On February 27th, 2020, the Response Innovation Lab (RIL), along with the SomReP and BRCiS consortiums co-hosted a session at the Sankalp Forum’s 7th Africa Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. The session showcased that despite the challenges in Somalia, there are many opportunities for innovation, partnership, and investment.

The Iraq Response Innovation Lab Iraq (IRIL) is launching an Incubator to support innovative agri-businesses / start-ups in Iraq with Mentoring, Training, and Funding to pilot/grow their projects.

Response Innovation Lab has collaborated with Briter Bridges to visualize the state of educational technology across some of the major African technology ecosystems.

Nathalie Rami, Lab Director, is interviewed by local media on the lab’s work in refugee camps.

I worry about Iraq. My main concerns are the same as many Iraqi people – we worry that we might never have a country where people live in peace. We are also worried about our personal safety. I’m from the Khanqeen district in the Diyala governorate. It’s a small city with a Kurdish majority. I graduated from University in 2013 but like many Iraqi students, I didn’t find a job easily after I finished my studies, which was not what I was expecting. I thought after I graduate my dream job will be waiting for me the next day. Within a year of my graduation, ISIS took over many places in Iraq, including Jalawla and Sadiya’a subdistrict in Khanqeen. ISIS was 15 kilometres away from my home.

A snapshot visual of what the Humanitarian Innovation Ecosystem looks like in Iraq.