A team of Kenyan university students, which includes Ridan Hawi, a fourth-year Electrical and Electronic Engineering student at JKUAT, has made history by winning the 2025 Call for Code Global Challenge.
Team “DuniAfrika” was awarded the Global Grand Prize, becoming the first team from the Africa and Middle East region to claim the top honour in this prestigious worldwide competition since its inception in 2018.
The award was announced on December 10, 2025, at Palais Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland, in conjunction with United Nations Human Rights Day.
The annual Call for Code Global Challenge, organised by IBM, the United Nations Human Rights Office, and the Linux Foundation, calls on developers worldwide to create practical, open-source technology solutions addressing pressing societal and humanitarian issues.
“DuniAfrika” triumphed over more than 29,000 entries from across the globe.
Which Kenyan project won the 2025 Call for Code Global Challenge?
The team’s winning solution, named “LINDA” (a Swahili word meaning “protect”), is an AI-powered safety assistant designed specifically for the protection of Jua Kali workers—Kenya’s vast informal sector workforce.
These artisans, mechanics, and labourers often operate in hazardous environments without access to formal safety officers or resources.
LINDA leverages the accessibility of WhatsApp to provide a critical safety lifeline.
Workers can simply send a photo of their workspace or a text query about a potential hazard to LINDA. Powered by IBM Granite AI models, the system analyses the input, identifies risks such as faulty electrical wiring, lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), or structural dangers, and delivers immediate, actionable safety advice in both English and Swahili.
The winning project demonstrates how technology can be harnessed to protect some of the world’s most vulnerable workers by applying cutting-edge AI to solve a real-world problem with simplicity and profound impact.”
The victory is the result of a multidisciplinary collaboration between three Kenyan university students:
- Ridan Hawi (Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology – JKUAT) – Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Project Design Lead.
- Hawona Rodgers (Kirinyaga University) – Software Engineering, Team Lead.
- Robert Odhiambo (University of Nairobi) – Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
2025 Call for Code Global Challenge prize money
As the Grand Prize winner, Team DuniAfrika received USD$ 50,000 to support the further development and implementation of LINDA. Furthermore, as the top-scoring university team, their respective institutions share an additional grant of USD$ 30,000.
According to Ridan Hawi, LINDA was based on an experience where one of the partner’s parent was involved in a workplace accident.
“We have already acquired a copyright for our innovation and are currently working on a business registration so that we can roll out the product, with partners,” Ridan said.
“This is a monumental achievement for our students and a testament to JKUAT’s commitment to nurturing innovators who solve African challenges with global relevance,” said a JKUAT Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi.
