Fifty "Health Detectives" Trained to catch disease outbreaks before they spread in Jigawa. September 7, 2026 When a child in a remote village develops persistent diarrhoea, or several people in one household fall ill within days of each other, the first person to notice is rarely a doctor. It is a neighbour, a community health worker, a teacher, someone close enough to the ground to see the pattern before it becomes a crisis. That simple observation is the premise behind the Grassroots Health Detectives (GHD) 1.0 programme, a five-day community biosecurity and disease surveillance training that has just graduated fifty frontline health workers in Hadejia, Jigawa State, selected from a pool of more than 1,300 applicants nationwide. The programme was implemented by FutureMap Foundation in partnership with the United States Department of State, the U.S. Mission Nigeria, IREX, the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Health Impact Initiative, and Drake University. Pharm. Isah Dahiru, Programme Manager of the Grassroots Health Detectives initiative, said the training was designed around a hard truth about how disease surveillance usually works in Nigeria: by the time an outbreak reaches a hospital, valuable time has already been lost. "Every outbreak begins with a signal, and for too long, those signals have been recognised too late," Dahiru said, explaining the thinking behind the programme. "We built this programme to change that, by placing the tools of disease surveillance directly in the hands of the people who are already closest to their communities, so that the earliest warning signs are picked up in homes, schools, markets and villages, long before patients ever reach a health facility." According to Dahiru, the fifty participants were not merely lectured at. Over five days, they analysed simulated outbreak scenarios, assessed public health risks, and practised reporting suspected disease events through the same digital channels they would use in a real emergency, including SMS, WhatsApp, and platforms compatible with Nigeria's District Health Information Software (DHIS2). "We did not want people to leave here with theory alone," he said. "We wanted them to leave with muscle memory, the kind of practical confidence that means when they see something unusual in their own community, they know exactly what to do next: how to document it, who to report it to, and how to keep their community engaged without fear or stigma." Dahiru noted that the participants' work now feeds directly into Nigeria's Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) framework and supports the objectives of the country's National Action Plan for Health Security, effectively extending the reach of formal health systems into spaces they rarely touch. The impact of the programme is perhaps best captured in the experiences of those who sat through it. Read also: Saifullahi Usman said the training reshaped how he understood the role of technology in public health. He described gaining hands-on experience in recognising unusual health events, reporting them without delay, and coordinating more effectively with health authorities, adding that digital tools can turn everyday health information into the kind of actionable intelligence that speeds up outbreak detection. His takeaway, he said, was that communities remain the first line of defence against infectious disease. For Hamisu Nasiru Usman, a registered nurse and public health professional, the most valuable lesson was about trust: that early reporting only happens when communities believe they will not be stigmatised for coming forward, and when local customs are respected rather than overridden. He said he particularly valued the programme's emphasis on the One Health approach, linking human, animal and environmental health, calling the experience both an honour and a privilege, and leaving convinced that grassroots health workers have a far bigger role to play in protecting their communities than they are usually given credit for. Auwal Hudu, also a registered nurse, said the practical design of the training, its simulations, group discussions and action-planning sessions, was what turned abstract public health concepts into skills he could use immediately. He said continued mentorship and sustained collaboration with government health authorities would be essential to make sure the new competencies translate into lasting community surveillance rather than a one-off exercise. Built With Academic Partners, Aimed at Global Learning Dahiru said the programme was co-facilitated with Dr. Hafiz Mukhtar Musa, and benefited from academic collaboration with Professor Emeritus Timothy Welty of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Drake University, who is documenting the Hadejia experience for teaching materials, professional seminars, academic publications and conference presentations. "This is not a closed loop," Dahiru said. "What we are learning in Hadejia is already informing conversations far beyond Jigawa State, and that exchange runs both ways: our communities benefit from evidence-informed approaches, and the wider academic and global health community gains a real-world case study in what community-based surveillance actually looks like when it works." FutureMap Foundation, in a statement, said its involvement reflects a broader commitment to community-led public health innovation: "We believe strong community health systems begin with well-equipped local health actors. Our partnership in the Grassroots Health Detectives initiative reflects our commitment to supporting community-led innovation, strengthening local capacity, and advancing practical solutions that improve health security." For now, the measure of the programme's success will not be the five days of training or the fifty certificates handed out at the end of it. It will be whether, in the months ahead, unusual illnesses in Hadejia's villages are spotted sooner, suspected outbreaks are reported faster, and the fifty men and women who passed through the programme have the confidence to act before disease has the chance to spread. As Dahiru put it: "Their work may never make the headlines, but it is exactly where stronger health systems begin."

Grant for micro small and medium-sized businesses of veterans. Reading time: 4 min. Table of Contents: Veteran business continues to operate and develop even during the war. Support for such a business goes far beyond ordinary financing - it also makes it possible to receive training and mentoring support in the relevant direction. VETERAN BUSINESS LAB is another good opportunity for veteran enterprises in 2026. More details from the grant managers of "Prikhodko & Partners" - in the article below. What is VETERAN BUSINESS LAB? VETERAN BUSINESS LAB is an educational and grant program created by the IREX organization in partnership with the NGO EasyBusiness. It is designed for veterans who are active entrepreneurs and strive only to develop their own business. The specified grant program provides for three areas of support: educational intensive (with practice), receiving grant funds (up to 10,000 dollars for each of the 20 winners), and mentoring support for the implementation of a business idea. During the training, veterans will be able to strengthen their knowledge in such areas as: * financial planning; * marketing strategy; * setting up business processes; * business scaling. Who can participate in the grant and what criteria must a veteran business meet? Requirements for participants include their compliance with formal (legal), financial, geographical, and temporal criteria. A future participant must prove that they: * Are officially registered as an individual entrepreneur (FOP) or a legal entity; * Own 100% of corporate rights in the company, and all ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs) are citizens of Ukraine; * Their business belongs to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises; * Conduct entrepreneurial activity in the territory controlled by Ukraine and not in those regions where active hostilities are ongoing; * Do not have critical reputational risks for the business (tax debts, not in bankruptcy proceedings, no criminal record, the business is not on sanction lists, etc.); * Do not conduct activities prohibited by the grant program (production of weapons and ammunition, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, organization of gambling, provision of currency exchange services). Important! Since the grant involves passing training, the participant must prove their readiness to be present in person at a 3-day bootcamp (in Kyiv or Lviv) and remotely - to protect the presentation of their own business project. To receive more detailed information - Prikhodko & Partners advise you to contact its grant manager. What can veteran business direct grant funds to? A grant is targeted financing, therefore it is prohibited to go beyond the allowed list of expenses. VETERAN BUSINESS LAB allows veteran business to spend it on: * purchase of technological equipment; * purchase of inventory; * development, testing, and certification of new products; * branding update; * payment for licenses for specialized software. For information! At the same time, a future participant is categorically forbidden to state in their business plan that they plan to spend the grant on transport, capital construction, assistance to the defense forces, covering current financial obligations, etc. How to get the maximum score on a grant application? It is worth noting that a grant application within the competition for veteran business will be evaluated by several criteria - validity and realism, operational capacity and growth, socio-economic impact on other veterans and their families. The first thing Prikhodko & Partners can recommend is to provide for the creation of additional jobs in your company and the possibility of economic reintegration of veterans or vulnerable categories of the population. Much attention should also be paid to the realism of the projected costs. What documents are needed for participation in the grant for veteran business? * Completed online grant application form; * Extract from the unified register of enterprises; * Document officially confirming veteran status; * Company business plan; * Separate financial statements for the last year; * Assurance of no connection with the aggressor state. Why should you contact a grant manager? Submitting a grant application is complex analytical and sometimes creative work. Most of those entrepreneurs who apply for a grant for veteran business for the first time make mistakes and cannot participate in further evaluation. To prevent this, grant managers of the company "Prikhodko & Partners" offer: * Introductory consultation; * Preparation of a complete package of documents (from scratch); * Support for application submission and subsequent evaluation; * Selection of a relevant grant (upon request). Conclusions. Summarizing, the grant from VETERAN BUSINESS LAB for micro, small, and medium-sized veteran businesses is a comprehensive support tool that combines training and fundraising. Only already active entrepreneurs who have an impeccable business reputation and do not conduct activities in the occupied territory will win. In this case, the grant manager will be your strategic partner, who will accompany you in the process of obtaining a grant from beginning to end. Do not waste time: find out the cost of a manager's assistance in obtaining a grant for micro, small, and medium-sized veteran businesses by filling out the form below. Calculate the price of assistance: 1 question Have other lawyers handled your case? 2 question Are you in Kyiv or Kyiv region? 3 question Frequently asked questions about the procedure for obtaining a grant What is prohibited to spend grant funds on for veteran business? By what criteria will the grant application from veteran business be evaluated? What restrictions apply to participants of the grant program? Cases on the subject of the article: If Prikhodko & Partners do not during the day Law company Leave a request for legal assistance right now:

Gebeya and IREX expand opportunities for African innovators to compete in CANEX Create-Thon 2026. James Mahoney August 11, 2026 Partnership creates a dedicated pathway for eligible alumni of IREX-led programs to develop AI-powered creative products in music, video, and games. ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, August 11, 2026 - Gebeya and IREX today announced a new partnership to expand access to CANEX Create-Thon 2026, creating a dedicated pathway for alumni of IREX-led programs to participate in one of the continent's leading AI innovation challenges. Across the continent, entrepreneurs, developers, designers, and creators are using artificial intelligence to solve local challenges, launch new businesses, and reimagine industries. As AI reshapes the global economy, access to the tools, networks, and opportunities driving this transformation will help determine who shapes the future. The collaboration introduces an exclusive application pathway and dedicated prize opportunities for IREX-led program alumni, recognizing exceptional AI-powered solutions developed during the Create-Thon. The initiative is designed to reduce barriers for talented innovators while increasing visibility and support for ideas with the potential to create meaningful impact. CANEX Create-Thon 2026 is part of the broader Creative Africa Nexus initiative by the African Export-Import Bank, which advances Africa's creative and digital economy by connecting technology, entrepreneurship, investment, and innovation. Powered by Gebeya's Dala Studio, an AI-native creation platform, the Create-thon challenges participants to transform ideas into AI-powered creative products across three categories: music, video, and games. In the music category, participants can explore AI-powered tools for creation, composition, production, and new forms of musical expression. The video category focuses on AI-driven storytelling, filmmaking, editing, and content creation. The games category challenges innovators to build interactive experiences, game concepts, and AI-powered entertainment solutions. Using natural language instead of traditional coding, Dala Studio enables creators to bring ideas to life by describing what they want to build. The platform makes advanced creative technology more accessible to both technical and nontechnical innovators, expanding participation in the creation of digital products and experiences. Participants will also gain access to mentorship, learning opportunities, and a growing pan-African network of creators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders working together to shape the future of Africa's creative economy. "AI is changing who gets to create technology," said Amadou Daffe, CEO of Gebeya. "The next generation of African innovation won't be defined by who can code the fastest. It will be defined by who can identify meaningful problems and build solutions that improve lives. This partnership helps ensure more innovators have that opportunity." Through its global network of innovators, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders, IREX expands access to education, skills development, and opportunity. This partnership gives IREX alumni a pathway to explore AI-powered creation, strengthen practical skills, and participate in a growing ecosystem of African builders and innovators. "This partnership reflects what IREX is working to make possible: helping people learn, lead, and thrive in a world increasingly shaped by technology, AI, and data," said Aleksander Dardeli, President and CEO of IREX. "Afreximbank has built something important with Creative Africa Nexus: a platform that takes African creative talent seriously as an economic force, not just a cultural one. We're proud to partner with Gebeya to give our alumni a meaningful opportunity to bring their ideas to this platform. I've seen what happens when young innovators get the right tools at the right moment: they don't just participate; they build things that outlast the program that got them started." The partnership reflects a broader shift in which AI is becoming a practical tool for entrepreneurship, creativity, and economic growth. As access to AI-powered creation tools expands, initiatives such as CANEX Create-thon can help innovators build products, businesses, and intellectual property that compete globally. Applications for CANEX Create-Thon 2026 are now open, inviting Africa's next generation of builders, creators, and entrepreneurs to transform bold ideas into AI-powered solutions. About Gebeya. Gebeya is a pan-African AI technology company deploying AI for the next billion users by building localized digital infrastructure designed for Africa's realities. Through AI-powered tools, accessible digital systems, and language-first experiences, Gebeya makes technology more usable, relevant, and inclusive for individuals, businesses, and institutions across the continent. About IREX. IREX, the International Research & Exchanges Board, Inc., is a forward-looking global solutions provider that partners with communities, governments, institutions, funders, donors, and businesses to empower people to learn, lead, and thrive. Building on decades of trusted experience, IREX delivers world-class, evidence-informed approaches that help leaders bridge divides, learners succeed in the world of work, and people thrive in a world increasingly shaped by technology, AI, and data. With a commitment to continuous improvement, IREX strengthens performance, supports responsible innovation, expands opportunity, and creates lasting value with partners.