The D4D Prize consists of three categories: iStandout (awarded to a success story), iStartup (for an innovative idea or start-up) and iChoose (the prize awarded by the public). As always, Prize D4D is a biennial initiative of the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) with the support of the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD).

Close the Gap had the honour to take part in the jury of the Prize D4D and was present during the award ceremony. The winners of the different categories were: 

• iChoose category: Bambanani – Joining hands to teach every child: Open Education Resources in South Africa
  By VVOB in South Africa

• iStandOut category: Smart Glasses 4 Telehealth to improve access to quality health care 
  By Memisa and Iristick in the Democratic Republic of Congo

•  iStartUp category: AKABOXITECH - Digital Financial Inclusion
  By Akaboxi Ltd and Ondernemers voor Ondernemers, implemented in Uganda

Akaboxi is one of the companies that Close the Gap's special purpose investment vehicle, Close the Gap CVBA has invested in. Akaboxi is a digital financial inclusion system that enables smallholder farmers in a community to manage and monitor their savings together.  It provides communities with the most secure way of keeping smallholder farmers savings that are kept in boxes to be managed and monitored by use of Digitalized Financial Inclusion system – That replaces the rudimentary way of keeping money in boxes and in people’s homes to a more secure, reliable and easy to monitor savings and transactions. 

For more info about Close the Gap CVBA and our investment strategy, click here.

For an extensive background on Akaboxi, click here.