday workshop kicked off with a splash! The young scientists dived into the water cycle; evaporation, condensation, rain and collection through stories, discussions, and fun DIY experiments. The kids discovered how water keeps our world alive and how the Earth itself works as a natural filter, recycling water so its clean and ready for life. What makes this FabKids training different from the last ones is that this one is centred around climate conversations. The theme of this training is: innovating water access for a climate-resilient future. This initiative supports Sustainable Development Goals: 13 (take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts) 14 (conserve and sustainably use the ocean, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development).

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Development

3-Day Teachers’ Trainings

It is important to up-skill the youth, however it is also equally important to up-skill the teachers that bring up and influence the younger generations. We started out with showing the teachers what the aims and initiatives of the Kenya Red Cross Society and, by extension, I.O.Me254 are all about. We then went on to cover essential computer skills like operating Microsoft Suite together with learning how to manage files. Towards the end of the training, the teachers had mastered the practical skills necessary to take their use of digital skills to the next level.

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Digital Literacy

Policy Dialogue: British Council X Nairobits Trust

At the Policy Dialogue Event, held collaboratively by the SIDP (Skills for Inclusive Digital Participation) Project (via British Council) and Nairobits Trust, I.O.Me254 joined leaders from across different sectors in Mombasa. The Skills for Inclusive Digital Participation works on giving digitally excluded individuals the opportunity to build their skills so as to access digital opportunities. These digitally excluded individuals include women, the youth, differently-abled individuals as well as underprivileged individuals. The event encompassed discussions on. how to turn digital literacy into real, inclusive impact in Mombasa, based on the project implemented earlier this year by the British Council and Nairobits Trust in conjunction with I.O.Me254, A.P.D.K, Government of Kenya and other key stakeholders. We ended the day with a clearer way forward into the next year, with more potentially-impactful implementation tactics.   Lets all play our part and help turn digital skills into sustainable livelihoods, especially for the youth, women, and persons with disabilities.      

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Digital Literacy

Lot 17 – Digital Literacy Trainings

In July we had the privilege of hosting Lot 17 of the Digital Literacy Training. We’re equipping young minds with essential skills that open doors to opportunity in today’s digital-first world. This is part of a broader mission by I.O.Me254 to bridge the digital divide, especially in underserved regions.   Every click, every lesson, every step forward is a contribution toward self-reliance, employability, and innovation. Learning how to format documents professionally and navigating advanced features like the View and Review tabs are two examples of the practical knowledge that employers demand and communities need.        

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FabKids

S.T.E.A.M Summer Camp

In July, the I.O.Me001 Social Innovation Center launched our 2-week STEAM Summer Camp, where our young students were able to participate in a variety of enriching activities. They have explored coding through Scratch, worked on electronics, and engaged in canvas painting, arts & crafts, and DIY projects. Additionally, students delved into pottery, 3D printing, and robotics, further expanding their skills in both creative and technological fields.   We are proud to provide a platform for young learners to explore and develop in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M).  

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FabKids

FootPrints Family Workshop : Kwale County

Adding to the FabKids agenda, in the month of July we had a training in Kwale County. We dove into the world of animation and storytelling using Scratch! The kids explored the “Next Customer Please” game and even built their own Space Talk games, all of that completely on their own.           Using the simple materials available around them, the children engineered mini-excavators powered by hydraulics, learning firsthand how pressure and motion work together in real machines. Unlike regular gardens, these smart ones use sensors to detect soil moisture to then automatically water the plants. This has introduced the kids to real-world applications of tech in agriculture.            

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