The e-Hackathon on Water, Sanitation, and Solid Waste in Rural and Peri-urban Areas of Nicaragua was an initiative by cewas, supported by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and in collaboration with Young Water Solutions. It was held from November 25 to 27, 2022, with the objective of generating innovative ideas to improve access to water,sanitation, and solid waste management services in Nicaragua.
During the three-day virtual event, 103 young entrepreneurs from the country participated, seeking solutions to different challenges with the support of experts. The challenges included water supply in peri-urban and rural areas, safe sanitation, and solid waste management. Participants received mentorship and tools to develop sustainable business ideas that addressed these critical issues.
Three teams were selected as winners, one for each challenge:
- SHiTec: Developed Zafiro, a device to measure physical-chemical parameters in real-time in potable water supply systems in rural areas.
- NIMBU: Proposed the modernization and upgrading of municipal domestic waste water treatment plants using biological sponge equipment. NIMBU was previously known as Science of Design.
- Filament Bottle: Focused on recycling plastic bottles to convert them into filaments used in 3D printing.
The winners were awarded participation in the2023 edition of the Young Water Fellowship program, which includes funded training in business, water, and sanitation, 5000 USD in seed capital, and one year of mentorship from sector experts.
For more information visit: Hackathon Nicaragua 2023