Ghana has launched the Global Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge 2019/2020, during which five teams received support.
A statement issued by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and copied to the Ghana News Agency said a total of 15 teams made up of 52 participants within the age range of 15-24 years joined Madam Marie-Pierre Poirier, the Regional Director of UNICEF West and Central Africa, to co-host the event.
It said over 400 teams of three-five young people applied with brilliant ideas in October, however, only 15 teams including two teams from special schools with the most outstanding ideas and potential were selected to be part of the youth challenge bootcamp.
"Teams were represented from Greater Accra (including Nima and Ashaiman), Western Eastern, Central, Volta, Northern, Bono East and Upper East Regions, with topics spanning youth suicide, substance abuse, rural education, education/employment for people living with disability, leprosy, girls in Science Engineering Technology and Mathematics (STEM), Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH), Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM), sanitation and youth skills development.
"The Youth Challenge bootcamp ended with a judging process through which all the participating teams presented their efforts and five teams were selected to receive 1,000 USD seed funding and incubation support," it said.
The statement said judging panel consisted of experts from a variety sectors, Government, Development Partner, Youth, Tech, and Private Sector - Hayford Siaw of Ghana Library Authority, Gijs Bakker of Royal Netherlands Embassy, Victoria Quaynor of Generation Unlimited Young People's Action Team, Lady Omega Hammond of Ampersand Technologies Ltd., and Roberta Geraldine Amissah Allotey of Ecobank.
It said the following five teams would be receiving highly tailored incubation support for 16 weeks from December 2020 to prepare and apply for the global Judging process in June - July 2020.
The statement said generation unlimited was a multi-sector partnership established to support every young person aged 10-24 in bridging the transition from education and training to employment and entrepreneurship.
It said it brings together public and private partners – and young people themselves – to identify and capitalize on opportunities for shared-value partnerships and investments in strategies, models, initiatives, products and programs supporting outcomes for young people.
It said the Generation Unlimited Secretariat, hosted by UNICEF, launched the first-Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge in September 2018 in 16 countries with a call for applications from young people from marginalized and disadvantaged backgrounds.
It said the Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge 2019/20 was hosted in Ghana and 40 other countries globally.
Generation Unlimited is global partnership working to prepare young people to become productive and engaged citizens. It connects secondary-age education and training to employment and entrepreneurship, empowering every young person to thrive in the world of work.