Meet 10 Girls Who Are Saving the World
The future truly is female , especially when it comes to leadership . And HP ’ s Girls Save the World program for aspiring female innovators is proof . Launched last October as part of the MIT Solv [ ED ] Youth Innovation Challenge , the program invited girls ages 13 to 18 to submit their ideas for solving an environmental or societal challenge in their community by using technology . Participants entered for the chance to win part of a $ 50,000 prize pool and technology pack from HP to help them take their idea forward . They each had to demonstrate an innovative approach designed with — and for — underserved communities .
Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Nyamwange of Byron , Illinois , was the inaugural winner of this cohort , claiming the top prize of $ 10,000 . With her winnings , she ’ ll be able to develop and implement Etana , a low-cost , solar-powered fingerprint scanner that creates biometric templates and uploads them to a public server . The data is recorded on a blockchain , making it accessible and secure , and gives women without access to the internet or electricity in developing countries a form of digital proof of identity .
Below are the nine other finalists , who demonstrate how girls can help solve social and climate issues .
WINNER : Elizabeth Nyamwange
ETANA ( ILLINOIS )
A low-cost , solarpowered fingerprint scanner that creates biometric templates and uploads them to a public server .
“ Etana was simply an idea , something I was never sure I ’ d have the resources and support to create .”
PROJECT LEAD
Mehaa Amirthalingam
ARYA ( TEXAS )
Dual toilet flushing system to reduce household water usage .
PROJECT LEAD
Tara Pandey
KARESA BAZAAR ( NEPAL )
Mobile app to connect rural women entrepreneurs with customers .
PROJECT LEAD
Mannat Kaur
BILGE VESSEL ( INDIA )
Decentralized , DIY greywater treatment unit for areas suffering from drought .
PROJECT LEAD
Zixian Giselle Chen
CHANGEMAKING ( SINGAPORE )
Online matching platform for youths seeking upskilling opportunities with sustainabilityfocused endeavors .
PROJECT LEAD
Luna Abadía
EFFECTIVE CLIMATE ACTION PROJECT ( ECAP ) ( OREGON )
Climate simulation workshops and an initiative to engage youth through online advocacy .
PROJECT LEAD
Fátima Romero
ELENA ( MEXICO )
STEM program for students that teaches sustainability through storytelling .
PROJECT LEAD
Deeya Viradia
FLOODFINDER ( CALIFORNIA )
Platform that taps into traffic camera feeds to provide real-time flood information .
PROJECT LEAD
Francesca Pendus
HYBRID SANITARY NAPKIN FOR ECONOMIC CHANGE ( NEW JERSEY )
Sanitary napkin that is partly reusable and partly disposable .
PROJECT LEAD
Amna Habiba
STEM GIRL ( PAKISTAN )
Project-based STEM certification program for girls in grades 11 and 12 .
— Jordi Lippe-McGraw