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Ethiopia has made a lot of encouraging progress in recent years, but despite two decades of economic growth, its economy is still struggling. The nation has one of the world's lowest GDPs per capita, and many Ethiopians still rely on subsistence farming. 29-year old tech entrepreneur Selam Wondim is up to the challenges facing her home country, however. And recent changes on Ethiopia's political horizon, including the election of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, have her feeling optimistic.

These days, young Ethiopians are looking more and more to technology–and it's not in search of the latest food delivery app. Where much of new technology in the West is convenience-driven, in Ethiopia people are still reliant upon technology to solve vital, fundamental problems.

For instance, Wondim's hydroponics start-up GroHydro, which she created to suit the needs of Ethiopian development and society. “I used to experiment watching YouTube, and I came across this technology. I was really surprised that we can grow crops without soil,” she says.

To read more about Wondim, and other young innovators making progress in this rapidly changing part of the world, see the BBC article here.