Samuel Kefelegn is a founding member and CEO of Scientific Revolution Earth (SRE), a company established by members of the Ethiopian Diaspora Community residing in different parts of the world. SRE was founded in Washington DC 10 years ago to address development challenges through the transformative power of science and technology. Although established abroad, SRE’s primary focus since its inception has been to invest in Ethiopia to bring visionary ideas to transform life by introducing technological innovations in various sectors. The Computer Science graduate, Samuel is a researcher in profession.
Approached by The Ethiopian Herald, Samuel said, “The idea to establish SRE was initiated by intellectual members of the Ethiopian diaspora living in different parts of the world, primarily to invest in Ethiopia’s technology sector.” SRE’s focus is on solving development challenges through innovative and impactful technologies. Accordingly, when SRE began its activities in Ethiopia by opening an office in Addis Ababa, it introduced 32 innovative and technological projects designed to address existing societal challenges in the country.
Among these projects is the Offline Digital Library, an innovative initiative launched by SRE in 2015 in Ethiopia. The Offline Digital Library Machine, manufactured in Ethiopia, brings digital educational resources to communities with limited internet access in remote rural areas. This platform enables students to access e-books, educational resources, multimedia learning materials, and other necessary supportive resources for students residing in rural areas with limited internet and power access. The digital library helps students easily access textbooks and other supportive materials to develop their knowledge and skills despite the lack of internet access.
Samuel said that since 2015, under his leadership, SRE has brought this machine to over 250 high schools, 16 universities, and 10 colleges in underserved communities. According to the CEO, through this self-help machine, SRE promotes e-learning, digital literacy, access to educational materials, and improved educational quality for young people across Ethiopia. Recognizing SRE’s contribution to Ethiopia’s education sector through this innovative machine, SRE has received the 2016 World Summit Award in the education sector.
In the education sector, Samuel said, SRE comes with a new and innovative solution to reach the marginalized community. The system has a visible impact by helping rural students to access books easily despite a lack of access to the internet and power. The Digital Library Machine is installed in schools and higher education institutions with multiple e-books and the institutions can easily upload necessary books and educational materials for their students. In this way, the digital library helped students to access education, especially in areas with textbooks and supportive book scarcity.
Not only is the Digital Library Machine, but SRE comes with a lot of technological projects to solve existing challenges. These mega projects are both implemented while others still waiting for implementation. According to Samuel, the company’s focus is innovative ideas and manufacturing all its innovative technologies at home. “However, as most of the projects are mega projects which need cross-sectorial collaborations mainly with government institutions, most of the SRE projects are waiting for implementation,” Samuel noted mentioning SRE’s Early Warning System Device and Artificial Traffic Light system as example projects on the table.
The disaster Early Warning System Device, according to Samuel, is a device developed by SRE experts to help communities respond to emergencies before causing damage. The Early Warning System through its integrated sensor networks assesses risks and its implemented reliable alert platform sends real-time alerts for natural disasters, industrial accidents, and other critical disasters.
“For example, by planting the early warning system device in flood-prone areas, the device can deliver timely information about the volume of the waters of the river. By monitoring the situation, it sends real-time information to the center and helps communities and institutions to take necessary preparations to rescue people from the danger zone and to take actions to manage the floods,” Samuel said. In addition, it can be used to alert communities during earthquakes, landslides, fires, and similar disasters.
Using the AI system developed within it, the device is designed to monitor the environmental situation and send the information to the center prepared for this purpose. The device is active for 24 hours monitoring the risks and delivering timely information. These devices are alerting system devices during disasters to alert the people and decision makers (institutions) to take action and rescue people from the disaster areas. By monitoring the environment and sensing the changes, the device transmits information to the center about the developments.
The early warning device machine is manufactured at home and there are talks to implement it on the ground. “We have already manufactured a prototype at home and own patent right for it. But the device is waiting to be installed as it needs government intervention to implement it,” Samuel stated adding his company’s readiness to install the machine if asked by concerned institutions. Due to the cost and related cases, it needs government institutions’ cooperation to implement the device.
Samuel said that SRE was established to initiate new ideas, translate the ideas into products, and manufacture the products at home using its capacity and by join-venture. “The intention behind establishing SRE was to promote technological developments in Ethiopia,” Samuel stated adding that as the company was established by academically equipped Ethiopian Diaspora members, in addition to manufacturing problem-solving technological products, SRE eyes on initiating the Diaspora community to invest in the technology sector in Ethiopia and to show the possibility of manufacturing t innovative technologies at home.
Recently, celebrating its 10th founding year, SRE is promoting its 10 technological mega projects like the early warning system and artificial traffic light projects. According to Samuel, technology is a driving factor to bring sustainable development and to transform societies. “Hence, to realize the dream of seeing developed and prosperous Ethiopia, it is crucial to invest in technological innovations at home.” For him, without promoting local technological innovations, it is difficult to attain development in the competitive world where technological developments are growingly sophisticated and every sector is becoming dependent on technology.
Especially, with the coming of emerging technologies like AI, every sector is affected by these technologies. Hence as to him, this generation should ignite technological revolution and lay down the foundation to realize technological transformation in Ethiopia.
Samuel suggested that this generation has both the ability and the duty to bring about significant change in innovation and technological advancements in Ethiopia. The generation should spark transformation to leverage technology to fastback economic, social, and infrastructural developments in the country. He calls the generation, both at home and abroad to invest in technological innovations to lay down the foundation to catalyze technological revolution at home. To reshape Ethiopia through technological initiatives and breakthroughs, Samuel encouraged the youth to focus on technological innovations and to become at the forefront in leading these initiatives.
Scientific Revolution Earth (SRE) creates more than 100 job opportunities in Ethiopia, and it has branches abroad. Currently, in addition to the 32 technological projects, the company has some 140 project ideas on the table for its future investments. SRE’s vision is to become a leading research and technology company in space science, technology, robotics, and other technological innovations.
BY DARGIE KAHSAY
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2024
