In Ignas Kamugisha’s remote Tanzanian village near the Serengeti, the trek to wash clothing at the nearest river was a 5-kilometer walk each way. As a child, he knew this weekly chore was a hassle for his mother, and he was determined to find a solution.

Inspired by a commercial he had seen on TV, he set out to build her a washing machine using random supplies he procured at just 8 years old. “Of course it didn’t work,” he said. But, it did instill in him a passion for engineering and the drive to use his skills and knowledge to improve the lives of others. His drive was furthered by his experiences attending one of 18 United World Colleges in Germany on a full-ride scholarship.

Now a second-year student majoring in computer engineering at Case Western Reserve University, Kamugisha is pursuing those dreams. Earlier this year, he was awarded a Projects for Peace Award to launch a computer, design and innovation center in Iringa, Tanzania, near where he grew up. He also finished first place in the social ventures category in the 2024 Morgenthaler-Pavey Startup Competition.

Over the summer, the center took shape with Kamugisha guiding the process remotely from the United States, in partnership with local organizations Taifa Technovation Hub and Sahara Ventures and international entities, including the Mastercard Foundation. It officially opened last week. The name? thinkStudio, an homage to Sears think[box], the campus innovation center that drew Kamugisha to attend CWRU. In fact, the makerspace was so compelling, CWRU was the only college to which he applied. He now works at the center as an assistant program manager.

Kamugisha hopes the center will help those in his community develop digital skills, ultimately stemming the outsourcing of technical jobs away from Tanzania, a country in which access to computers is scarce. To do this, the center will give users the opportunity to learn basic computer skills, graphic design, software development and more through training programs.

The initiative is part of a larger umbrella organization Kamugisha co-created two years ago to educate youth in his country about technology. The teKsafari organization is a mobile program dedicated to enhancing technological education to youth in Tanzania through tech talks, coding workshops, a regional STEM fair and other activities. Kamugisha and his partners have reached more than 3,000 individuals—60% of whom are women—through the help of over 10 partnerships. 

Kamugisha hopes thinkStudio is just a first in a network of technological hubs across the country.

“It almost feels surreal that I’m in a position to support other people. It’s very meaningful,” he said, reflecting on how he’s giving youth in his community the tools he didn’t have growing up. “It helped me live my childhood dream, giving my brothers and sisters opportunities I never had.” 

Internationalist and philanthropist Kathryn W. Davis created Projects for Peace in 2007 to inspire students to design and implement their solutions to pressing world issues. Each year, Case Western Reserve is able to nominate one student project, and one alternate to represent the university. Ignas was named the institution’s winner in 2024. 

The proposal cycle for 2025 is now live. Undergraduate students who are interested in the program should complete an Intent to Apply form by Jan. 1. All applicants must meet with a designated campus representative no later than Dec. 15 to be eligible. An information session about the program will be held today (Nov. 6). Kamugisha helped organize the program, and will be available to discuss his application experience. Get more details about the session.