Meta, in partnership with Data Science Africa, has introduced the Llama Impact Grant, a new initiative aimed at supporting startups and researchers across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The grant, part of Meta’s global Llama Impact Grants program, will provide $20,000 to fund projects that leverage Llama, Meta’s open-source large language model (LLM), to tackle the region’s unique social and economic challenges.
The initiative underscores Meta’s commitment to advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool for driving innovation, economic growth, and scientific breakthroughs in sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and education.
Empowering African Innovation
Balkissa Ide Siddo, Meta’s Public Policy Director for sub-Saharan Africa, highlighted AI’s transformative potential and the role of open-source models like Llama in fostering innovation.
“We’re still in the early days, but AI is likely to fundamentally change every aspect of our lives—spurring innovation, turbo-charging growth, and driving an explosion in learning and productivity,” Siddo said.
“Through this grant program, we’re hoping to support and scale AI-driven solutions across Africa that address the continent’s unique challenges, empowering innovators to drive meaningful impact.”
Meta’s Llama models, including the latest Llama 3.3, have been downloaded over 1 billion times globally. As open-source tools, they enable organizations to innovate without the barriers posed by proprietary AI models.
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Global Success and African Potential
The Llama Impact Grant for Sub-Saharan Africa is part of Meta’s broader initiative launched in October 2023. Since its inception, the program has attracted over 800 applications from more than 90 countries, with several innovative projects emerging as finalists.
–Digital Green’s Farmer Chat: An AI-powered chatbot offering multilingual agricultural advice to small-scale farmers in Africa. Using Llama, the tool delivers tailored guidance in languages like Swahili and Kikuyu, enhancing access to vital farming information.
–Jacaranda Health’s PROMPTS: A digital health tool utilizing SMS-based behavioral nudges and an AI-enabled helpdesk to support new and expecting mothers in Kenya, Ghana, and Eswatini. The project aims to become a leading resource for maternal and newborn health in the region.
