About
Hello, I'm Katrin. I started Hello World in 2013, and I am the CEO.
Hello World…
Activity
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A champion for the world’s littlest children 🎉 South African and G20 President Cyril Ramaphosa gave a major speech today, where he called for…
A champion for the world’s littlest children 🎉 South African and G20 President Cyril Ramaphosa gave a major speech today, where he called for…
Liked by Katrin McMillan
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Another 1200 people connected to the internet! 📶 With the recent Hello Hub build in Jama’are community, Hello World and CITAD were able to provide…
Another 1200 people connected to the internet! 📶 With the recent Hello Hub build in Jama’are community, Hello World and CITAD were able to provide…
Liked by Katrin McMillan
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As Fiona Komugisha beautifully shared on the most recent podcast: "We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn and grow, regardless of…
As Fiona Komugisha beautifully shared on the most recent podcast: "We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn and grow, regardless of…
Liked by Katrin McMillan
Experience
Volunteer Experience
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Coordinator
United Nations OCHA
- Present 18 years 3 months
Human Rights
In collaboration with Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Mukwege (Panzi Hospital), Eve Ensler (V-Day) and the United Nations, assisted with production of ‘Healing the Wounds of War - Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,’ on behalf of The Center for Global Affairs at NYU and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Attended by 600 NYU students, UN representatives, and members of the press. The event raised funds, generated front-page press on sexual…
In collaboration with Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Mukwege (Panzi Hospital), Eve Ensler (V-Day) and the United Nations, assisted with production of ‘Healing the Wounds of War - Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,’ on behalf of The Center for Global Affairs at NYU and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Attended by 600 NYU students, UN representatives, and members of the press. The event raised funds, generated front-page press on sexual violence in eastern DRC and led to the building of the City of Joy transitional housing for victims of sexual violence in Bukavu. Coordinated exchange visits between Fistular Hospital Managers in Nigeria and DRC.
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Organiser
Development Association for Renewable Energies
- Present 15 years 2 months
Environment
Built Africa’s first bottle house, made entirely of recycled plastic bottles.
http://www.africacommunitytrust.org/docs/bbc.pdf -
Co-Founder
Bwari Soap Co.
- Present 15 years 9 months
Economic Empowerment
Co-founded small business to create jobs producing soap and skin products made from shea nut butter. Business model expanded across three Nigerian cities.
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Ambassador for the Plan Gala Evening: Because I am a Girl
Plan International
- Present 11 years
Human Rights
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Member Board Of Trustees
Guardian Global Media Campaign
- Present 6 years 10 months
Human Rights
Board Member for the Global Media Campaign to end FGM. A cause that is close to my heart.
https://www.theguardian.com/end-fgm -
Advisory Board Member
Imagine Her (IH)
- Present 7 years 6 months
Economic Empowerment
Working for women and girl's human and economic rights in Uganda. I work with Imagine Her to help grow their projects and network. We run projects on menstrual health, economic empowerment, skills and job creation.
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Board Member
BEING THE BLESSING FOUNDATION
- Present 7 years 2 months
Human Rights
Being the Blessing Foundation provides people and communities with ways to create, foster and sustain our highest common human calling to be a blessing for others, especially the poorest, the orphan, the refugee, and those enslaved.
Publications
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7 tips for making your charity more sustainable, and scalable to boot!
Hello World Journal
Charity generally conjures an image of endless giving: a one-way flow of resources, money and time to people or communities in need. But that’s not how we see things at Hello World. We know that the best way to support people is to supply them with the tools they need to be self-sufficient. Sustainability is an overused word but it is at the heart of all we do.
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Listening-Led
Hello World Journal
Listening is at the heart of Hello World. We’ve learnt how to improve this work by taking notes when our partner communities are talking. We listen to colleagues at other NGOs, tech firms and the private sector. We want to know if Hello World is of value to the people who we work for, and, if so, in which ways.
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Eight Innovators to Watch in 2015
Smithsonian
Katrin Macmillan is the founder of Projects for All, a nonprofit that is assembling outdoor, solar-powered computer kiosks in remote villages. Called Hello Hubs, the Internet stations, with games, software, video and still cameras, are meant to provide a digital education to adults and children who aren't being taught by teachers in schools. The first hub is in Suleja, Nigeria, and the group intends to build others, with help from locals, in areas of Africa, South America, Asia and the…
Katrin Macmillan is the founder of Projects for All, a nonprofit that is assembling outdoor, solar-powered computer kiosks in remote villages. Called Hello Hubs, the Internet stations, with games, software, video and still cameras, are meant to provide a digital education to adults and children who aren't being taught by teachers in schools. The first hub is in Suleja, Nigeria, and the group intends to build others, with help from locals, in areas of Africa, South America, Asia and the Caribbean.
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Off-grid kiosk brings education and internet to Nigeria
NewAtlas
In many parts of Africa, a lack of adequate infrastructure means that it's simply not practical to build a school and employ a teacher to give kids an education – but there are alternatives. The Hello Hub is a solar-powered kiosk that features two touchscreen computers loaded with educational software and an internet connection to help kids and adults learn and get online. The first Hello Hub kiosk was recently installed in Nigeria, and there are more planned for next year. -
Meet The Woman Who Is Building Digital Schools And Wants To Put Herself Out Of Business
Forbes
“Katrin Macmillan is digitally democratizing education, she recently spoke about it at SXSW and she’s one of the most aspiring female social entrepreneurs I have ever met.” That’s how I was introduced to Katrin. I thought, “Sounds exciting, but what does digitally democratizing education really mean?” The answer: Katrin is the 35-year-old founder of Projects For All, a nonprofit that launched “Hello World,” solar-powered digital schools called "Hello Hubs" that give under-privileged children…
“Katrin Macmillan is digitally democratizing education, she recently spoke about it at SXSW and she’s one of the most aspiring female social entrepreneurs I have ever met.” That’s how I was introduced to Katrin. I thought, “Sounds exciting, but what does digitally democratizing education really mean?” The answer: Katrin is the 35-year-old founder of Projects For All, a nonprofit that launched “Hello World,” solar-powered digital schools called "Hello Hubs" that give under-privileged children and adults in Africa access to the opportunities that the Internet provides. These community designed and built Hubs are loaded with computers, educational software, cameras and video cameras. Katrin has a plan for Hello Hub builds in Dominican Republic, Haiti, Peru, Nigeria and beyond. She wants to be so successful that she puts herself out of business.
Hugh Jackman, actor and founder of Laughing Man Coffee & Tea, said, “Considering how difficult it has been for even a wealthy country like the U.S. to bring internet access to its own schools, the accomplishments of Project Hello World cannot be understated.” -
Solar-Powered Kiosks Bring Free Education To Communities That Can’t Afford Teachers
Fast Company
One Nigerian city now has a prototype of a new type of education that doesn’t involve a school or teachers. The Hello Hub is an outdoor computer kiosk hooked up to free, solar-powered Internet and filled with hundreds of educational games. It’s rugged enough to handle dust storms, rain, and thousands of users. Built and owned by the community, it’s available for anyone–adults or children–to use anytime.
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On Listening.
Huffington Post
First we must discard our preconceived ideas and listen. For any endeavor which aims to support economic and community development there really can be no more important first step. Yet so often, in an area of work with an unrelenting flow of new solutions to old problems, this fundamental attribute of showing up and listening is forgotten. More's the pity since, when you do listen, you gain the greatest insights, including how better to serve your husband! ....
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Digitally Democratizing Education
Huffington Post
If all children left school with basic reading skills, 171 million people would be lifted out of poverty. We all know that education is critical if we are to have a fairer world and yet we don't currently invest in models of delivering education that can reach every child. Sixty...
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New Ideas About Online Community.. From Africa
Huffington Post
President Obama's pledge to mobilize more than $30 billion of investment for Africa reflects the consensus of a continent on the move. Certainly, the rapid spread of mobile technologies has piqued the interest of telecom and internet companies. Nonetheless, many proposals seem to suggest failed models from the past; models...
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"Only when a woman makes her own money does she have her rights”: The importance of digital literacy in Afghanistan
Salon
atrin Macmillan, founder of Projects for All, has made more extensive use of the approach. Her Hello Hubs in Nigeria are based on the “Hole in the Wall” research of TED Prize winner Sugata Mitra, who demonstrated that, given unsupervised (“minimally invasive”) access to technology and connectivity, children will make great strides in literacy, computer literacy, and math and science skills all on their own. Like UNICEF’s Digital Drums and the Learning Stations set up by Sugata Mitra in India…
atrin Macmillan, founder of Projects for All, has made more extensive use of the approach. Her Hello Hubs in Nigeria are based on the “Hole in the Wall” research of TED Prize winner Sugata Mitra, who demonstrated that, given unsupervised (“minimally invasive”) access to technology and connectivity, children will make great strides in literacy, computer literacy, and math and science skills all on their own. Like UNICEF’s Digital Drums and the Learning Stations set up by Sugata Mitra in India and Africa, the Hello Hub is a rugged, solar powered, mobile connected computer kiosk loaded with software.According to Katrin, the Hello Hub is an example of technology “leapfrogging the bricks and mortar” infrastructure that many communities cannot afford. Rather than wait for schools to be built, Projects For All can provide off-the-grid connectivity at low cost “in places where few people want to go” and where the needs are urgent. They hope to work in Pakistan and Afghanistan next. The Hello Hub is not only an educational tool for schoolchildren, but also a source for valuable information. “People are able to use the Hub to take note of current information about Ebola and Boko Haram’s movements. If people are missing, you can broadcast that. You can warn people about mines,” Katrin says. Because the Hubs are built in areas where journalists fear to tread, community-based reporting and storytelling often serve as the only source of information from an area. “The Hello Hub is as much about creating a safe space of nonpartisan community journalism as it is about allowing access to education,” Katrin says.
Projects
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Project: Granny Cloud
As the first Hello Hub is brought online, the children and adults of developing communities in Africa are going to experience the internet for the first time.
Please help us welcome them with a meaningful mentoring relationship.
Whether it’s language support, help with homework, or just talking about life experiences, the diverse skills and interests that you bring can quite literally change the lives of our participants.
How it works
Simply sign up, tell us a little bit…As the first Hello Hub is brought online, the children and adults of developing communities in Africa are going to experience the internet for the first time.
Please help us welcome them with a meaningful mentoring relationship.
Whether it’s language support, help with homework, or just talking about life experiences, the diverse skills and interests that you bring can quite literally change the lives of our participants.
How it works
Simply sign up, tell us a little bit about your interests and availability and we’ll connect you with a Project: Hello World participant on your schedule. You’ll then set up a first meeting through Skype and begin what we hope will be a long lasting, mutually beneficial mentorship.
Lets get started…. create an account today!
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Project: Hello World
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Hello World
171 million people could be lifted out of poverty if all children left school with even basic reading abilities, yet 134 million children have never been to school. 32 million of them are in sub-Saharan Africa – a number equivalent to all the primary school children in USA, UK and France put together.
Project Hello World builds digital schools to bring child-led digital education to those without access to formal schooling. Basing our work on the research of our…Hello World
171 million people could be lifted out of poverty if all children left school with even basic reading abilities, yet 134 million children have never been to school. 32 million of them are in sub-Saharan Africa – a number equivalent to all the primary school children in USA, UK and France put together.
Project Hello World builds digital schools to bring child-led digital education to those without access to formal schooling. Basing our work on the research of our Board member, Sugata Mitra, the winner of the 2013 TED Prize, we work with local communities to design and build Internet-enabled rugged, outdoor computer kiosks for education, connectivity, community journalism, business and play. Our founding belief is that development must be led, defined by, and serve the community, and all of our work is in service of that belief.
Our pilot project in Suleja, Nigeria is ten months old, and a proven success. We are reaching children in the school system and out of it, homeless and housed, Christian and Muslim alike.
We are a UK-registered charity with a track record of community development projects in Africa. Our team comprises technologists, educators, economists, programmers, policymakers and community liaisons. Our board includes world leaders in education technology and community development.
We are currently seeking funds for the roll-out of the next 10 hubs in 2 locations in Africa and sponsorship of on-going central resources.
Have a look at one minute of project Hello World in action: http://youtu.be/_8mygrERY2s
Other creatorsSee project
Honors & Awards
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.ORG awards Winner 2022 Quality Education for All category
Public Interest Registry (PIR)
The .ORG awards are presented by PIR, the people who run the .org registry. The awards are granted across 7 categories with the winners due to be announced in November 2022
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Finalist - Fred Morgan Kirby Prize for Scaling Social Impact
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The Fred Morgan Kirby Prize for Scaling Social Impact is an annual global prize that amplifies and accelerates the work of enterprises working to scale their impact on social or environmental problems around the world.
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The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion 2022 & 2023
The Andan Foundation
Hello World has been named as a prize winner for the second year running. The award recognises organisations that share the Andan Foundations aim to increase the self-reliance of refugees by unleashing human capital through education, entrepreneurship and employment.
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Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion
The Andan Foundation
Hello World has been named sole winner of the Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion in 2021. The Andan Foundation's aim is to increase the self-reliance of refugees by unleashing their human capital through entrepreneurship and employment.
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MIT Solve Digital Inclusion Cohort 2021
MIT Solve
Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a mission to drive innovation to solve world challenges. Solve is a marketplace for social impact innovation. Through open innovation Challenges, Solve finds incredible tech-based social entrepreneurs all around the world. Solve then brings together MIT’s innovation ecosystem and a community of Members to fund and support these entrepreneurs to help them drive lasting, transformational impact.
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The HP Prize for Advancing Digital Equity.
HP
The award is open to solutions that advance inclusion, digital literacy, and economic opportunity in communities across the US and globally.
More activity by Katrin
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When Elizabeth Kabakoyo joined our program in 2022, she was determined to empower small-scale farmers in her community through sustainable…
When Elizabeth Kabakoyo joined our program in 2022, she was determined to empower small-scale farmers in her community through sustainable…
Liked by Katrin McMillan
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Word. Well said Technology For all x Hello World It is innovations from these communities the world needs most urgently, not the cynical…
Word. Well said Technology For all x Hello World It is innovations from these communities the world needs most urgently, not the cynical…
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I don’t know about you, but for me, Jan and 2025 started off as one of the toughest years with multiple hospital visits and unexpected challenges…
I don’t know about you, but for me, Jan and 2025 started off as one of the toughest years with multiple hospital visits and unexpected challenges…
Liked by Katrin McMillan
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For teachers like Harriet, access to resources has always been a challenge. With no school library, students struggled to research and expand their…
For teachers like Harriet, access to resources has always been a challenge. With no school library, students struggled to research and expand their…
Liked by Katrin McMillan
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Today, on the International Day of Education, we reaffirm our commitment to breaking barriers and creating opportunities for every child to learn…
Today, on the International Day of Education, we reaffirm our commitment to breaking barriers and creating opportunities for every child to learn…
Liked by Katrin McMillan
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Tick tree shade experience. This may look like an ordinary meeting of a group of women discussing some issues around their village on a scotchy…
Tick tree shade experience. This may look like an ordinary meeting of a group of women discussing some issues around their village on a scotchy…
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🚨 “The webinar is practically going viral—people are clamouring for alternative voices beyond the usual ones.” This was one of the responses we at…
🚨 “The webinar is practically going viral—people are clamouring for alternative voices beyond the usual ones.” This was one of the responses we at…
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