Do you have any viable ideas to help curb the spread of the Novel Coronavirus? The African Development Bank welcomes them.
The African Development Bank and partners are set to host an online Challenge from 16 to 19 April 2020. The 72-hour competition is a global ‘hackathon’ to develop effective solutions to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Challenge is open to entrepreneurs, companies, civil society organisations and governments with bankable solutions or ventures to address the pandemic. The top pitches will be eligible to win thousands of dollars’ worth of financial, technical and skills-learning support to advance their implementation. Details on competition qualifications and methods of participation can be found on www.africavsvirus.com.
Tapera Muzira, Coordinator of the African Development Bank’s Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy said that with the virus having an impact on livelihoods, employment and risks increasing poverty, they are seeking the youth’s creativity and innovation to turn them into real life solutions.
"COVID-19’s impact on the global economy is pushing millions of people, especially women and young people, into unemployment, underemployment and working poverty. Part of our response is the #AfricaVsVirus Challenge. This online Challenge will channel youth creativity and innovation to real life solutions that mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on health, the economy, SMEs and jobs,” he added.
The challenge opens on Thursday, 16 April at 6:30 pm CET and runs non-stop through to Sunday, 19 April at 6:30 pm CET.
Entrants can choose to submit ideas under one of the following sectors: public health and epidemiology; vulnerable populations; businesses and economy; community; education; entertainment; government support; environment and energy; and food security. Alternatively, one may choose their own theme.
An expert panel will select the twenty best solutions submitted, and these finalists will be invited to take part in a one-month educational program by Seedstars. The top three winning ideas will receive up to $50,000 worth of in-kind prizes.
Rollout of the Challenge follows the African Development Bank’s launch on 8 April of a $10 billion COVID-19 response facility, and the sale of a record $3 billion debt issue last month to raise financing to help African countries confront the pandemic, which is already wreaking havoc on their economies.
Interested parties can follow the global conversation about the competition by following #AfricaVsVirus on social media, or by logging on to www.africavsvirus.com.