Launched in July 2022, the Selfcare challenge organised by Sèmè-City came to an end on Wednesday 07 November 2022 at Sèmè One in Cotonou. The final, involving 10 teams, allowed the candidates to demonstrate their solutions to a very demanding jury. At the end of the hostilities, the team The Modellers, from UNSTIM, was awarded 2nd place.
Selfcare is an initiative of young people, by young people and for young people. With this Challenge, young people imagine and develop a solution to allow their peers to access in an innovative, simple, fast and anonymous way not only information related to their sexual health, but also family planning products, condoms, HIV tests, and other non-medical contraceptives if needed. More specifically, it is about implementing a digital solution to help young people have a healthier and more responsible sexuality in order to reduce the cases of undesired pregnancies and the risks of STD transmission.
The competition brought together a total of 89 teams made up of 3 to 5 people. After several selection phases, the UNSTIM students’ team was able to stand out and was among the 10 teams nominated for the final. This allowed each team to present its innovative and technological solution. Consequently, the solution proposed by the Unstim Modellers team is composed of a mobile application, a Chatbot Messenger and a vending machine.
“Our solution is called Djolo, (will, desire). It’s a mobile application linked to a chatbot Messenger and all connected to vending machines. It has several features where you can ask all your questions, make comments, posts. The messaging section where you exchange with experts, the online shop section and another feature that allows you to follow training on sexual health, to have all possible information,” explains Agoua Jonathan Hans, a member of the team.
With this masterpiece, these students proudly represented the University of Abomey, with the good fortune to have at least one representative from each of the three engineering schools, namely Agossadou Guérin (ENSGMM), Agoua Hans (ENSTP), Djikpé Orphée (ENSGEP), Tokoudagba Fabrice (ENSGMM) and Murielle from HECM Parakou.
The International City of Innovation and Knowledge Sèmè City is an intelligent and sustainable African city where entrepreneurs, researchers, students and professionals from different countries are brought together in a modern campus specifically dedicated to higher education, vocational and technical training, research and incubation of young companies.
Within the framework of its action, the Agency is in charge of developing national and international partnerships with actors in the education, urban planning and architecture sectors. Benin wants to develop a unique place to train a new generation of talent, equip them for the future and foster an inclusive and sustainable growth model based on “Made in Africa” innovation.
