Date: March 10, 2025
Location: University of Peradeniya, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Overview
On March 10–11, 2025, MPF hosted its inaugural “Pathways to Change” Hackathon at the University of Peradeniya, bringing together 120 university students, young professionals, and mentors to co-create tech-driven solutions for local social challenges.
Hackathon Themes
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Education Access: Prototypes for offline learning apps and peer-tutoring platforms.
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Environmental Monitoring: Low-cost sensors for water quality and air pollution tracking.
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Inclusive Commerce: Digital marketplaces to connect rural artisans with national buyers.
Outcomes
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18 teams pitched fully functional prototypes after 24 hours of sprint-style development.
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The winning project—a solar-powered mesh network for off-grid classrooms—received a seed grant of Rs. 500,000 for pilot deployment.
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75% of participants expressed interest in ongoing mentorship through MPF’s “Innovation Incubator.”
“This hackathon proved that when you unleash creative energy around pressing issues, the solutions can come from anywhere—even a weekend sprint.”
— Prof. Lakshmi Narayan, Dean of Engineering, University of Peradeniya