NASEEM solution granted the “Hack To Act Award”15.07.2021

15 Hack teams worked day and night during online Hackathon “HackToAct” organized by EU-funded programme Med Dialogue for Rights and Equality from 8 to 11 July 2021. The teams composed by activists, IT developers and graphic designers were supported by IT experts and mentors to refine their ideas and develop digital solution prototypes boosting the impact of technology on better governance, transparency, participation in decision making process, thus contributing to reforms and democratic changes in their home countries.

This online event gathered around 45 civil society actors IT professionals & graphic designers from Mashrek and Maghreb countries to work together in teams on digital solutions covering several areas like e-participation, e-transparency, open data, citizen’s mobilisation, responsible citizenship, citizen-to-citizen services, civil society safety, watchdog & claim support, governmental transparency & accountability, etc.

At the end of the Hackathon and following a final pitching session, three teams were awarded the “HackToAct Award” and granted technical and financial support of 10,000 € each, to further develop, test and launch their digital tools in the upcoming months. 

In this context, NASEEM team composed of Moustafa Gouda (activist, Egypt), Hashem Buzer (IT developer, Libya) and Youssef Hamdaoui (graphic designer, Morocco) had the opportunity to be selected and granted one of the three “Hack To Act” Awards. Congratulations NASEEM!

What is NASEEM?

NASEEM is a digital solution that enables users to gather, visualize, and share urban air quality data using an integrated system of portable low-cost sensors, a mobile application, and a website platform. The solution is based on the concept of Citizen Science, while the youth citizens are not just collecting air quality measurements but they are involved through a new approach of environmental awareness and practice. NASEEM solution is consisting of three pillars: gathering data by sensors, raising awareness of users and the public, and supporting informed decision-making. Furthermore, the provided open data sets will be a source for researchers on air-related topics and for advocacy initiatives for environmental rights.

Why did the selection committee choose NASEEM?

The project is very innovative and provides a scalable solution. It tackles an important issue in the Egyptian context by providing educational content to citizens and youth, while encouraging them to be more active in environmental watchdog action and in influencing the policy-making process. Very well designed, this easy-to use application will offer open data to the public and potential scientific research. Furthermore, the team presented marketing solutions to generate income which remain important to ensure the durability of the project. During the pitching session, a constructive distribution of roles between team members was noted – what represents a key factor for the achievement of the expected project objectives.

More information about the whole activity

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