On April 30, 2026, the IoT Hackathon on Air Quality in Senegal officially reached its climax with the final pitch ceremony and the announcement of the winning teams. This milestone marks the end of a competition, but above all the culmination of a collective dynamic around a major public health issue: improving the availability of air quality data and strengthening awareness among local populations.
Launched in June 2025, the hackathon mobilized 8 teams — 24 young participants supervised by 8 mentors — over nearly eleven months, around three main pillars: IoT sensor deployment, community awareness, and the development of local innovations. 7 out of 8 teams went through to the end of the process, a remarkable engagement rate for such a demanding project. This approach made it possible to go beyond the classic framework of a hackathon and turn it into a genuine device for experimentation, learning, and real-world action.
A Project Rooted in a Public Health Challenge
Air pollution remains a major challenge, particularly in schools, where children are especially vulnerable to the effects of fine particles. In many African contexts, this issue remains insufficiently documented, largely due to the lack of accessible and usable data.
It is in this context that Kaikai initiated this air quality monitoring project in Senegal, with the ambition of deploying sensors, making data more accessible, training young people, and raising community awareness. The hackathon is fully aligned with this vision: using technology, civic engagement, and local innovation to contribute to a better understanding of air pollution.
Kaikai: A Central Role in Mentoring and Talent Development
Beyond organizing the competition, Kaikai structured a comprehensive support program: teams were trained and mentored by experts from the Air Quality Management Center, UCAD, and the IoT sector, and provided with the necessary equipment to test their innovations in the field.
Two key milestones marked this journey: a mid-point Demo Day to present prototypes and refine solutions, followed by participation in SALTIIS, where two teams were able to present their projects to an institutional audience.
Three Categories to Recognize Three Forms of Engagement
The final evaluation of the teams covered three categories: Innovation, Deployment, and Awareness. Each of these categories corresponds to an essential dimension of the project.
The Innovation category aimed to reward teams' ability to propose relevant technological or pedagogical solutions to improve the understanding, management, or communication around air quality.
The Deployment category focused on operational rigor: adherence to the deployment plan, quality of installations, sensor availability, responsiveness in maintenance, and documentation of interventions.
The Awareness category recognized teams' ability to mobilize communities, convey clear messages, and produce activities tailored to students, teachers, and other stakeholders.
The Hackathon's Winning Teams
8 teams participated in this competition.
At the end of the evaluation process, three teams stood out in the main categories.