Kyaro Assistive Tech

Colman Ndetembea is a fresh graduate from Mbeya University of Science and Technology with an Ordinary Diploma of Mechatronics Engineering. He has volunteered in various youth organizations under different roles. He considers himself an entrepremneur as he founded a fruit salad and juice business which he used to undertake around his college, among several other business initiatives he operated at different times.

He is passionate about bridging the gap between education from school and the challenges facing the community through innovative user centered solutions and believes that through this, a lot of fields can be revolutionized in Africa.

In his team he is responsible for managing all the operations of the project and finding ways to get our products to the market.

Kyaro Assistive Tech is Committed to increasing access to assistive devices for people with disabilities (PWD).

We do this by designing and making assistive devices using locally available materials and technology. We undergo the design process in collaboration with the users to ensure that our designs address the key challenges that the users are facing.

Many PWD can not afford to buy a wheelchair or other assistive devices. Therefore we are also creating distribution models that can solve this challenge. This includes fundraising  to subsidize the products and using loan systems where the users can pay in installments over a long time. 

Both the assistive device and the payment method will be customized to suit best the specific user.

Access to assistive devices also means access to basic social services such a health and education and also to opportunities hence elevating lives of PWD and humanity at large

People with disabilities in Tanzania face these main challenges when it comes to Assistive Devices;

1.Lack of access to Quality Assistive Devices

2.High costs of assistive devices

3.Appropriateness of assistive devices in relation to their environment and needs

In other words, there is a challenge of physical access and financial access to the wheelchair. On the other hand those who afford to get the imported devices face challenges in using them in local and rural environment and in maintaining and repairing them.

Our focus is mainly wheelchairs  but we also deal with other assistive devices since most wheelchair users require other devices too.

As per WHO statistics, only 5-15% of those who need wheelchairs (75 Million globally) have access to one. In Africa there are 10 million people who need an appropriate wheelchair and it is estimated that only 5% have access. The remaining 95% are our target at large in 5 to 10 years.

The lack of wheelchairs to those in need is a restriction of mobility for those in need and an obstruction to access of basic services such as health and education and access to opportunities. This prevents people with disabilities from exercising their full potential.

Kyaro Assistive Tech aims to solve both issues of physical access to assistive devices and financial access to assistive devices. 

We solve the physical access challenge by designing making wheelchairs and other assistive devices from the scratch in collaboration with the users to ensure they address the very challenges the users are facing.We use locally available materials and technology so that can be maintained and repaired easily in any part of the country. The designs are also made to be resilient in local infrastructure.

Our designs are also innovative. Our first product is a multipurpose wheelchair that functions as a wheelchair, a standing frame and a bed/bench. Normally parents and users have to buy and operate these devices separately but with this design all can be done in one equipment. It is therefore cost saving, space and energy efficient for the care takers. It is targeted mainly for children with cerebral palsy and it can also be used for other forms of disability.

We solve the financial access challenge by fundraising to subsidize the cost of the wheelchairs and apply loan models so that users that can not afford to pay at once can pay in installments.  

Our project serves people with different forms of disabilities that need a  wheelchair of other assistive devices. In providing them with these devices we impact them,their families and their community in numerous ways.

Access to wheelchairs offer users a chance to utilize their full potential as they will be able to access social services such education and health, exercising their rights such as work, leading , movement, voting and many other rights that are enhanced with their mobility. They will also be able to access and grab opportunities. They will be able to interact socially with other people. This will all together raise their quality of life.

It also impacts their families as the users will be able to earn an income. Care takers will have less work in carrying and moving them from place to place. Parents and guardians will have the freedom to attend to their economic activities since the users will be able to attend to their own daily needs.

The Whole community will benefit as the standard and quality of lives of the users rise socially and economically. This will contribute to the development of the whole community as no one is left behind.

Traditionally people with disabilities are marginalized and left behind. in some communities people with disabilities are hidden by their families. Lack of means of mobility makes the situation worse for them as they can not move around by themselves and sometimes family members give up on helping them to move around.

Access to appropriate wheelchairs  prevents them from getting further health complications and improve their well-being. By improving their mobility, wheelchairs give them a chance to access a wide range of opportunities such as education, health services, work & job opportunities, leadership opportunities in the community and so much more.

The project started during a program at Twende Innovation centre where we were aiming to create a solution to a most pressing challenge to one the communities around. We were working with a school with children with cerebral palsy and challenge we decided to solve was to design a multipurpose wheelchair to perform functions 3 different equipment.

The project was 8 week long and after the program we had come up with the first prototype and performed the intended functions well.

Based on the demand we observed during the program, i took the lead of the project after the program so as to ensure the project reaches the market. Since then the team has constructed two other iterations and have been able to test three wheelchairs with users who are using them for more than 6 month now. We have received positive feedback and are now working to scale and be able to produce them in large numbers.

Humanity has been facing different challenges over generations and successfully solving them. Most of today's normal stuff was once a wild dream (flying, internet, going to space etc). All thanks to those who dared. We dare to turn around the AT sector by providing access because;

1.Mobility is not a luxury but a Necessity and hence we need to reach the 95% and give them access and an opportunity to chase their dreams

2. It is our responsibility to make lives of those around us better especially those who need it most. It is the responsibility of the society to be inclusive and accessible to PWD.

3. Potential of PWD once they have appropriate devices and potential of creating a huge impact and a successful business through this field.

4. And because PWD and their need have been neglected long enough and we want to play part in changing that

These are few of the main reasons why individually and as a team are passionate about this project and intend to see to its success.

Our passion and commitment to our vision to see more lives improved though access to appropriate assistive devices

Our team is diverse in terms of skills and experience which enables us to fulfill all the key roles in our business with efficiency and effectiveness. Some of team members have experience and background as a therapist and in dealing with people with disabilities and hence a long term passion to see their challenges solved. Others have experience and background in project management and execution. As a team we also engage in continuous learning on the clinical considerations and how we can improve our designs as we understand our users better.

Our model in working from the ground with the users and their families enables us to come up with innovative and practical solutions and designs that solve the very challenges they are facing

We are working and partnering with key players in the field including hospitals and organizations which enable us to reach a wider network of users in need. This ensures and facilitates bigger impact to those in need once e have the support to scale up.

We adhere to all guidelines by WHO to ensure the safety and health of the users.

And once again, our broad vision and our commitment and willingness to work on it and see it achieved step by step

Life has not always been a walk in the park. I have encountered many obstacles as a student, as a leader and as an entrepreneur and I have come up with many ways to find opportunities amid all those obstacles. The wheelchair field is a road less travelled in Tanzania, where it is hard to find mentorship, collaboration and stakeholders. To me this has been an opportunity to create a path that will not only benefit the PWD and their families but also upcoming startups that will join hands in making it possible for similar ventures to have a clear path.This needs innovation of new approaches.

We have been consulting hospitals and people who have been in the field over time and have built our approaches in consideration of the challenges they have been facing previously.

Also for one year i was leading the project from college in another region and balancing studies and the project successfully while making progress is one my achievements.

Keeping the spirits of the team during this time when we do not have revenue is one the challenges we have been able to deal with well to the present.

This project is my best leadership experience to date. When i joined the program at Twende innovation centre, it was because i wanted to take part in something that will have a direct impact on the community. I emerged a leader in the project through the ability and passion i showed in planning and executing ideas in the project. I was able to search for and connect the project to key institutions that deal with disability, connect to exhibition platforms once we had a prototype where we got support and connections, apply and manage a fund for product piloting and on wards to the current stage as we prepare to launch the wheelchair. I did most of these things while still in my final year of college and i have committed full time to the project after completion. Seeing the progress i have been able to lead my team through since the beginning is encouraging to me. The commitment and dedication i have shown for the project is something i love to keep on.

First, our designs are innovated to deal with challenges of existing devices. In the previous responses i explained the innovation we made in our first product. Our distribution model is also innovative so as to reach those who can not afford.

Also the scale we aim for and the approaches we are using are innovative especially considering how there is less engagement and involvement in the field of assistive devices.

Our core values, mission and vision are based in being innovative both in our products and in our approaches..

Activities

Design, manufacture and distribution of assistive devices. User training on how to use the devices properly. Follow up visits on the users.

Output

Appropriate wheelchairs customized for those in need and delivered to users.

Short term Outcome

More people getting wheelchairs and gaining independence and mobility

Long term outcome

More people with disabilities enrolled in schools, improved health for PWD, More PWD with access to jobs, reduced stigma for PWD in the community, improved technology and quality of locally made wheelchairs.

We have reached five users during our product piloting in the past year.

We aim to reach 250 users in the next one year.

We target to reach at least 3000 users in the next five years.

The number of people impacted is higher to include family members and people around these users.

Within the next one year we have the following goals:

To establish our own workshop for production of the wheelchairs. We currently the initial budget and plan to start raising funds for it soon

To introduce at least three more products to our main produts. We are currently working on designs for two of those and have already prototyped the third.

To partner in providing awareness so that people with disabilities are included and considered in different areas of development.

To reach at least 250 users eho need a wheelchairs nd be able to subsidize for those who wont be able to afford.

To Employ 5 to 7 people to accomodate the increased operations and production.

These are the key areas we want to achieve in so as to increase our impact on the lives of people with disabilities

The biggest challenge is to establish a self sustaining business given the economy of the users.

The material availability also limits the advancement of technology we aim to make in our designs.

Also the currently stigma challenge where by some families hide people with disabilities and hence not ready to receive clinical help. Several initiatives are working on reducing this.

Through distribution models that will include loan systems and subsidization so that those who cant afford will also have access. Also by targeting more hospitals and organizations who might by in large quantities.

Our innovative designs cater for that since we use the readly available materials. In the future we plan to custom order some of the materials so as to drive their cost down and get them in desired specifications.

A lot of work is already being done in this barrier already. We also plan to introduce a mapping tool to help locate those with disabilities more easly.

Twende Innovation Centre- They provide us with a working space at their workshop and offer technical guidance when needed

Anza business accelerator- Provides us mentor ship on the business side of the project

CCBRT (Center for community based rehabilitation ) - We work with them in testing of the wheelchairs. 

Songambele Initiative- We partner with them in finding those in need, offer user training and advocacy campaigns.