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Kenyan engineers recycling plastics for bricks

Yvonne Okwara-Matole

September 28, 2020 |

Citizen TV Kenya |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Kenya

Gjenge Makers Ltd is an alternative building product manufacturing company that creates products – such as pavers and blocks – out of recycled plastics. Founded by four Kenyan engineers, the team began by studying the manufacturing process and researching what products would do well on the market. They then built all of the machinery themselves, which break down the plastics, and then mix them with other building material products to ultimately create customizable plastic bricks that can withstand larger weight and are less expensive than concrete. They are popular in rural and lower-income areas.

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How Detroit chefs reinvented their food businesses to survive the pandemic

Dorothy Hernandez

September 24, 2020 |

Planet Detroit |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

When the coronavirus pandemic caused restaurants to close their doors due to safety and health concerns, some Detroit restaurant owners pivoted their businesses into food delivery services and community grocery store operations. Although not all solutions have been profitable, some businesses are finding that they could be sustainable even after the pandemic.

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As Concerns Over Climate Change Rise, More Developers Turn to Wood

Keith Schneider

September 22, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Spokane, Washington

Eastern Washington University recently built the first tall wood office building in the state joining hundreds of other large “mass-timber” projects in the United States. This growing industry constructs panels, beams, and columns from trees that need to be thinned to curb wildfires in forests. While wood buildings can be more expensive to build than ones constructed from concrete and steel, environmentalists are on board because wood can store carbon, which can help offset greenhouse gas emissions.

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Land and Community: Food Hubs: Keeping the Wheels of Local Food Moving

Susan Geier

September 18, 2020 |

Sentinel Source (The Keene Sentinel) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Hampshire

As middle men between farmers and consumers, food hubs in New Hampshire are eliminating the marketing and distribution typically done by food producers. Food hubs streamline the process of procuring local goods for customers who want various products without the hassle of multiple purchases and pickups. The aggregation of local produce strengthens infrastructure that enables farmers to increase output especially as demand for locally grown foods have increased since the onset of the pandemic.

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What Kenya can teach its neighbors — and the US — about improving the lives of the "unbanked"

Kelsey Piper

September 11, 2020 |

Vox |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Kenya

Mobile banking in Kenya has increased economic mobility for families living in poverty. The mobile money system is not connected to bank accounts, making it accessible to the overwhelming majority of Kenyans who don't have bank accounts but do have cell phones. Mobile banking allows deposits and withdrawals as well as transfers, and has allowed families to save money to use when their income, often from farming, takes a hit thus creating a security net for themselves and allowing them to receive funds from friends and family. Savings allow families to meet basic needs and access medical care if necessary.

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What happened when the BC government started selling cannabis

Chloe Rose Stuart-Ulin

September 11, 2020 |

Capital Daily |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia

Legalized marijuana sales in Canada were supposed to make the industry safe, stable, and prosperous. But the rollout of licenses for pre-existing private dispensaries has turned into a debacle for small businesses in British Columbia. Ignoring the advice given to Health Canada by dispensaries seeking licenses about sensible ways to regulate, the agency delayed approving licensing applications for months, only to begin raiding applicants' businesses as soon as competing government dispensaries started opening. Hundreds were put out of work and quality product grew scarce.

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Cleveland startup makes masks a new way

Grant Segall

September 09, 2020 |

The Land |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

Two newly-formed companies in Ohio are the nation's first businesses to create a "fully automated production of woven, washable masks." The project became a reality thanks to partnerships and funding support between state agencies, the Ohio Hospital Association, and a nonprofit consulting group. While the masks aren't medical grade, they are "washable, snug, and easy to take on and off without touching the contaminated part."

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Hope, the Senegalese app that saves lives by optimizing blood donations

Morgane le Cam

August 30, 2020 |

Heidi.news |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Senegal, Thies

An app developed by a two telecommunications design engineers in Senegal is helping to connect hospitals with blood donors. The app alerts donors in nearby areas when blood is needed and sends "messages of thanks and donation reminders," which has helped to decrease the regional stigma about donating blood. Although the technology has not achieved widespread adoption, where it has been used, blood donations have significantly increased.

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Could the Coronavirus Yield a More Robust Northwest Seafood Economy?

Virginia Gewin

August 28, 2020 |

Bitterroot |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Garibaldi, Oregon

The international seafood supply chain was disrupted in the wake of the pandemic but small fisheries in the northwest have tapped into new local markets. The fisheries, which generally depend on exporting seafood internationally as well as supplying restaurants, have found an interest among local consumers in fresh seafood that has led to community-supported fisheries and includes meal kits. Smaller operations have found it easier to pivot to regional customers and have taken the opportunity to build a stronger regional food system which creates a sustainable seafood market.

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Project Uses AI to Maximize Meal Delivery to Students in Need

Ben Levine

August 27, 2020 |

Government Technology |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Pennsylvania

Using AI technology, home address data, and algorithms, the Metro21 Institute at Carnegie Mellon was able to find the best school bus routes to deliver school meals to students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The solution wouldn’t have worked with the help of a community of partners, leaders, and volunteers. “It truly has taken a village.”

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