Dumisani Kaliati has been working since 2015 to improve the living conditions of rural populations in Malawi. This year, his expertise helped the UNICEF speed up disaster assessment and assistance planning.
Dumisani Kaliati (photo) is an Information Science and Technology graduate from the University of Malawi. An experienced hardware and software developer and computer-aided designer, he founded MicroMek, a drone manufacturing startup at the age of 21. To manufacture its drones, MicroMek uses 3D printed parts and recycled materials. Dumisani Kaliati is also the co-founder of Peza, a platform connecting informal service providers with potential clients.
He got the MicroMek idea in the third year of his information science and technology study after noticing how difficult it was for people living in remote areas to access healthcare institutions. He then developed a medication reminder, which was still not addressing the challenges faced by rural populations. In 2016, while the Malawian government was vulgarizing drone usage, he decided to leverage the technology to address the challenges identified.
In 2017, he was trained on how to use drones during a workshop organized by UNICEF and Virginia Tech University. Since then, in collaboration with Virginia Tech University's Unmanned Systems Lab, he has been developing low-cost drones for remote delivery. Called EcoSoar, the drones are designed to deliver drugs and medicines, blood samples, and vaccines to hospitals. Beyond facilitating access to healthcare, the startup also helps reduce the times needed for the delivery of diagnostics, vaccines, and medications. It also manufactures drones for environmental and aerial data collection.
According to Dumisani Kaliati, the sensing drones can travel up to 30 km for aerial mapping, while the ambulance drones can carry 1 kg of medicines and samples. Depending on the purpose, their production cost averages US$350 and $430 per unit. Currently, the entrepreneur is working on drones that can fly longer distances and carry up to 6 kg of medicine and other health products.
In February 2022, Dumisani Kaliati's expertise was solicited by the UNICEF for the assessment of damages caused by Tropical Cyclone Ana in late January. The disaster wreaked havoc in Southern Malawi causing huge human, material, and agricultural losses.
Using his drones, the entrepreneur sped up the assessment, ultimately assisting in the planning of response activities.
With MicroMek, he garnered several awards, including the Malwai ICT Innovation Award's Top Entrepreneurship category in 2017. A year later, he was selected for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, where he had the opportunity to train in business and entrepreneurship at Northwestern University in Evanston, USA. In late March 2022, he took part in the Global Entrepreneurship Congress that brings together entrepreneurs from over 170 countries. The congress was an opportunity for Dumisani Kaliati to showcase Malawian expertise to the world.
Aïsha Moyouzame
