Are You a Change-maker Student? Become GSEA Champion and Win a Full Funded Trip to Macau, China.

 Let's be honestly to each other, in reality what kind of person do you want to hear from so that you can act on your things? Or what kind of inspiration are you still waiting so that you can act on something? Or are you still waiting for Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs to come and inspire you to do something? My dear keep waiting  but just know that, it always starts with YOU and remembers this, nothing greater than someone who get a little confidence of doing something, in reality that person will go to win in his/her life. 

Let’s not focus much on that but the real meaning for this is to tell you that we have different challenges for youth and a lot of innovation competitions passes through, but wait! Let’s take a moment and ask ourselves how many of us we step in and try to do that? Either applying and see if we fit or even starts to think numbers of ideas? Not even once or twice? You know the truth.

As a previously winner from GSEA I want to take this chance to share little experience and exposure I have (Though It's not an inspiration) so that it can open your mind as youth and start to think if you will be in or what. I was once a student with nothing but I wanted to be someone that’s why I developed a desire of becoming someone (An Entrepreneurial Leader) in my country and help youth and thanks to God sees my hard work and made me to be who I am today, I am thankful with this type of mindset I have now. (In your mind you will keep asking who is he/she today, is he/she famous? but we do not see him/her on TV) I agree but wait! Is it what you are looking for? Sorry, you are in the wrong page.

To me success starts from Personal Development Level and how you change your mind set to see things in a different ways compare to others. It is how you become creative, problem solver, entrepreneurial leader, how you choose to be different, being a real leader and show others way because you don't want them to repeat the same mistake as you from your old urge. So it’s more than Mental Change from I can’t afford it to how can I afford it? (Hope you see the different)

In reality, when someone become successful in his or her life some people call it Lucky but that not true it’s all about Hard Work and the way how they position themselves in their daily life and choose to become what they wanted to become, by having ideas, develop desires, develop plan and execute them with great ambitions ahead. (That sound simple Mmmh! J )

So, we can’t wait anymore for more inspirations to act on something we wish to be or what we want to become. We should remember that, if we want to build a routine is all about hard work and how we put things into action, we can’t wait for inspirational anymore we have to create a frame work and act/work on them.

Ooops! I think my story is over for more please check me here but wait I have something for you.

If you know you are a Student (University Student undergraduate or masters), entrepreneur and you have great product/service or initiative, that you already implement it and you see the impact and you have what it called to be a Social Innovator (An entrepreneur who solve social problem through product or service to generate money and leave positive impact) or a change maker in your community it’s a time to take this chance and APPY for Global Student Entrepreneurship Award (GSEA) or join our WhatsApp Group (Join ONLY if you are a Tanzanian student and you want to apply for GSEA challenge) for more information about this, through group you will be able to ask different questions and meet with Entrepreneurs Organization Members in Tanzania, it will be a chance for you to ask and meet other great students who are the Change makers in Tanzania share ideas and learn from others experience.

We can’t keep hiding the truth that, more youth entrepreneurs should be taking a stand against the challenges and act on them we can’t wait for the government anymore to build our own solutions as youth we have power to transform this Tanzania and build a future we want too. If you are one of those people who are ready to take the next step towards making the world as a better place for everyone, for every generation, you have to network with the right place with the right people and they will show you a way, mentor you, support you and share their experience in entrepreneurship ecosystem everywhere in the world.

  “I can’t watch people 

live a life I used to live while,

I still have a chance to change them”

-Gilda Given-

“If you think you can or you can’t,

you are right”

-Henry Ford-

Written by EO GSEA - 

Tanzania Ambassador 

(GSEA – Tanzania Winner 2017-2018)

Vote for MaishaPackage as Best Newcomer Company for SASAwards National Finalists 2018 Awards

“MaishaPackage” is a youth lead initiative product with the aim of providing solution to the most challenging problem facing the youth of Tanzanian (girls most) in facing/tackling the serious problem of Teenage Pregnancy in Tanzania as a company, the aim is to reach youth girls aged between 10 -19 years who are the most victims of teenage pregnancy through their product MaishaPackage. 

Generally, MaishaPackage contains;

a)    Sexual and Reproductive Health information (a swahili brochures/booklet)

b)    Menstrual hygiene products such as 1 packet of Sanitary pads and 1 female underpant in one package and affordable price.

The product targets Tanzanian youths aged between 10 – 19 years with the aim of tackling teenage pregnancy by providing easy access to information and friendly sexual reproductive health services.

Please vote for them, so that we can support this movement of ending teenage pregnancy in Tanzania, I support them, I want to end this problem what about you?

I know we can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone, so let's encourage, lift and strengthen one another, thank you. Please vote here

Quality Education and Jobs Article by Jessen Jay Siamutwa

The 21^st century struggle of Zambia’s economy needs expertise that will be able to play a major role in economic policy analysis and act as reliable advisory engines to expedite the liberation of its citizens from the yoke of poverty.

Such a role needs Reliable, Accountable, Relevant and Ethical (RARE) individuals who will unlock the country’s potential to become an investment hub of the region thereby providing employment, and grow the economy of an emerging market.

I thus, dream to work as a “Researcher”, and “RARE Economic Policy Analyst and Advisor” to my country and Africa at large.

An improvement in the quality of education can undoubtedly lead to the creation of jobs in Zambia.

This is because such education teaches citizens rather how to think, than what to think-rather to improve their minds so as to enable them to think for themselves, than to load the memory with thought of men.

It is this education that provides a strong link of information flow about the labour market needs between the academic circles in learning institutions and all types of industries to promote training such as Textile Engineering, and Copper production.

In addition to this, practical skills from many fields of study such as; Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences will allow citizens not only to become employable people but also earn a living as writers, artists, and designers, thereby becoming “employment creators.”

Furthermore, the development of entrepreneurship programs that instils business ethics and an entrepreneurial spirit will tackle the multiple constraints and drivers of informality in the labour market to promote a gradual transition by linking the would-be entrepreneurs to mentoring, finance, and market opportunities.

Living in a country where unemployment is high and whose economy is not stable calls for stringent measures that result in the creation of jobs.  Investment in quality education is one measure that could deliver tangible and far-reaching results.

A system of learning that produces well-educated individuals who can handle matters of concern within their area of study proficiently, enabling them to develop all of their attributes and skills to achieve their potential as human beings and members of society is the solution to Zambia’s joblessness.

It should teach us rather how to think, than what to think-rather to improve our minds so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of men, and allows for a liaise between learning institutions and all industries to exhibit innovation and creativity.

For instance, information on skill needs from the Manufacturing and Mining industries may provide an opportunity for higher learning institutions to offer training in Textile Engineering, and Copper production respectively. Employers are awash with applications-but complain that they cannot find candidates with the right abilities. The lack of proper linkages among various principal actors like the Ministry of Labour and learning institutions has led to job mismatches between the employer’s requirements and individual skills.

A Labour Force Survey statistical data by the Central Statistical Office (CSO, 2008) of employed persons by educational attainment shows that University degree graduates were the least with the per cent share of 0.5 per cent. A-level students were at 4.1 per cent following those who attained grades 10 to 12 with a per cent share of 16.5 per cent. Grades 8 to 9 and grades 1 to 7 shared a percentage of 19.0 per cent and 44.4 per cent respectively. A percentage share of 15.4 per cent was allocated to those who neither had a degree qualification nor any form of educational attainment. This percentage distribution, especially for degree graduates was mainly due to mismatches in job qualifications and skills needed by the employers.

Informing education and career choices through relevant, timely, and reliable learning and labour market information systems will contribute to a successful matching of skills to address and prevent current and future skill shortages. A strong link that provide information about the needs between the academic circle and all types of industries such as; Agriculture, Manufacturing, Services, Tourism, and Mining industry is cardinal in bridging the mismatch between jobs and skills in the labour market. Such information is needed to build a relevant academic curriculum that will expedite the creation of jobs.

Furthermore, an entrepreneurship spirit must be instilled in every learner so that they could create their own employment, without necessarily depending on established industries for employment. The successful entrepreneurship programs should involve providing basic business skills and linking would-be entrepreneurs to mentoring, finance, and market opportunities. These integrated approaches are needed to assist young people in their transition from school to work and to tackle the multiple constraints and drivers of informality in the labour market through policy packages that promote a gradual transition to formal activities.

This education should be made in such a way that it does not only provide knowledge in programs such as Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences but also provide practical skills in their areas of professional to allow them earn a living as writers, artists, and designers.

It should help in building a “virtuous circle” that fuels the innovation, investment, technological change, enterprise development, economic diversification, and competiveness that economies need to accelerate the creation of jobs. This is the way for Zambia’s economic miracle.

However, quality education is not just at the higher level. It comes all the way from early intervention which helps to prevent long-term unemployment and reduction in job losses. It needs to be addressed at all levels-from home to university level. It has a chain effect. The university professor may be blamed for dearth of proper skills and knowledge imparted in students required by the job industry, but he or she will blame the high school teacher who in turn puts the blame on the primary school teacher too until it reaches the parents at home. A common proverb goes, “If you want to grow a straight tree, correct it whilst it is still small.” Therefore, it is from this point that quality education takes its roots of changing individual attitudes by being ethical, morally upright, and selfless.

Such will bring a positive transition for a generation that has been born into entitlements, poor worth ethics, pursuit of instant gratification and whose needs are to fuel constant narcissism. Without this intervention, such a broken society that favours short-term values is never going to recover or build a stable society no matter how many vocational schools can be set up.

It is important to note that the problem with every society has and always will be its values. These are what allow it to thrive or fall.

In addition, it is sad that decision-making processes for students and parents in selecting higher-education institution continue to be based on affordability rather than on quality. Young people are made to believe that any field of study from a registered institution will automatically send them off to their dream job. Clive Staples Lewis just puts it right, “You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth, or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.” All learning institutions should be able to provide quality education in terms of relevant curriculum that meets the demand of the labour market.

Zambia needs to address unemployment with renewed seriousness, vigour, and tenacity-by learning lessons from countries like India, Costa Rica, and South Korea which made quality education broadly available and introduced mechanisms to match supply to the current demand for skills, often by means of linking training providers with employers at sector and local levels.

Pan African is right in the statement, “A nation that waits for her government to create jobs will wait for eternity.” It is therefore, important that the Zambian education system should be able to “create employment creators” instead of preparing young people to be employable since formal employment jobs are scarce, and not everyone may get absorbed into the labour market.

While competition in the emerging markets is fierce, the real potential of Zambia will begin to be realized if there is an improvement in the quality of the education system. The fight for social and economic justice in form of quality education for the Zambian citizens must be kept alive in order to grow the economy from a tiny acorn to a mighty oak through the creation of jobs.

Liaising with labour market principle actors and academic circles will provide an opportunity to training citizens for the proper needs of the industries, and imparting skills to become employment creators rather than being ready to be employed. This should not side-line instilling an entrepreneurial spirit to the citizens to enable them become innovative, and become new labour market principle actors to accelerate economic development.

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AN ACUMEN FELLOW?

ACUMEN EAST AFRICA FELLOWS
Every year, Acumen Fellows Program in East Africa brings together 20 extraordinary individuals from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Burundi, and South Sudan, and equips them with the knowledge, support system and practical wisdom to drive positive change in society. Over the course of a year, Fellows remain in their jobs while taking part in five week-long seminars, where they receive the tools, training and space to innovate new ideas, accelerate their impact, build a strong network of social leaders from across their region and around the world.
Learn more about this here

IdeaGist Global Incubation Program

IdeaGist is the world’s largest virtual incubator for people with ideas. It is in use by 32,000+ users from 300+ communities worldwide. If you have an idea that can make a difference, solve a problem, or help people improve their lives and the lives of others, IdeaGist can help. It doesn't matter if your idea provides social benefits or commercial gains, you can use our incubator to launch it.

Benefits of IdeaGist Global Incubation Program

• Experienced mentors to help you when you get stuck and to keep you motivated. Mentors will be assigned only to the entrepreneurs that have successfully completed Think Stage.
• Action focused process that based on experience of 100s of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial experts
• Templates and learning resources at each step of the process
• Idea Privacy to ensue that only you and your trusted people can see the details
• Team management including Non-disclosure agreements
• Co-Founder Listings to find good team members for your idea
• Social networking features to help you develop a support network around your ideas
• Opportunity to present your idea through our global investor pitch program.
• Free Online Training to cover the whole incubation process and topics that are important to learn.
• Certificate in Practical Entrepreneurship

Click here to join or 

Learn more about how IdeaGist can help at https://blog.ideagist.com/great-ideas

Echoing Green’s Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship and Leadership Development Programs

Echoing Green will provide more than $4.6 million in unrestricted seed-stage funding and strategic foundational support this year to emerging leaders working to bring about positive social change. Over the past three decades, our total investment is over $40 million to more than 700 world-class leaders.

They don't just invest in business plans. They believe investing in and supporting the right people, with the right ideas and the ability to execute, results in a lifetime of leadership. Read more

MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab : Innovate for Refugees

ABOUT INNOVATE FOR REFUGEES

Innovate for Refugees Competition (IFR) is a global competition for the best tech-driven solutions addressing the challenges faced by refugees across the globe. Launched on World Refugee Day in 2016 by the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab, the competition awarded 12 solutions with over 240,000 USD in equity free investments. The third edition of Innovate for Refugees launches August 2018.

WHY APPLY

• COACHING AND MENTORSHIP
• REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE
• NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
• CASH PRIZES

For more information and application click here

APPLICATIONS FOR IDEX FELLOWSHIP - JANUARY 2019 PROGRAM

IDEX Accepting Applications From 1st August, 2018 Onwards! 

Early Bird Applications Close On 1st September, 2018!

IDEX is developing the next wave of "social intrapreneurs" who will support, lead and advance the work of socially-focused enterprises around the world! IDEX Fellows undergo six months of leadership and business development training by working full-time for social enterprises across India.

WHO DO WE LOOK FOR?  

IN A NUTSHELL:

• 3 Week Virtual Orientation + 1 Week Field Orientation to induct you into India's social sector and prepare you for the next six month field experience

• 24 Weeks Social Enterprise Placement in India where your professional growth will be matched by personal growth while equipping you with the right tools to excel

• Supported with a relevant, creative and progressive curriculum covering Social Innovation, Communications & Outreach, Resource Mobilization and Impact Assessment

• Capacity Building Workshops & Meetings led by Subject Matter Experts and Mentors-in-Residence who are seasoned professionals and thought leaders in their respective fields

In our 8 years of running the IDEX Global Fellows Program, we have had the privilege of working with some of the most influential change agents (sneak peak here). We've come to better understand how to bridge the talent gap in this rapidly evolving development sector. Now, we're searching all corners of the world for individuals who are committed and passionate about having a high-impact career and advancing the social impact space.

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Applications Open - 1st August, 2018

• Early Bird Applications End Date - 1st September, 2018

• Apply Online at www.idexaccelerator.com

• Important Dates and Timeline

• Application Guide and Resources

• Program Investment and Scholarships

• Fellowship Start Date – 7th January, 2019 

• Fellowship End Date – 28th June, 2019

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

IDEX is a tuition-based fellowship program, however, through funding from generous sponsors, IDEX is able to offer a limited number of partial scholarships to select candidates for use towards program tuition. 

With each succeeding cycle, we've been reviewing many more applications. We follow a first-come-first-considered approach when reviewing applications. This means that your chances of acceptance and a greater scholarship award for the fellowship program are higher the sooner you apply and can avail preferred payment plans. 

We actively encourage you to ensure you apply for our generous scholarship awards as applies to you, the IDEX Scholarship (Men and Women) and   InvestWISE Scholarship (Women only).

To apply click here