For Jack Ma’s $1.5m award
For the elderly, it leads to increased social isolation.
Deaftronics also offers the means to mitigate detected hearing impairments with our solar chargeable low-cost hearing aid. In low economic environments, the weekly purchase of hearing aid batteries can be challenging (e.g. cost prohibitive or locally not available).
The solar chargeable hearing aid is an appropriate technology for low economic settings, eliminating this challenge, and ensuring the continued use of the hearing aid.
The impact is significant and can be life-changing: If hearing impairments are detected and addressed at an early age, this can prevent speech impediments (and subsequent marginalisation of an individual) and ensures that the child can fully benefit from education through regular local schools rather than falling behind due to the hearing impairment. I believe that only through education, can we break the cycle of poverty.
Mmegi: What impact would you say your business has had in Botswana and particularly among groups such as women, youth, and rural dwellers?
Katsiga: We have provided 1,200 solar-powered hearing aids in Botswana and provided 600 schoolchildren with solar-powered hearing aids. Increased participation of school- going children.
Deaftronics’ products offer excellent value for money – the company’s solar-powered hearing aid unit is sold at a fraction of the price of conventional hearing aids, which is a strong differentiating factor. The company’s solar rechargeable hearing aid makes it possible for poverty- stricken, hearing-impaired communities in Botswana to circumvent the problem of having to buy expensive batteries weekly.
Deaftronics goes the extra mile to empower the hearing-impaired community. The company has not only created job opportunities but has also facilitated the integration of the deaf into the community.
Deaftronics, therefore, helps improve its customers’ access to education. The company has successfully developed an innovative solution that is responsive to the needs of the hearing-impaired rural communities.
In addition, at least 70% of our workforce is female. Sarah Phiri Molema (female) controls 60% of the shareholding.
Deaftronics took the initiative and partnered with First National Bank of Botswana (FNBB) where it trained bank tellers countrywide in sign language to assist with bank-related functions. As a result, deaf communities in Botswana that were previously unbanked can access banking services. With the support of the First National Bank of Botswana (FNBB), we developed the first HIV/AIDS book in sign language. There has been a reduction in the HIV/AIDS transmission rate from 38% to nine percent within the deaf communities.
Melissa Tafila, co-founder of Conexus Proprietary Limited
Mmegi: What led to you engaging or venturing into this business and what challenges or opportunities did you face?
Tafila: The desire to make an impact in education in Botswana is what led me to venture into this business. I wanted to create an environment where students are inspired to excel, challenge themselves to do better and even develop their skills.
It has always brought me great joy to see children’s faces light up in understanding because of a simple explanation I gave them, to an academic question they asked. I wanted to do more and adding the use of technology to ease their understanding was what made it even more fun.
Starting a business, I came to find, is not an easy task. Building from the ground up has required a lot of sacrifices; resigning from your day job to pursue working on your dream, spending inordinate amounts of time defining and redefining the vision, researching and planning, taking on multiple roles, working longer hours and initially, mostly without pay, and at the same time keeping oneself motivated.
That was a challenge, but persistence, perseverance, and focusing on the reasons why we were building this, are what kept me going. I am glad that by God’s grace we managed to push through the difficulties to get to where we are today.
Mmegi: What social issue were you responding to in venturing into this business?
Tafila: We were responding to the affordability, inclusivity, and accessibility to quality education. We have always had an interest to provide all students with quality learning resources and revision materials, regardless of their socioeconomic status, cultural background, or geographical location. We have always wanted to help each student reach their full potential in their studies and do so using technologies that keep them engaged in their learning.
Mmegi: What impact would you say your business has had in Botswana and particularly among groups such as women, youth, and rural dwellers?
Tafila: We have seen students developing good study habits and being keener to revise, preparing for their quizzes, tests, and exams well in time. We have received testimonies from parents about their children improving their marks at school and being more confident in class. Students have also gained a better understanding of curriculum objectives and are achieving their learning goals.
Our service offers equitable access to learning resources and leverages on legacy systems such as SMS/USSD making it easily accessible even in the most remote or isolated areas.