Digi Challege for Change concluded with the selection of three winners for the ideation phase of the program. Apart from winning RM5,000 each, these creators with the ideas will now be able to see them turned into application for commercialisation.

All three winning ideas will now move to the next phase next phase of the challenge, where the local app developers will be invited to participate and to build on those ideas into full-fledged mobile apps. This year, the programme aims on unearthing mobile apps that promote social good for three beneficiary groups: children, youth and women, by addressing some of the most pressing issues faced by these groups of people.

Quah Yean Nie, Digi’s Head of Communications and Sustainability said that Digi Challenge for Change aims to continue building momentum of cultivating social innovation in the community. “Digi Challenge for Change is a platform that brings Malaysians together in promoting inclusivity and social good to enable sustainable development. This year, we are challenging the public and developer community to dream up and develop robust as well as practical mobile apps that addresses real issues affecting women, children and youth” she added.

The winning ideators were a crowd-funding app to cater to medical needs of those whose families is not able to afford the high cost of medical procedures and recovery expenses. An edutainment app that gamify the sign-language learning experience for those with speech and hearing impairment. And an app that promotes reduction of wood wastage by channeling unconsumed food to relevant beneficiaries.

This year, more than 250 Malaysian-inspired mobile application ideas were crowd sourced for the Ideation Phase of the challenge, from which 30 ideas with potential to positively impact the targeted beneficiary group were shortlisted. Partners involved included Google Malaysia, Microsoft Malaysia, Facebook, MDEC, MaGIC and UNICEF.