Combatting electronic waste with smart assistive devices

Everyone’s abilities fluctuate throughout their lives. Whether from a chronic condition, an injury, or simply from aging, almost everyone has or will experience a physical disability or limitation. According to the World Health Organization, 15 percent of the global population is currently living with a significant disability. More than half of those with permanent or temporary disabilities don’t have access to the assistive technologies they need. Geuza, a Rwandan startup from CMU-Africa’s Business Incubation Program, is working to empower its community through accessible assistive devices, all while combating electronic waste.

Co-founder and CEO Aline Nicole Uwamariya identified the need in her previous work in customer relations management, where she witnessed the strength, striving, and struggle of amputees and other people with disabilities.

“They don’t have legs, but they are working to feed their families,” she recalls. When she spoke to them, they expressed feeling hopeless. Assistive devices that would improve their mobility and function, but felt so out of reach that they didn’t even consider seeking them out. She decided she had to help.

Aline took her idea to various entrepreneurial programs, where she met her co-founder, who was aiming to combat Africa’s 2.9 million tons of electronic waste and its pollution. Though their methods differed, their goal was the same: “to create solutions for our society.” That solution was Geuza—named for the Swahili word for “transform.”

Through circular engineering, the process of repurposing existing materials and extending their lifecycle, Geuza transformed components of recovered electronics into smart assistive devices for a fraction of the usual cost. After testing the materials to ensure durability and structural potential, solidifying a successful prototype, Aline knew she needed to develop as an entrepreneur to scale the operation. The key to entrepreneurship, she says, is to “look for the people who believe in you.” At the Innovation Hub, she found that.

During their year-long Business Incubation Program, Geuza received immense support from the Innovation Hub in networking, securing investors, and technical assistance to develop their product at the intersection of technology and empowerment. By implementing Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, Geuza’s leg prosthetics, wheelchairs, underarm crutches, elbow crutches, hearing aids, and walkers all expand the possibilities for insights into rehabilitation and integration in healthcare. Through analysis of the environment and its real-time changes and data, IoT sensors allow devices to efficiently and accurately interact with and respond to the world around them.

Having recycled more than 900 e-waste items into over 500 devices, Geuza has already bridged the gap between 265 individuals and the technology they need to thrive. As testimonials rolled in, Aline was elated to see that her work was returning independence and dignity to the people in her community: “What really touched my heart is to see that I'm changing people’s lives, that I have contributed to their joy.”

In the next year, Geuza plans to quadruple the number of products they offer—and the number of lives they’ve transformed. “We are not doing it for Rwanda only,” Aline says. “We are doing it for Africa.”