2025
2025 CALL FOR CODE GLOBAL CHALLENGE
The 2025 Call for Code Global Challenge was a year-long, global tech-for-good initiative that mobilized developers, students, and innovators to apply generative AI to some of the world’s most urgent social and humanitarian challenges. Anchored in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Challenge focused particularly on issues connected to climate justice, economic opportunity, and human rights.
Throughout the year, participants from around the world took part in five thematic hackathon events, each aligned with specific SDGs. Teams were invited to design and build original, AI-powered solutions capable of delivering real-world impact at scale. Winning teams from each event advanced to a final round of global judging for the Challenge’s top honors.
2025 CALL FOR CODE GLOBAL CHALLENGE
GRAND PRIZE: DuniAfrika (Kenya)
In Nairobi, millions of people earn their living in the informal economy—builders, welders, market vendors, and artisans whose work keeps the city running but often puts them at serious risk. DuniAfrika’s winning solution, Linda, is a simple yet powerful AI safety assistant that meets workers where they already are: on WhatsApp. A worker can send Linda a photo of their job site, and the system instantly spots potential dangers—like missing protective gear, unstable structures, or exposed wiring—and replies with clear, practical safety advice in Swahili or English. Workers can also ask questions in plain language and receive guidance tailored to their situation. By turning everyday smartphones into real-time safety coaches, Linda helps prevent injuries, protect livelihoods, and support safer, more sustainable economic growth.
2025 CALL FOR CODE GLOBAL CHALLENGE
FIRST RUNNER UP: YOUNG & HUNGRY (INDIA)
India depends heavily on groundwater to feed its people, yet overuse is rapidly draining vital aquifers and threatening food security across entire regions. Wise Drop, created by Young & Hungry, uses AI to help everyone—from farmers to policy-makers—make smarter decisions about water use. Farmers receive simple, personalized advice through WhatsApp in their local language, helping them irrigate crops more efficiently while maintaining yields. Local water managers can monitor aquifer health and identify risks before they become crises, while policy-makers can test “what if” scenarios to see how different interventions might affect both agriculture and long-term water supplies. Wise Drop transforms complex data into clear guidance, helping protect one of the country’s most precious resources.
2025 CALL FOR CODE GLOBAL CHALLENGE
SECOND RUNNER UP: AGENTS FDRK (INDIA)
In fast-growing cities, emergencies like fires, floods, or road accidents can escalate quickly if help is delayed by even a few minutes. Agents FDRK’s solution, Alert X, uses AI to dramatically speed up how cities detect and respond to crises. When an incident occurs, Alert X can analyze live video, understand what’s happening, identify nearby hospitals or emergency services, assess the severity of the situation, and recommend immediate actions—such as evacuations or traffic diversions. It then helps relay this information clearly and calmly to authorities, as if a trained human dispatcher were reporting the event. By turning scattered signals into coordinated action in seconds, Alert X shows how AI can help cities become safer, smarter, and more resilient.
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