Stories of impact

In our recent interview, Danique de Moor, a researcher specializing in optimization techniques and machine learning, told us about her journey, current projects, and aspirations for impacting society through her work. Danique, who recently completed her PhD and is now a postdoc associate at MIT, sheds light on her grant-funded research project aimed at maximizing geospatial accessibility to healthcare facilities in low and middle-income countries.

Last year, Rosalia Mwai, Information Systems Assistant at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), participated in the Analytics for a Better World Fellowship Program. During the last part of the program, Rosalia developed a project, titled "Decoding Kenya's Footprint", aimed at understanding the evolution of carbon emissions and their links to various industries and emission sources.

Last year, Martine Cederhout, Data Engineer at Medecins Sans Frontieres, participated in the Analytics for a Better World Fellowship Program. We interviewed her to showcase her experience and share her advice for new participants!

Last year, Anas Khalil, Data Engineer at World Food Programme, participated in the Analytics for a Better World Fellowship Program. During the last part of the program, Anas developed a project applying the knowledge he gathered during the fellowship classes.

Last year, Hannah Miro, Data and Knowledge Manager at Illinois Action for Children, participated in the Analytics for a Better World Fellowship Program. We interviewed her to know more about her experience in the program!

When reflecting on our impact, we came to the conclusion that we've seen and proved the (potential) impact of our mission since our launch in 2022. The past two years we've worked hard to confirm the feasibility of our goals, as we have seen the significant impact when we collaborate to empower nonprofits (like The Ocean Cleanup, or 510 Red Cross) with analytics to accelerate their mission and jointly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As we look to the future, securing additional funding becomes imperative to keep delivering on our mission and scale the impact will have.

Oxfam Novib, a key player in the global fight against inequality, recently embarked on an innovative journey to harness the power of data storytelling. A Storytelling with Data Workshop was conducted by  the Analytics for a Better World Institute, for the wider group of data, MEAL (Monitoriting, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning), and research colleagues at Oxfam Novib.

This year edition of the Analytics for a Better World Data Practitioners Fellowship Program saw more than 103 fellows learning about analytics implementation, and being equipped with the right tools and techniques to implement data-driven solutions in their organizations.

In 2022, Analytics for a Better World was born from a vision to use analytics as a force for a better world. Founded by the University of Amsterdam and ORTEC, our nonprofit’s mission is clear—to empower nonprofit organizations with analytics, accelerating their impact and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As we reflect on the past year, we find ourselves in a moment of pride and gratitude, surrounded by a dedicated team and supported by partners who share our commitment to creating a better world.

On Monday, September 11th, two Analytics for a Better World courses officially started at the University of Amsterdam, as part of the Economics and Business Bachelor and Master programs. Throughout 8-weeks, 250 students from the University of Amsterdam learned about the relevance of analytics and its implementation for the improvement of the Sustainable Development Goals.