Team EarlyVet won the 2024 Tech4Good regional competition in Morocco with its innovative solution to revolutionize livestock health management for farmers in Ethiopia. Using advanced wearable sensors and AI algorithms, the solution enables farmers to monitor their cattle’s health in real-time. This platform also detects symptoms and predicts diseases before they become serious issues, while serving as a communication channel between farmers and veterinarians or animal health professionals.
A few months post-regionals, the members of EarlyVet—Lidiya Mamo, Abdi Geremew, Bisrat Kebere, Biyaol Mesay, and Firaol Tesfaye—remain unwavering in their mission to combat cattle diseases and protect the livelihoods of Ethiopian livestock rearers. During our interview, PIM Global asked the team to reflect on the past, present, and future of EarlyVet.
The Past: Highlights from the Tech4Good Competition
EarlyVet was born from the team’s recognition of an urgent need: 70% of Ethiopia’s population comprises livestock rearers, with the industry making up 20% of the country’s GDP. Unfortunately, 24% of the cattle are lost annually due to undetected diseases. For many team members, this issue hits close to home, as they have neighbors or family members who own livestock. With this motivation, the team leveraged their knowledge from Huawei’s courses on AI, IoT, and cloud technologies to develop EarlyVet as a holistic health management platform. EarlyVet aims to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, and Decent Work and Economic Growth.
Team EarlyVet described the competition as a valuable learning journey. Through the workshops, they learned to discuss, refine, and redefine their ideas. As team lead Lidiya Mamo explained, “sometimes you are in love with an idea, but the data shows otherwise… you have to be brutally honest with yourself and let it go.” Abdi Geremew also recalls how their mentor, Ilyass Benarouia, and other participants felt like family, helping one another throughout the competition.
The Present: Post-Regional Competition Developments
Since the regionals, EarlyVet has kept up its momentum, meeting weekly and attending monthly workshops. Biyaol Mesay found the session on team building particularly helpful, as it helped him find unity in diversity and navigate working with people who have different perspectives.
Determined to bring the product to life, the team has already begun prototyping, sourcing sensor technologies, collaborating with veterinarians, and surveying farmers. Their mentor Ilyass Benarouia has also provided invaluable guidance on commercial aspects such as stakeholder management and marketing.
The Future: Aspirations and Advice
Gearing up for the global finals, EarlyVet has set ambitious goals. Bisrat Kebere shared that his grandparents recently lost a donkey to a disease, adding, “In the future, I want to see the cattle, donkeys, and horses of my community using EarlyVet… in Ethiopia, across Africa, and even globally. That’s the vision of our product.”
Despite their aspiration for global expansion, the team remains grounded in their core principles: quality over quantity; purpose over profit. In the first few years, EarlyVet will focus on research and development to ensure their product is effective in addressing cattle disease issues. Ultimately, the team seeks expansion not for profit, but to help more livestock rearers.
To conclude the interview, each team member shared a nugget of wisdom for future Tech4Good participants:
- Lidiya Mamo: “Follow the timeline of the Tech4Good program as it helps the team stay on track. Be humble enough to realize that the idea you are in love with may not be the best one. If you are a leader, your role is to serve your team.”
- Abdi Geremew: “Search for the problem in your community, and you will find the solution.”
- Bisrat Kebere: “Build for your community so that you can truly understand the problem and reach a solution more easily. If the problem resonates with you, you will always find the passion to continue.”
- Biyaol Mesay: “It’s not about winning the competition; it’s about winning the hearts of your people and community. Focus on your team and avoid stubbornness or arrogance—otherwise, it will be like mixing water with oil: it won’t work out.”
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Firaol Tesfaye: “Focus on the larger community and examine the statistics so that your solution can be scalable. Address the problem step by step to reach a solution.”
Team EarlyVet
Connect with EarlyVet
Lidiya Mamo – Team Lead / Software Engineer
Abdi Geremew – Mobile Application Developer
Bisrat Kebere – Machine Learning Engineer
Biyaol Mesay – Product Designer
Firaol Tesfaye – Electrical Engineer
Participation Year: 2024
Country: Morocco
Program: Tech4Good (North Africa)
Contributors
Ting Ting Liew, Interviewer/Writer
Ting Ting is passionate about social impact, innovation, business development, and the nexus among these three areas. She was previously a Business Partner in Enterprise Singapore, a government agency that champions enterprise growth. Ting Ting graduated from the National University of Singapore with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Social Work. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at Yenching Academy, Peking University. She is currently working on her thesis regarding the development of social entrepreneurship in China. During her free time, you can catch Ting Ting running, doing aerial yoga, or finding the best dessert in town!
