Prevention as Solution for Healthier Life
Abdoul Maiga, Arabella Strassner, José Silva, Mara van Dyck and Maria Fernandes are the winners of this year’s Ideation Camp at the University of Luxembourg. Their project “Health4All” aims to educate people in Africa about health and preventable diseases. The project foresees cooperation with national telecommunication providers in Africa to reach and educate people on health issues via calls and SMS.
More than 80 participants brainstormed innovative ideas in cross-disciplinary teams, supported by close to 60 mentors, including business leaders and entrepreneurs at the University’s 6th Ideation Camp. 16 teams presented start-up pitches.
The project Health4All is made up of Abdoul, from Burkina Faso, who joined forces with a graduate in cross-border communication and cooperation, two students of management and economics, and one doctoral student from the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust of the University of Luxembourg. As a medical student in Africa, Abdoul has seen more than enough cases in which life-threatening diseases could have been easily preventable. He says: “Malaria, for example, is responsible for more than 31,000 deaths each year in Burkina Faso. Providing health education could easily prevent this disease.”
Nasir Zubairi (CEO, Luxembourg House of Financial Technology), Catherine Léglu (Vice-rector for Academic Affairs, Uni.lu), Andreea Monnat (Deputy CEO, Fonds National de la Recherche), Erica Monfardini (Director of Administration & Finance, Uni.lu); Arabella Strassner, Mara van Dyck, José Silva, Abdoul Maiga (winning team); Aminata Sabané (Public Relations Manager, Incub@UO, Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo), Elias Chbeir (Director, Luxembourg Business Network), Siva Bactavatchalou (Responsable Entrepreneurship Programme, Uni.lu), Pranjul Shah (Incubator Manager, Uni.lu)
Preventing diseases also has much wider implications than contributing to a healthier life. Team member Arabella explains: “If parents do not have to invest money in expensive medical treatments, they have more money to invest in the school education of their children.”
This is Only the Beginning
While the thrill and exhilaration of participating and winning a 72-hour ideation marathon is an incredible success, the journey does not end here. What are the next steps for Health4All? “The Ideation Camp was just the beginning. It’s a huge motivation for us to continue. Once I have returned to Burkina Faso, we will conduct an economic analysis of our idea and scout opportunities for partnerships and investors,” Abdoul explains. “The current business plan was put together within 72 hours. It certainly needs elaboration. We are fortunate to be able to count on the support of the University of Luxembourg Incubator to help us with the implementation of Health4All,” team member José adds.
Ideas from Burkina Faso
Since 2019, the University of Luxembourg Incubator collaborates with the University of Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Burkina Faso. With the support of the Incubator and funding from the Fondation Veuve Emile Metz-Tesch, Burkina Faso’s first Ideation Camp was organised in in July 2019. A delegation, including the winners, came to Luxembourg to participate and pitch their ideas at the University’s 6th Ideation Camp.
Max Lamesch (Secretary of Legation, Direction des Affaires Politiques), Linda Jaerling (Administrative support Entrepreneurship Programme, Uni.lu), Shai Haim (start-up adviser and mentor), Pranjul Shah, Siva Bactavatchalou, Aminata Sabané, Fatou K. (Managing-Director at SFL S.A.), Marie-Louise Ashworth (administrative support, Uni.lu), Christian Ouedraogo (Coordinator, United Nations Development Programme), Rafihatou Zoanga (student, University Joseph Ki-Zerbo), front row: Abdoul MAIGA, Abdoul TRAORE SY, Bienvenu BANHORO (students, University Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Burkina Faso)
About Ideation Camp
The University of Luxembourg Incubator hosted the 6th Ideation Camp from 26 to 29 February. The 3-day intensive entrepreneurship event is designed to teach entrepreneurial skills to university students in an extreme hands-on environment. The Incubator’s mission is to build a bridge between the University and the professional world. Through this approach, the Ideation Camp strives to create a learning and living environment that encourages students to become mature and well-grounded individuals and successful leaders in both business and the community. Ideation Camp is funded by the Fondation Veuve Emile Metz Tesch.