WITNESS starting point is that the majority of the world’s population now has a camera in their pocket and that people everywhere are turning to video to document and tell stories about abuse. WITNESS trains and supports these activists and citizens around the world to use video safely, ethically and effectively to expose human rights abuse and fight for human rights change. According to the WITNESS website they have 360 partner organisations, trained 6000 people, worked in 97 countries and their videos have reached 260 million people.

AfriLabs is a pan-African network of 40 technology innovation hubs in 20 countries. It was founded in 2011 to build a community around the rapidly emerging tech hubs ― i.e. spaces that serve as physical nexus points for developers, entrepreneurs, and investors. AfriLabs is working through these spaces to build an innovation infrastructure that will encourage the growth of Africa’s knowledge economy by supporting the development of start-ups, technology and innovation. To better serve their communities AfriLabs allow hubs to learn from each other through knowledge sharing and collaboration as well as achieve sustainability by creating solid business models and bolstering team capacity. AfriLabs represent nearly 50% of the hubs in Africa.

Marlon Parker founded Reconstructed Living Labs (RLabs) in 2008 as a community project to address socio-economic problems in Bridgetown, which is in Cape Town, South Africa. It quickly became a global organisation with a vision of empowering and reconstructing communities through innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and access to economic opportunities. The RLabs physical hubs are generally situated in fragile and at risk communities with scarce resources that are plagued with social challenges. RLabs have reached more than 5 Million citizens across Africa through its mobile services as well as equipped more than 35,000 people through its training academies and programmes across the continent. RLabs has also connected more than 50,000 people to jobs. According to a recent workshop in partnership with Ashoka Globalizer and McKinsey & Company, RLabs has created more than US$22 Million in economic value through its economic empowerment and academy programmes during 2013/14.

Claudia Calvin founded Mujeres Construyendo (MC) in 2009. It was then the first Spanish language platform for women bloggers. From this platform, Claudia promotes the participation of more women on the Internet. It has spurred new media channels and got more women into ICTs. The purpose is to assist these women in achieving their full potential by strengthening and empowering them. It allows women to communicate their ideas, dreams, projects and business initiatives, as well as stand united in their efforts to support each other in the achievement of their personal and professional goals. Today MC has become a digital ecosystem of nearly 30 000 people.

Privacy International (PI) was founded in 1990 and was the first organisation to campaign at an international level on privacy issues. PI investigate the secret world of government surveillance and expose the companies enabling it as well as litigate to ensure that surveillance is consistent with the rule of law. PI advocate for strong national, regional, and international laws that protect privacy. Additionally PI conduct research to catalyse policy change and raise awareness about technologies and laws that place privacy at risk, to ensure that the public is informed and engaged.

The Nawaya Network is a non-profit organization based in Beirut, Lebanon, which develops the talents and skills of youth from low-income and at-risk backgrounds. Through the network, youth are connected to a variety of resources such as mentors, trainers, classes, funding, internships, and job opportunities.

The iHub is part open community space, part vector for investors and VCs, and part incubator. It's a vibrant and collaborative environment for innovation, entrepreneurship and startups to think through their ideas, develop their solutions, and it lowers the barriers to entry for many young would-be entrepreneurs. The iHub has over 15 000 members and has spurred over 150 start-ups, including other hubs in Kenya and across Africa.

Learn why I started the Plurrify Podcast and what it is all about.