Ekovolt's Connect and Empower the Girls

Ekovolt proposes it’s “Connect and Empower the Girls” initiative which will provide reliable and unlimited internet connectivity as well as a digital training platform in girls-only public schools.

Ekovolt is committed to solving the problem of gender gap in access to the internet and digital skills. According to Intel's report titled Women and the Web: "on average across the developing world, nearly 25 percent fewer women than men have access to the Internet, and the gender gap soars to nearly 45 percent in regions like sub-Saharan Africa."

"Connect and Empower the Girls" will provide two necessary components to empower the female students and increase entrepreneurial and career opportunities:

• Provide reliable and unlimited internet connectivity, and
• Further empower the girls by providing the digital training and digital skills needed to pursue careers or entrepreneurial initiatives

The two pronged approach will open life changing entrepreneurial and career opportunities to the students.

The specific problem in the challenge that Ekovolt's “Connect and Empower the Girls” plans to solve is "How can marginalized girls and young women access quality learning opportunities to succeed?".

Ekovolt believes that major factors contributing to this problem is the gender gap in access to the internet and associated digital benefits in under-served communities.

According to Intel's report Women and the Web: "on average across the developing world, nearly 25 percent fewer women than men have access to the Internet, and the gender gap soars to nearly 45 percent in regions like sub-Saharan Africa." 

In addition, internet connectivity is prohibitive. In Nigeria, for example, the monthly average cost of dedicated Internet is N80,000 (~$222!) which is almost twice the minimum wage, according to a report from Quartz.

According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), in 2016, the difference between the Internet user penetration rates for males and females was largest in Africa at 23% and smallest in the Americas at 2%.

According to the Making Connection Report, “Without connecting these women and girls to the internet, barriers for women to access education, lifesaving health information, and job opportunities will continue to perpetuate dire gender inequalities in these regions". 

Ekovolt plans to provide unlimited and reliable internet access and  a digital training platform in girls-only public schools in under-served communities in Nigeria;  where access to the Internet is difficult.

Along with the Internet connectivity to be provided, we will offer digital training to the girls’ school to both staff (train the trainer) and students.

We believe this access to internet connectivity in these under-served communities coupled with the digital training will open career and entrepreneurial opportunities to the students.

Ekovolt will extend its current internet connectivity service to these communities; and in addition implement a digital training platform to train the female members of this community on digital literacy and skills.

In addition to using our current fixed wireless technologies, Ekovolt is also evaluating the usability of deploying TV white-space technology to get Internet connectivity to these under-served areas where major providers do not operate.

The digital platform that will be implemented to train the girls will be based on marketable digital skills, competency and quality learning. The platform will be a low data centric platform that can be customized to the community's specific learning curriculum

The target population Ekovolt's solution serves plans to serve are young females in girls only public schools in under-served communities. This segment do not currently have access to reliable, affordable internet connectivity and the benefits that come with them. Major telecom providers do not see the immediate short term return on any capital invested in these under-served communities and so the members of this community are left behind in the Internet growth of other societies.

Ekovolt currently understands these needs as one of our solutions is Internet connectivity. We also currently offer free and unlimited internet services to two schools in Lagos, Nigeria with over 700 girls currently utilizing this service.

This engagement with these students have highlighted the need for our solution as well as other areas that access to the Internet can have a multiplying effect; such as health care, political inclusion and participation among others.

As we develop the digital platform, we would engage our current users to provide rapid feedback of the solution. The rapid feedback will be adopted into iterations of the platform which would eventually address the needs of access to internet and the digital training.

The Challenge that is well aligned to Ekovolt's solution is the "Learning for Girls and Women Challenge". 

The Challenge problem that Ekovolt's solution plans to answer is "How can marginalized girls and young women access quality learning opportunities to succeed?"

Ekovolt's “Connect and Empower the Girls” initiative targets girls and young women in under-served communities by providing the Internet connectivity needed to access the necessary tools to access quality learning opportunities as well as provide the digital platform to provide digital training opportunites to ensure these girls and young women success and thrive in the new digital world

Ekovolt's solution is unique because we plan to also use community locations as Internet base stations (solar powered) to reduce the real estate and infrastructure costs of providing the service. 

In addition, Ekovolt plans to train selected members of the communities to manage and maintain the base stations. This will give the community a sense of ownership in the solution and will bode well for the sustainability of the solution.

The additional uniqueness of the solution is the combination of both the Internet service and the digital platform as a combined solution.  There are other competitors that provide only the connectivity at exorbitant prices because they aren't the Internet Service Provider. Ekovolt, as an active licensed Internet Service Provider is positioned to provide the connectivity using its current infrastructure. By also providing the digital platform on-top of the internet service, Ekovolt's solution becomes a 'one-stop solution in a box" that provides the girls and young women the life changing digital skills.

Ekovolt's solution comprises of two products combined into one service: Internet connectivity and the digital platform. Ekovolt's internet connectivity rides on fixed wireless technology coupled with efficient and exclusive use of licensed-exempt spectrum. In addition, in locations where TV whitespace technology can be deployed, Ekovolt will utilize TV whitespace for connectivity. This is important in areas where line of sight can't be easily attained and where natural obstructions occur and can't be relocated.

The digital platform will be a web-based and mobile platform that provides the content and skills training that can be taught as part of a school curriculum as well as the self taught model that can be used offline. The focus of the digital platform will be on digital literacy and digital skills that are hands-on. By working with mobile network operators, Ekovolt plans on providing the mobile app data free, so no airtime or data is taken from the individual's phone when they're using the mobile app and not connected to Ekovolt's internet.

Ekovolt's solution utilizes fixed wireless technology coupled with efficient and exclusive use of licensed-exempt spectrum. This is common technology which Ekovolt currently uses for its paying customers. Ekovolt is a licensed Internet service provider and uses fixed wireless technology to provide internet to its current customers. 

Ekovolt's internet service is currently used in Lagos, Nigeria where majority of our customers are based.

The digital platform will be based on widely used and accepted technology; customized front end software against a commercial type database.

Ekovolt’s Connect and Empower the Girls - Internet Connectivity and Digital Training for Girls-Only Public Schools in Nigeria

To show the theory of change based on Ekovolt's solution:

The activities that the solution builds on are digital literacy training, digital skills training which all ride on Ekovolt's internet service. The young girls and women using the developed curriculum attend classes that are either taught by teachers or use the data free app that has the self teaching module. The time spent on these activities by the girls and young women improve their knowledge and provide the foundation needed to specialize.

The output from participating in those activities is that the young girls and women become digitally literate, competent in digital skills and have been exposed to understand the value of these skills and opportunities which are the foundation to career and entrepreneurial choices.

The short term outcome is these young girls and women can demonstrate their new skills and ability in different ways to either compete in the workforce, further specialize in specific areas and even launch small businesses. These young girls and women in under-served communities can now see in themselves larger opportunities beyond their current environment.

Long term outcome is these empowered young girls and women become more productive and engaged members of their communities 

Research that shows how digital skills empower young people and women https://nepad.org/skillsportalforyouth/good-practice/empowering-youth-and-women-through-digital-skills-development

Research has also shown digital empowerment as a process for enhancing citizens' participation. Additional improvements based on digital empowerment include being connected to widening social networks, technical skills, receiving and producing information, and learning new ways to act and participate by using information technology

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.2304/elea.2006.3.3.381

Research below shows how digital empowerment increases the competence of individuals and communities to act as active and influential participants in society

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250151755_Digital_Empowerment_as_a_Process_for_Enhancing_Citizens'_Participation

Current number of girls being served - 700

Number of girls to be served in one year - 25,000 girls in 25 schools

Number of girls to be served in 5 years - 250,000 girls in 250 schools

The solution's goal within the next year is to have 25,000 girls in 25 schools have access to our unlimited internet and be enrolled in and actively participating in the digital skills training program

The solution's goal within the next five years is to have 250,000 girls in 250 schools have access to our unlimited internet and be enrolled in the digital skills training program.

By year 5, up to 200,000 girls would have been equipped with the digital skills necessary to participate and compete in the digital economy using the solution's repeatable model

Financial barrier - 

In under-served areas, cost is a barrier. Cost of mobile data and cost of devices at the schools.

Technical: In rural areas, bandwidth through regular line of sight using fixed wireless spectrum might not be available

Cultural: With unlimited access to the internet, there might be concerns about access to inappropriate content

Financial barrier - Ekovolt plans to overcome and mitigate this barrier by reducing its costs and transferring those savings by using solar to generate energy, operate a lean structure and co-locate its base stations within school's premises therefore saving additional costs. 

Partnering with mobile network operators to offer data free applications would mitigate some of the costs.

Technical: In rural areas, bandwidth through regular line of sight using fixed wireless spectrum might not be available. The solution can mitigate this barrier by deploying TV white-space technology whose signals go longer distances and can't be obstructed by natural like trees, hills, building etc

Cultural: To address the concern of access to inappropriate content while online, we would deploy commercial grade firewalls which we currently use for some of our paying clients. This would ensure inappropriate content is not accessible while the girls are online.

There are 10 members of the solution team

8 full time and 2 part time / contractors

Our team has deployed multiple infrastructure projects at many of our clients’ locations. The team has collectively over 50 years of experience at Fortune 500 companies such as Verizon, Applied Materials, Cisco, Deloitte and EY. The team has been recognized as a Microsoft partner in its Affordable Access Initiative and are on a mission to connect more people and enterprises.

Some of the skills the team is well versed in include Program Management, Internet Inclusion, ICT, Network Engineering, Cloud Computing, Business Analysis, Project Management, Business Development, Internet Protocol, Business Process Engineering among others.

Some core members of the team include:

Emeka Ebo, Network Management and Operations, M.Sc. Electrical and Computer Engineering Johns Hopkins University, 15 years at Verizon in Engineering and Planning;

Austen Nwaochei, Business Development and Strategy, MBA, University of California, Davis. Over 16 years’ experience working and consulting for Chevron, Deloitte, Ross, Cisco;

Maureen Ndubuisi, Advocacy and Mentorship

Vincent Ekanem, Network Supervisor, multiple years of experience in ICT and Networking

Ekovolt currently has partnerships with different organizations as part of the solution:

Microsoft's Airband and Microsoft for Startups partnership: The Startups community gives Ekovolt access to tools and peer-based mentoring in developing the platform and solution.

Digital Training: DigitalCity.NG is one of the foremost local organisations positively impacting Africa through tech education, advocacy and digital skills training. DigitalCity.NG provides the training curriculum that will be utilized for the digital skills training

Ekovolt's business model is based on revenue streams which are monthly recurring subscriptions for Internet services, productivity, and/or cloud solutions to individuals and small businesses.

As an internet service provider (ISP) we have built a wireless distribution network for delivery of fixed wireless connections at subscribers' premises. 

Our clients and users are in need of internet access to engage in today's digital economy and tasks online, for example, e-learning, e-banking and to connect with their colleagues, customers and suppliers.  

Ekovolt is financially sustainable, we sell products and services to different types of organizations; from small and medium sized businesses to enterprises. This sustainability in turn helps Ekovolt provide heavily discounted services to under-served communities through service subsidization. 

In addition, a grant received from Microsoft in 2016 was a catalyst in enabling us achieve financial sustainability last year. 

Ekovolt believes a partnership with Solve will help alleviate some of the barriers that our solution could encounter. 

Technical Assistance: Solve's network of peers and experts could help advance our current solution especially on the technical side and suggest more innovative ways to scale quicker and bigger during the Solve program. Solve's experts could assist with more advanced methods or different technical solution that can achieve achieve longer line of sights and penetrate through natural obstacles and serve more communities in the process.

Cultural barrier: Solve and MIT's mentorship and advice due to their varied experiences in similar demographics will come in handy in addressing the cultural barrier of an open, accessible and free internet to girls and young women. Solve's network will offer advice on similar tools and practices that can safeguard inappropriate content while offering the open access community needed for digital learning.   

Financial Assistance and Public Relations: Solve and MIT's ability to broker different types of funding models (grants, equity, debt) and the experience on the best combination of funding to achieve set objectives will be helpful to Ekovolt as we plan to deploy and scale this solution. Solve's network will be able to advice on the most practical way to fund the solution based on its experience in similar solutions.

In addition, in-kind support of entrepreneurship training, media and conference exposure will add significant capabilities to Ekovolt's solution.

Business Model: To scale at a faster and bigger rate than planned, Ekovolt's solution will need to have a business model that can scale and grow exponentially in order to serve many girls and young women. A partner that has deployed similar solutions at larger scale will be able to review Ekovolt's solution's business model and suggest areas of fine-tuning in order to achieve scale.

Solution Technology: To achieve more connectivity in rural areas, more innovative approaches will be needed. A partner that has experience in the TV whitespace area will come in handy as the expertise and tools needed to deploy will complement our existing technology. 

Funding: In order to scale, Ekovolt's solution will have to do more while efficiently using capital.  A partner with the right  funding and efficient use of capital experience can advise where the best value can be received for the capital to be deployed.

1. Adaptrum - TV whitespace equipment vendors. Adaptrum will be able to demonstrate the latest infrastructure that can optimize TV whitespace technology which is necessary in rural areas.

2. MIT Solve's Digital Workforce Challenge winner (ChargerHelp! or 2nd place winner): To understand their innovative, scalable solutions similar to their technician training program

Ekovolt is qualified for this prize because Ekovolt "Connect and Empower the Girls” solution uses innovation to serve young girls and women. Ekovolt's solution provides reliable and unlimited internet connectivity as well as a digital training platform in girls-only public schools.

"Connect and Empower the Girls" will provide two necessary components to empower the female students and increase entrepreneurial and career opportunities:

• Provide reliable and unlimited internet connectivity, and
• Further empower the girls by providing the digital training and digital skills needed to pursue careers or entrepreneurial initiatives

The two pronged approach will open life changing entrepreneurial and career opportunities to the students.

Ekovolt will use the prize to launch additional pilots in different communities; and enrich the digital training curriculum to include additional offerings.

Ekovolt is qualified for the GM prize on learning because Ekovolt "Connect and Empower the Girls” solution is based on a digital literacy platform to transform the lives of young girls and women in under-served communities.

Ekovolt's solution provides reliable and unlimited internet connectivity as well as a digital training platform in girls-only public schools.

"Connect and Empower the Girls" will provide two necessary components to empower the female students and increase entrepreneurial and career opportunities:

• Provide reliable and unlimited internet connectivity, and
• Further empower the girls by providing the digital training and digital skills needed to pursue careers or entrepreneurial initiatives

The two pronged approach will open life changing entrepreneurial and career opportunities to the students.

Ekovolt will use the prize to launch additional pilots in different communities; and enrich the digital training curriculum to include additional offerings.

Ekovolt is qualified for the Gulbenkian prize because Ekovolt "Connect and Empower the Girls” increases the digital literacy among young girls and women in under-served communities.

Ekovolt's solution provides reliable and unlimited internet connectivity as well as a digital training platform in girls-only public schools.

"Connect and Empower the Girls" will provide two necessary components to empower the female students and increase entrepreneurial and career opportunities:

• Provide reliable and unlimited internet connectivity, and
• Further empower the girls by providing the digital training and digital skills needed to pursue careers or entrepreneurial initiatives

The two pronged approach will open life changing entrepreneurial and career opportunities to the students.

Ekovolt will use the prize to launch additional pilots in different communities; and enrich the digital training curriculum to include additional offerings.