Terre des hommes’ ICT4D initiative ran across Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon to apply digital tools to child protection, juvenile justice, and migration—anchored in MENA by an ideation campaign and a Cairo bootcamp in 2019.
In Egypt, Innovety led delivery: mapping the ecosystem, diagnosing needs and gaps, and shaping ICT-inspired strategic recommendations and an action plan, leveraging expertise from our Innovation Strategy services—while co-designing a four-day bootcamp with expert mentorship, a prototyping resource directory, and structured follow-ups.
The work moved concepts to prototypes and investor-style pitches; two winning teams received proposal-writing support for innovation grants, and Tdh gained clear outputs (Landscape & Needs/Gaps reports; ICT Strategy & Action Plan) that link humanitarian programs with the tech ecosystem.
By 2018, Terre des hommes (Tdh) established ICT4D as a dedicated division to explore how digital tools could transform its core programs in child protection, juvenile justice, and migration. The ambition was clear: move beyond traditional humanitarian interventions and position technology as a force for social innovation across the Middle East and North Africa.
Yet in practice, this ambition faced critical barriers. Despite growing interest in digital solutions, the ICT ecosystem and humanitarian programs operated in silos, with limited collaboration.
Promising ideas from within Tdh’s child-focused programs lacked the structure, resources, and expertise to become prototypes or scalable interventions. At the same time, staff and youth groups were enthusiastic but underprepared to translate their concepts into ICT-driven solutions that could address systemic challenges.
Tdh needed a way to connect the world of humanitarian programming with the technology and innovation ecosystem—engaging local experts, startups, and mentors to co-create solutions while building internal capacity for ICT4D strategy and implementation. Innovety was brought in to lead this effort in Egypt, anchoring a regional initiative that also spanned Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine.
Key pain points:
Mapping the ICT4D landscape
Innovety began with a comprehensive mapping of the ICT4D ecosystem across Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. This assessment catalogued existing initiatives in child protection, juvenile justice, and migration, while identifying local technology actors, private-sector partners, and digital innovators that could connect with Tdh programs. The resulting Landscape Report provided a regional overview of opportunities and constraints.
Diagnosing needs and gaps
Through consultations with Tdh staff and external stakeholders, Innovety conducted a needs and gaps analysis to understand where ICT could most effectively complement Tdh’s child-focused programs. This analysis shaped the Needs & Gaps Report, highlighting service delivery challenges and areas where technologies such as IoT, mobile platforms, and blockchain could drive tangible improvements.
Designing and facilitating the bootcamp
In Egypt, Innovety co-designed and delivered a four-day ICT4D innovation bootcamp in Cairo as part of Tdh’s Ideation Campaign 2018–2019. Youth teams were equipped with structured tools for concept crystallization, rapid prototyping, and pitching. Innovety developed training modules, pitching templates, and a prototyping resource directory, and brought in expert mentors and companies to support participants.
From ideas to prototypes
Over four days, Innovety guided participants to refine presentations, build prototypes, and pitch their ideas in investor-style formats. The bootcamp culminated in the selection of two winning teams, who were then supported with proposal writing and mentorship to prepare grant-ready applications.
Strategic recommendations and action planning
Building on the mapping, analysis, and bootcamp insights, Innovety prepared a set of ICT Strategic Recommendations and an Action Plan for Tdh. These outlined how ICT4D could be systematically embedded into Tdh’s MENA programs, bridging humanitarian needs with relevant digital innovations. The Action Plan provided clear pathways for scaling prototypes, integrating technology partners, and institutionalizing ICT4D practices across the region.
Post-bootcamp coaching and follow-up
Following the bootcamp, Innovety continued to support participating teams through biweekly online coaching sessions, proposal writing, and consultation on idea crystallization. At the same time, Innovety worked closely with Tdh’s ICT4D division.
Through this initiative, we saw how ICT4D can move from concept to practice. Innovety’s support was pivotal — from mapping the ecosystem and identifying needs and gaps, to designing and running the Cairo bootcamp, and coaching the winning teams into proposal-ready projects. Beyond delivering our Landscape Report, Needs & Gaps Report, and ICT4D Action Plan, they built a vital bridge between humanitarian programs and the tech ecosystem. This collaboration left us with prototypes on the ground and a clear strategy for scaling digital innovation.
