Nigeria - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Vaide is a tech-backed social platform that links volunteers with volunteer groups/activities within their interest and around their vicinity. Users receive credit points for their involvement, which can be redeemed for items on the Vaide marketplace.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Vaide is a social platform that links volunteers with volunteer groups within their interests and around their vicinity. Community-based volunteers are given credits in a tier based system based on their involvement in volunteer causes (particularly around the SDG's). This credit received, can be redeemed for gifts/other items as deemed necessary by participating organizations, companies or groups. Serving as a means of advertisement for the company's products or as a way of fulfilling their corporate social responsibilities (CSR). Vaide credits and history will also serve as a source of validation for Non Governmental/Profit Organization (NGO) activities and will boost community based involvements in areas related to public health, environment and waste management, education, gender equality etc

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

The main problem Vaide solves is the lack of structure in the Nigerian volunteering/community service system. The area of focus for Vaide is based on but not limited to public health, environmental and waste management, education, gender equality, mental wellness and professional development etc By providing a means whereby active volunteers/volunteer groups are compensated for their actions through item purchases/gift redemption using accrued credit, we also aim to boost economic development especially in low income communities in Nigeria and Africa. The goal of Vaide is to shine the spotlight on areas of development within our communities and foster a sense of community belonging through the cumulative actions of volunteers(groups) and organizations that sign up.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

The major advantage of using the Vaide platform is the; 1. Users have clear paths to get rewards and incentives for the volunteering services they offer. 2. Companies/ volunteer seekers can easily find and get access to a pool of vetted volunteers for their events and outfits. 3. Users get to build their social profile based on the volunteering services they offer.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Individuals who sign up on Vaide and choose volunteer interests get linked to volunteer groups/activities within any location of their choice. Hence, boosting their community involvement, social life as well as professional resumes. Credits accrued from fulfilling volunteer quests can also be used for in app purchases of items from participating companies/organizations. Organizations on Vaide have access to a database of individuals interested in volunteering for their cause. Also, donors and investors can see real evidence of projects carried out by organizations they sponsor, Vaide provides these organizations credibility. Companies that struggle with how to perform local CSR can easily filter to organizations/volunteer activities that are already within the scope of what they want and fund them instead. Thereby streamlining the decision making process. New products can be offered in exchange for an individual's credit hence boosting a brand’s image and serving as advertisement.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2024-05-01

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

2

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

0

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Tochukwu Nwachukwu is a graduate of Mechanical engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). He has 5 years of experience as a software engineer having worked previously as an Cloud Architect, Devops Engineer and AWS Infrastructure Engineer with multiple startups focused on providing environmental and edutech solutions in Nigeria and Italy. He currently works as the Technical Lead Assessor for a company in London, United Kingdom. Ikechukwu Eze is a graduate of Geology from UNN. He has over 7 years of experience as a Full stack software engineer with companies in Australia, UK, and US focused on solving real-world problems. His expertise is in designing and developing scalable and secure solutions for companies. Currently, he works as a senior software engineer for Cognite, a company in Norway. Both Tochukwu and Ikechukwu are technical co-founders who bring their rich and diverse experiences to achieve the goal of building and scaling Vaide.

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

h) IT (digital services, equipment and software)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

Since Vaide is an all encompassing platform targeted at community based development, volunteer and volunteer groups with goals to provide low income communities with basic services such as pipe borne water, new technologies, financial services etc will have an easier access to donors and investors interested in funding this cause. A major advantage of the Vaide platform is the financial impact it provides for its users, hence those who get involved within these communities are also rewarded with credit which can be redeemed on the platform for goods or services. Companies can also provide CSR initiatives based fully on community needs and not speculations.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

As a social platform, Vaide creates the perfect environment to create awareness and support for initiatives targeted at eliminating hunger within our communities. It would also leverage user-generated educational content to empower individuals and communities with knowledge and information. Organizations can fundraise through integration with platforms like - GoFundMe, Donorbox, Fundly etc . Also donors, investors can easily filter and fund causes that mean something to them. By connecting communities, Vaide would create networks for sharing resources and amplify the voices of these communities to influence policy and decision making that affects them. In periods of disasters (i.e the covid-19 pandemic and current cholera outbreak) there would be real time monitoring of events within communities to foster social action. Using data analytics ethnically, regions and communities disproportionately affected by hunger can be targeted for effective intervention.

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

Quality Education is important for the sustainable development of our communities. Vaide as a social platform can firstly be used to disseminate information on a wide range of topics. Users can share educational resources and information on educational opportunities. Through partnerships and integration with online learning platforms such as Udemy, Coursera etc, users can get access to tutorials and live learning education content in exchange for accrued credit. Volunteer groups can engage and collaborate to provide free education to low income communities e.g with partnership with organizations like Chess in Slums, Teach for Nigeria etc. Literacy and skill learning campaigns would be boosted on the platform through the activities of companies, organizations and associations. Investors and companies can provide CSR through building of schools, provision of computer equipment and books etc to communities that need this initiative, thereby boosting their corporate image in the society

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

Vaide is dedicated to allowing individuals and organizations working towards gender equality to connect within the community as well as across geographies.. This would be done by raising awareness on gender issues, highlighting inequalities and sharing success stories of gender equality initiatives. Campaigns such as the #MeToo #BreakTheBias would be highlighted to amplify voices bringing attention to sexual discrimination, rape culture and Female genital mutilation still prevalent in our communities. Advocate groups would have access to a wider audience interested in participating actively to pursue their cause. They can create networking groups and build mentor and mentee relationships within their communities to assist one another. Marginalized voices would be amplified and data-backed to ensure adequate policies are put in place to protect them. Funding would be more readily available to promote gender equality causes as it would be easier to filter out credible organizations.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

There are currently lots of organizations tackling this issue in Nigeria. What they lack are two major things - Volunteers and Funding. By linking volunteers with volunteer groups and donors tackling the issue of clean water and sanitation in our communities, Vaide achieves this SDG. Also, volunteers are incentivized though the credit system to do more in their communities. NGOs and governments can make data backed decisions with respect to knowing which communities to take these initiatives to. Awareness and Education campaigns on the importance of water sanitation and safe drinking water practices reach a wider audience of people. Also, volunteers can document in Vaide critical regions that require these initiatives thereby raising awareness and prompt action from authorities. Ethical use of the data from Vaide for research purposes thereby facilitating collaboration between researchers, practitioners and policy makers to develop evidence based strategies for achieving this goal.

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

2

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

3

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

Unemployed individuals get to have curated access to volunteer opportunities through Vaide, where they can put their hours to good use and receive returns in the process.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

4

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

4

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

4

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

4

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

4

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

4

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

Vaide creates a platform that connects companies with volunteers for special projects. This fosters partnerships to achieve causes both within the SDGs and beyond.

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

4

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

4

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

2

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

2

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

4

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

4

05.08 Justification

Vaide utilizes a unique algorithm, developed by economic experts, to create a social credit system that assigns quantifiable value to the volunteer activities performed by individuals.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

Job platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and LinkedIn have higher barriers to entry for securing jobs. In contrast, our platform provides an alternative for users to get more straightforward and faster returns via volunteering.

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs? * I currently volunteer actively for local and global professional associations such as the Women in Geosciences and Engineering (WIGE), Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) and American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). These associations are currently doing ground breaking work with ensuring that female founders have access to the capital and support needed to turn their ideas into reality. NAPE organizes periodic entrepreneurship seminars for its young professionals (YP), inviting established founders and entrepreneurs like Austin Avuru to discuss with and coach budding business owners. SPE organizes women development programs to coach women towards professional career growth and entrepreneurial success by mirroring and sharing the successes of women who have gone ahead to break the glass ceiling.