The first All-Female Hackathon in Nepal, ‘Hacking for Humanity’, organized by Shequal Foundation and supported by Ncell, was successfully conducted from February 10 to 12, 2023. With a focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the program aimed to enhance women’s representation in the Nepalese IT industry and increase their participation in the digital economy. Participants collaborated and created unique and impactful prototype solutions to address problems in various areas such as education, health, and agriculture.
Winners of the Hackathon- Team Code Crafters
The three-day event, with Women in Big Data and Girls in Tech as partners, brought together 48 enthusiastic participants from four different provinces of Nepal. With over 20 mentors and more than 11 jury teams, participants had the opportunity to learn, coordinate in a team environment, and explore innovative ideas. They were encouraged to “collaborate, ideate, and innovate together” for a cause.
The pre-event activities of the hackathon were organized in different colleges, covering topics including design thinking, entrepreneurial finance, business model canvas, story presentation, idea pitching, and delivery. Participating teams were guided through a design process and facilitated by mentors to build a viable prototype. The event also offered the opportunity to connect with the industry’s most influential professionals present there as mentors, judges, or guests.
Some Notable Ideas From The Hackathon
Winner, ‘Team Code Crafters’: The winning team was Team Code Crafters, whose solution aims to offer a comprehensive, user-friendly, and accessible solution that satisfies the needs of people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or mute as well as those who want to learn sign language. Their product can be used in videos and virtual meetings to spell out what the person using sign language is saying and to translate voice into accurate hand signs in real-time.
1st Runner Up, ‘Team Sahayatri’: Team Sahayatri’s solution connects tourists with local guides and provides an incredible experience while exploring the country. Their product integrates a well-designed map pinpointing the location of different sites, ATMs, washrooms, and police stations, making navigation easy for guests. Also, users can learn many handy expressions to communicate with locals and travel more conveniently.
2nd Runner Up, Team Pi: Team Pi brought the idea of Sarathi, a wearable companion for elderly loved ones. It tackles the issue of falls, a major health concern for older adults, sometimes even costing lives. When a fall is detected, Sarathi combines an IMU sensor and machine learning technology to transmit an alarm with the location to the emergency contacts, enabling speedy action when needed.
Orientation at IT colleges
Event Overview
Total Colleges Involved in Pre-events: 32
Total Idea Submissions: 80+
Total Teams: 16 (3 participants in each team)
Mentors: 20+
Provinces of Participants: Bagmati, Province 1, Gandaki and Sudurpaschim
Pre-event of the Hackathon
Impact and Future Prospects
With the completion of the first All-Female Hackathon, Hacking for Humanity, in Nepal, a new chapter has opened up for the underrepresented groups in tech. The level of innovation, collaboration, and creativity shown by the participants was truly remarkable. It was inspiring to have so many passionate individuals come together to work towards their common goals.
Participants in the Pre- events of the Hackathon
As the co-founder of the Shequal Foundation, I had always dreamt of building an inclusive community. I am proud of the organizing team for bringing together innovators to collaborate on creative problem-solving that could make a difference.I believe that executing events like this is an essential part of fostering growth, empowerment, and inclusion in the professional world, and I am glad to encourage these platforms for people to learn, network, and innovate. As an organization, Shequal is always looking to create a positive impact and equity for individuals.
If you are an individual or an organization interested in collaborating with us, I would like to extend an open invitation to connect with our community. We are always looking for new partnerships and believe that by working together, we can achieve more. So whether you are an individual with a passion for inclusive opportunities, or a company looking to partner with like-minded organizations, we would love to explore the potential of future collaborations.
Further, if you are an individual looking for opportunities, as someone belonging to the underrepresented groups, you can learn more about the chapters we host and explore whether we could be a part of your journey at https://shequalfoundation.org/. Let’s grow together and create an environment of inclusive opportunities.