Gbe La, winners of the MobileMoney Fintech Limited Lab Hackathon in Accra, say their proposed solution is aimed at helping people who struggle to carry out digital financial transactions independently and are vulnerable to fraud.
The group said the idea was inspired by the experience of a relative who finds it difficult to use digital financial services and often depends on other people to complete transactions, exposing her to repeated incidents of fraud.
Speaking in an interview after emerging winners of the hackathon, members of Gbe La said they recognised that the challenge extended beyond their family and decided to develop a solution that could address the problem for a wider population.
They expressed hope that the solution would be fully developed by the final stage of the initiative and become available to people facing similar difficulties.
The group said its journey to the hackathon was marked by several challenges, including difficulties confirming its registration because its email address was not going through.
They also had to rethink their initial concept after arriving at the hackathon, as the original idea was built around a different user persona.
However, lessons and guidance from facilitators and mentors helped them refine their approach and develop the solution they eventually presented.
The members said completing their prototype was another major challenge, particularly as they struggled to finish it before the competition’s deadline.
Despite the difficulties, they remained committed to the process and successfully completed their presentation, eventually emerging as winners.
The group expressed appreciation to God, the facilitators, mentors and everyone who supported and believed in them throughout the competition.
They also encouraged people with ideas for solving everyday problems to take advantage of opportunities such as the hackathon, stressing that they should not hesitate to present their ideas.
Gbe La particularly urged women and young people to take the initiative, identify challenges within their communities and develop solutions that could make a difference.
Below are the results:
1 Gbe La
2 AutoSave
3 Frictionless
4 EcoTrustFund
5 Adawise
6 RecyClink
7 Lebe Finance
8 ESOG
9 Connect App
10 FiNora
The top five groups received five thousand Ghana Cedis respectively.
