Rising Flames is a team of passionate changemakers – Grace Gausi, Nyasha Chinthu, Steve Tsekani, Tayamika Kaponda and Victoria Kankhokwe – who came together during the Southern Africa Tech4Good Regional Competition 2024. Through a series of both technology and business-focused workshops, mentorship and incredible teamwork, the team won the Regional Competition with Soil Smart, an innovative solution aiming to improve soil health and promote sustainable farming in Malawi.
“Tell me more about Rising Flames and your solution”
Victoria: “Rising Flames” is deeply symbolic for us – Malawi means flames, or fire, which represents the passion we have as a team to go above and beyond. Our common drive for technological innovation culminated in our solution Soil Smart. Research shows that 85% of Malawi’s population rely on agriculture as their main source of income, and yet have been plagued with issues like low crop yield and skyrocketing fertiliser prices. In fact, there was a 380% increase in fertiliser price from 2019 to 2024! Hence, our team wanted to leverage technologies to monitor soil health and promote more sustainable farming practices.
Steve: Soil Smart will also include AI-enabled sensors to track soil nutrients, and optimise fertiliser usage based on the environmental factors such as knowing the geographical factors of the plot. With this, we ultimately hope to improve crop yields and support the agricultural community.
“Use an emoji to describe your project!”
Steve: 💡 Lightbulb – mind-blowing and enlightenment!
Grace: 🚀 Rocket – crossing boundaries, entering new horizons!
“What helped your project to stand out among so many other projects?”
Tayami: Soil Smart stood out because we are tackling two pressing global issues: environmental protection and food insecurity, through a highly localised solution. We provide farmers who lack access to professional soil testing tools with information to improve their crop yields and soil quality. Addressing both environmental and economic concerns, our project offers a comprehensive and accessible solution for farmers.
Grace: Our project stood out as it is grounded in real data. The statistics of soaring fertiliser prices are not merely numbers, but a reflection of a widespread problem affecting so many farmers in Malawi.
“Do you have any memorable moments from the Tech4Good competition?”
Nyasha: After a particularly hectic day, our team was overwhelmed. Victoria then suggested we do a trust fall exercise to release our anxieties. (Note: Victoria took the fall!) That really shifted our headspace – we were more relaxed and could bounce ideas off each other freely for the rest of the competition.
Tayami: We initially had so many complex technologies we wanted to include, but our mentor always suggested keeping it simple. One day, our mentor said “This is a great idea, you should go with this!”, and we heaved a sigh of relief. It was incredibly rewarding when everything finally clicked.
Steve: During a discussion, I jokingly mentioned, “When we win this, we’ll figure out how to train our model.” To my surprise, everyone agreed with confidence, “Yes, we’re winning this.” At that moment, I started to believe that we were going far with this project.
Victoria: After pitching our idea in the first round, I felt that I hadn’t given it my best. But my teammates immediately rallied around me and encouraged me with a pat on my back. The support from my team restored my strength. Going into the second round, we went with our heads held high and with a winning mentality.
“What obstacles has the team faced, and how did the team overcome them?”
Tayami: A significant challenge we encountered was our initial focus on integrating new technologies we learnt during the Tech4Good programme, but overlooking the actual needs of farmers we aimed to support. But with further research, we noticed that their concerns are much simpler, and that motivated us to focus on the users. Technology should help the users, and not the other way around.
“What’s next for Soil Smart? What is your aspiration for Soil Smart?”
Grace: Our next step is to take our research findings to the field and engage the community directly. We hope to collaborate with other interested entities to scale up our efforts. On the technical side, we are speaking with industry experts to ensure we have a solid grasp of the technologies involved.
Steve Tsekani: In the next five years, I envision Soil Smart becoming a solution accepted among many farmers, leading to a significant transformation in how they manage soil health.
Tayami Kaponda: Soil and fertiliser challenges are real issues affecting many people. My aspiration for Soil Smart is to see it on the market, making a genuine impact where it is needed most.
“What advice do you have for future Tech4Good participants?”
Grace Gausi: Start with the problem instead of the solution. Too often, we have a solution in mind and try to fit a problem to it. Begin with identifying the problem and then look for ways to solve it.
Nyasha Chinthu: Keep an open mind – this environment is a great opportunity to absorb different perspectives and ideas that can help you tackle various challenges.
Steve Tsekani: Focus on impact. Understand how the people facing the problem feel before rushing to find a solution. Keep an open mind and be resilient; teamwork is about sharing ideas and respecting each other.
Tayami Kaponda: Connect with others; don’t just focus on your project. Be kind to yourself and remember to enjoy the experience.
Victoria Kankhokwev: Take one step at a time. Focus on solving one problem before moving to the next. Remember where you come from and use your knowledge to impact your community positively.
Connect with Rising Flames
Grace Gausi (Data Engineer)
Nyasha Chinthu (Software Developer)
Steve Tsekani (Software Developer)
Tayami Kaponda (Software Developer)
Victoria Kankhokwev (Team Representative and Cybersecurity Analyst)
Blog Contributor
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!
