A UNICEF and Generation Unlimited programme
is helping a group of young entrepreneurs turn a great idea into
water-saving agricultural products.
Their inventions could
REVOLUTIONIZE FARMING
in the Gulf Area.
Ahmed Eldeeb, Alaa Ahmed Shaaban Radwan, Ibrahim Hamza,
Mohamed Yasser and Nourhan Ahmed, aged between 20 and 23,
are the inventive minds behind the innovative company SOIGEL.
The team met as science students at Tanta University in Egypt,
with their skills varying from chemistry to biotechnology and geophysics.
Agriculture is the backbone
of Egypt's economy.
Millions of people's livelihoods
depend on it.
With a significant sugar industry, the country’s refined sugar exports
amounted to approximately 2.31 billion Egyptian pounds in 2021.
But the industry faces serious challenges.
With UNICEF seed funding and mentorship,
the Soigel team engineered
two ground-breaking products.
Using recycled sugarcane waste,
their inventions will benefit the agricultural sector
while contributing to climate change mitigation.
The idea for the products emerged
after conducting interviews with 40 farmers
in the western region of Egypt.
The farmers flagged lack of water
and air pollution from crop burnoff
as some of their most pressing challenges.
“10 million tonnes of sugarcane waste is burnt annually in Egypt,
pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and affecting the health of residents.
It is important that we use this waste to decrease air pollution.”
- NOURHAN AHMED, SOIGEL TEAM MEMBER
Nourhan Ahmed knows these troubles first-hand.
She has asthma, with poor air quality in her region exacerbating her condition.
“It’s not only me, communities here are
also suffering from respiratory problems...
the burning of sugarcane affects their health.”
She is proud to be making a small difference, taking waste that would otherwise have been burnt and turning it into something valuable for farmers.
Ahmed Eldeeb is the lead chemist
who developed the two agricultural prototypes.
Once the team identified
what needed addressing in the agricultural sector
it took them only three months
to develop two prototypes.
"We had an innovative idea....I started
developing these materials in the lab...
SOIGEL CREATED TWO PRODUCTS
The first is SOILIZER
made by drying and grinding sugarcane waste before putting it through a process of thermal decomposition.
It is an organic fertilizer that increases soil fertility and absorbs
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The second is AQUALGEL
a hydrophilic substance that absorbs a large amount of water and retains it at a rate equivalent to twice its volume.
Sugarcane, the raw material used to produce Soigel products Soilizer and Aquagel. This is the organic waste that would usually be burned in Egypt's agricultural areas.
Sugarcane, the raw material used to produce Soigel products Soilizer and Aquagel. This is the organic waste that would usually be burned in Egypt's agricultural areas.
"Soilizer is an organic fertilizer, but its unique feature
is absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
We found that one tonne of Soilizer absorbs 2.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide so it contributes to solving the climate change problem.
Organic farmers have taken a specimen of our products and are testing them on their crops ... and we know the results are going to be good,”
- AHMED ELDEEB, SOIGEL TEAM MEMBER
In the left glove, normal soil and in the right glove, soil with Aquagel. The gel absorbs water and helps with a slow-release effect helping farmers to reduce the frequency of irrigation.
In the left glove, normal soil and in the right glove, soil with Aquagel. The gel absorbs water and helps with a slow-release effect helping farmers to reduce the frequency of irrigation.
"Ideas without action are nothing... Ibrahim has a real business mind.
He persuaded me to improve the product and convert it to a business”
- AHMED ELDEEB, SOIGEL TEAM MEMBER
UNICEF
is supporting young entrepreneurs
like SOIGEL through
imaGen Ventures.
imaGen Ventures is a global programme created by Generation Unlimited
that helps young people develop entrepreneurial skills
and champion community-based approaches that have real-world impact.
In 2022, the Soigel team entered the
imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge awards competition,
where the winners are given seed funding and mentorship.
The competition attracted more than 70 teams from 37 countries.
Soigel was announced as one of the 12 winners at COP 27 in Egypt.
The winning moment. From left: Soigel's Mohamed Yasser, Ahmed Eldeeb, Ibrahim Hamza, Alaa Ahmed Shaaban Radwan and Nourhan Ahmed are told that they are one of 12 global winner by UNICEF's representative in Egypt, Jeremy Hopkins.
The winning moment. From left: Soigel's Mohamed Yasser, Ahmed Eldeeb, Ibrahim Hamza, Alaa Ahmed Shaaban Radwan and Nourhan Ahmed are told that they are one of 12 global winner by UNICEF's representative in Egypt, Jeremy Hopkins.
“Soigel's solution aligned perfectly with the pursuit for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
They presented a strong proof of concept and they brought solid arguments
around their idea’s validation in terms of feasibility, design and demand.”
- NICOLAS CIPRIOTA, imaGen Ventures Global Coordinator
"We could not have done this without the help of UNICEF.
They gave us training and mentorship that helped us
to move from an idea to a company."
- AHMED ELDEEB, SOIGEL TEAM MEMBER
The competition winners came together for a
Global Incubation Workshop in Amman, Jordan
which provided a unique opportunity for skill-building
through workshops, masterclasses and networking.
The team attended mentorship sessions
where they refined their business model,
explored partnerships and fine-tuned their pitches.
"The bootcamp with mentors and experts was transformative"
- Ahmad Eldeeb
Now in its fourth year,
the imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge
is a successful accelerator
for young entrepreneurs.
A team in Skopje, North Macedonia developed a 3D-printed bionic arm, allowing anyone to print and assemble it themselves.
A team in Skopje, North Macedonia developed a 3D-printed bionic arm, allowing anyone to print and assemble it themselves.
Previous participants include a team from North Macedonia
who use 3D printing technology to create user-friendly bionic arms that cost a fraction of the price of existing prosthetics.
A team from Bangladesh created a wellness and meditation app, called Relaxy, to help young people improve their mental health.
Bangladeshi entrepreneurs, former participants of Generation Unlimited's imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge.
Bangladeshi entrepreneurs, former participants of Generation Unlimited's imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge.
“A big portion of the future global workforce will be independent or freelance workers. There is an urgent need for today’s young people
to acquire the skills to create their own livelihood pathways."
- NICOLAS CIPRIOTA, imaGen Ventures Global Coordinator
As millions of young people worldwide face unemployment or underemployment, Generation Unlimited seeks to empower
1.8 billion young individuals by connecting them to business.
imaGEN ventures is spearheaded by UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited.
Generation Unlimited has an impressive record with over 2,500 youth ventures in 60 countries and has engaged over 250 organisations in co-creation and implementation.
Soigel is set to be another success story.
Their products are being rolled out
with investors secured.
"Our skills as entrepreneurs
can contribute to long term sustainability.
We must collaborate to address climate change."
If you have an idea for tackling
some of the most pressing issues that the world faces
LEARN MORE HERE
about the 2024 imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge
AND COLLABORATE WITH UNICEF
UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.
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