Population Foundation of India’s Post

"We must collaborate and avoid working in isolation to effectively share best practices". - Meera Shenoy, Youth4Jobs Foundation. On the 2nd day of the Zero Project India Conference 2024, the Building Bridges to Africa session, moderated by Riti Mohapatra from The Bridgespan Group, brought together diverse voices, including Dr. Tigmanshu Bhatnagar from Global Disability Innovation Hub, Tejwinder S Anand from Population Foundation of India, Irene Mbari-Kirika, CPACC, O.G.W, GMAP from inABLE, Dan Firoun Mounkaila from International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC and Meera Shenoy from Youth4Jobs Foundation. Key discussions revolved around: Assistive Technology Production and Scaling: The session highlighted the urgent need to scale the production of assistive devices for persons with disabilities, ensuring affordability and accessibility in local markets. Speakers emphasized that innovation must be driven by local needs, and solutions should be adaptable to different cultural contexts. Local Market Collaboration for Shared Innovation: The collaboration between local markets and organizations emerged as a focal point. Rather than working in silos, stakeholders need to build stronger bridges across borders to drive inclusive growth and create sustainable assistive solutions. This cooperation ensures that innovations are designed with real-world challenges in mind. Ownership and Encouragement of Assistive Technologies: Encouraging ownership within the disability community and enabling local enterprises to take leadership in developing assistive technologies was another key takeaway. Grassroots innovation and the empowerment of local creators are crucial to long-term success. Cost Reduction Strategies: Speakers discussed strategies for reducing the cost of disability solutions, especially in low-resource settings. The need for affordable assistive devices is essential for achieving widespread impact. Solutions like leveraging local materials, scaling production, and utilizing open-source designs were explored. As Irene Mbara of Inable Kenya asked: "What does disability mean in your context, and how can we support each other?" The session was a testament to the power of cross-border knowledge sharing and collaboration to shape the future of disability inclusion. #ZeroProject #DisabilityInclusion #AssistiveTechnology #Innovation #Collaboration #Africa #India