Participate in the Ghana Youth Social Entrepreneurship Program 2018 (organized by GhanaThink)

GhanaThink was formed as an NGO in 2004 (registered in Ghana) and then registered in the US in 2005. Since about 2014, we have been operating as a social entreprise. We did this because we wanted a better way to be sustainable and way to grow organically and steadily. We are excited to hep birth more social entreprises in Ghana via #GYSEP2018 after the success of #GYSEC2017. Read more below via this release.

Introduction:

Are you a young person looking to create change in your community and want to make a difference across Ghana? Do you want to make an impactful and sustainable change?

The Competition:

Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT), in partnership with GhanaThink Foundation, is pleased to announce the the Ghana Youth Social Entrepreneurship Programme. We are calling out to youth as partners for the implementation of their ideas which are geared towards "Social Innovation that Works for Women". This application does not restrict innovations to be focused on women as a primary beneficiary only, so all ideas with a social innovation focus are welcome.

DOT is an international non-profit organization that believes in the power of youth-led innovation, that communities can be shaped by empowering youth to create sustainable initiatives inspired by community needs, and that social innovation is accelerated when supported by digital technology. GhanaThink is an organization that seeks to mobilize and organize talent for the primary benefit of Ghana, of Africa and the whole world. Read the profile.

Target Group:

This challenge is seeking youth as agents of community development through social enterprises. As an applicant, you must be passionate about social entrepreneurship, social innovation and be willing to create social change.

Challenge specifics:

• Receive cutting-edge coaching and mentorship support to develop your own innovative social businesses.
• Selected participants will go through a 4-months training on how to develop their social enterprise ideas using human centred design approach.
• Selected participants will receive both financial and non-financial support to test and implement their ideas .
• The final selected participants will attend the global DOT Unconference in Nairobi, Kenya in October 2018.

Guidelines and Requirements:

• Age bracket: 18 – 29 years at the time of application
• Tech savvy and computer literate
• A citizen of Ghana or resident in Ghana
• Should have a valid passport or able to acquire a passport within a short period.
• Have an innovative solution to a community problem which is at the early ideation stage. If you have been thinking through an idea which has a social impact, then you can apply.
• Applicants with gender focused ideas are encouraged to apply.
• Applicants must be committed and available throughout the programme to attend trainings and workshops.  
• Young women are highly encouraged to apply.

Programme Timelines:

Applications are due by June 17, 2018 at 11:59 GMT

Reviewing of application and recruitment - June 18 - 24 2018

Reporting Requirements: Selected applicants will be expected to pitch their idea for support.  

How to Apply

• Step 1: Take time to research what a social innovation or social enterprise is to help clarify your social innovation idea.
• Step 2: Fill in the online application form here - https://goo.gl/forms/ALf9FyNuCXA6vjz82

N.B:

• Only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
• If selected, you will be required to attend a compulsory meetup with all the other selected participants between June 28 - 30 2018 or July 1 2018.

Participate in Barcamp Tema 2018 (Organized by the GhanaThink Foundation)

BarCamp Tema 2018 is a free networking forum bringing people together for a day of learning, sharing, networking and mentoring. It happens on June 9, 2018 at the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority Towers (2nd Floor) in Tema. The theme for this event is, ‘Community of responsible and success driven individuals’.

Barcamp Tema is organized primarily by the GhanaThink Foundation, an organization based both in Ghana and the USA, which has successfully organized 82 BarCamps in Ghana as part of its Barcamp Ghana program. Barcamp Tema 2018 is the 7th of its kind and it aims at creating a platform for young people to share ideas on how to identify, clarify and convert opportunities into business ventures by learning to engage and leverage their passions. It also seeks to promote partnerships that are directed towards providing a support base for young entrepreneurs and innovators.

What to expect?

• Mentoring by professionals or entrepreneurs
• Networking with like-minded individuals - you could find your business or project partner
• Celebrating some of the best of our Tema community and beyond
• Breakout sessions that you can also lead
  

Some of our confirmed resource personnel - Stephen,  Whitney, Kwadwo, David, Chief, Raindolf, Afia, Richard, Kenneth, Gideon, Caroline, David, and Rudolf are featured on the Barcamp Tema Facebook page. Others would be communicated soon.

Barcamp Tema is supported by PetraTrust Company Limited, Coca Cola- Ghana, Flavourd & Grains & the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority.

Register/RSVP at the BarCamp Tema eventbrite website - barcamptema18.eventbrite.com

Join us to move Ghana forward.

Stay tuned via our social media. Twitter | Facebook | Google+

Ghana Youth Social Entreneurship Program by GhanaThink (+ Digital Opportunity Trust)

In 2017, the GhanaThink Foundation organized the GYSEC in partnership with Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT).
Ghana Youth Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GYSEC) was promoted as #GYSEC2017.
20 budding social entrepreneurs were chosen out of 154 applications to learn, be trained, and compete.
They were and are referred to as trainees.

The training began in on January 30 and ended on March 19, 2017. They took an online course on Social Entrepreneurship and Design Thinking run by DOT.
Within this period, there were 2 workshop at Impact Hub Accra where the trainees received in-person training.
We in this blog post refers to GhanaThink of which I lead :-)

In 2018, GYSEC has become a GhanaThink's 4th program.
It would be referred to as the Ghana Youth Social Entreneurship Program (GYSEP). The other 3 are Barcamp Ghana, Junior Camp Ghana, Ghana Volunteer Program.

Maarifa Ndekezi, DOT Regional Program Development Manager, supported the DOT teams in Africa.
Maarifa run a coaching session about the pitching for the GYSEC trainees.
This was via Google Hangout on March 14, 2017 at 1pm GMT.
5 of the trainees were able to be on the call for most of the duration. Others had internet issues staying on the call.
Ato Ulzen-Appiah, Kofi Yeboah of the GhanaThink Foundation and Aima Noella of DOT were also on the call.
Key takeaways from the hangout were sent to 20 trainees by email.

We shared a number of useful links for the trainees in preparing their pitches.
During the final workshop on March 18-19, Ato Ulzen-Appiah helped the trainees with their pitches and their budgets. This was as part of the last 3 sessions for the SE & DT course. The full criteria for the pitching was created and shared with the judges. The trainees were given aspects of the criteria to guide their preparation, both in person and by email.

Their portrait links were updated on Facebook in preparation for the final workshop.

Final Ceremony

The finale (final ceremony) happened on Sunday, March 19 from 5-9pm at Impact Hub Accra.
There were over 60 people in attendance, many of whom were friends and family of the 20 trainees.
It was emceed by Ato Ulzen-Appiah with support from Kofi Yeboah, Richmond Anane and Marian Adeaba.
Another GhanaThink member, Annabella Boateng, was on hand to handle registrations and sign-ins.
The 20 trainees pitched their ideas to the judges.
They had 7 minutes total allocated time. 4 minutes for own pitch and 3 minutes for Q&A.
It took a long time to get all the pitches done. We had to start cutting down the Q&A part.

The pitches were great but a few stood out.
The trainees were asked to present their budget in the pitch, showcasing what they would use $750 as a budget.
They also presented the problem, solution, why they are suitable to solve the problem, and sustainability plans.
The trainees took feedback from the judges

The judges were

• Nehemiah Attigah (GhanaThink + Hatua Solutions)
• Josephine Marie-Godwyll (Social Entrepreneur - Young at Heart Foundation)
• Alloysius Attah (Social Entrepreneur - Farmerline)
• William Senyo (Social Entrepreneur Ghana + Impact Hub Accra).

The winners were chosen through a weighted average of judges’ scores and other scores.
The other scores were given based on their participation over the course of GYSEC.
Below is the ranking of winners - the amounts they received - names - and names of their social entreprises.

• $1000 - Ivy Barley - Developers in Vogue
• $900 - Princess Allotey - ArithOut (Kids And Math)
• $850 - Enam Agbozo - Y-TIDE(now Radix Nest)
• $800 - Justica Anima - Green Arts Culture
• $750 - Lamisi Atinga - Savana Oils
• $700 - Mawuli Amenyedor - Ho Node Hub

Cheques were printed and presented to the 6 winners.
They later participated in the DOT Unconference in May 2017 in Rwanda.
We affectionately called the 6 winners the Rwanda Raiders. All the 20 trainees received certificates of participation.

Here are some photos from the ceremony.

Another GhanaThink member, Edmund Laryea, recapped the #GhanaYouth Social Enterpreneurship Competition (#GYSEC2017) finale via a @SeeDeblay storify.
We also got mentioned in the Business Financial Times online news platform.

HMD GLOBAL engages digital influencers and bloggers in Ghana

HMD Global, makers of Nokia Smartphones on Android OS have engaged a cross section of the blogging community in Ghana through a blogger hangout session. The engagement, which is the first of several blogger engagements anticipated for the year 2018 by HMD Global had about 15 bloggers in attendance.

It was really good to bring these bloggers together since some of them hadn't met each other. Nokia - Connecting People!

All the bloggers who were present at the event - including Ato Ulzen-Appiah (#mightyafrican) were given brand new Nokia 8 to boost their tech related news platforms as well as enhance the news content on their platforms using the bothie feature which allows tech consumers to take two angled videos simultaneously because it activates both the front and rear cameras to capture photos and videos.

Various millenials and other digital natives have seen the Bothie ads on TV and YouTube. Nokia has married old iconic technology and future trends in this feature.

The Nokia 8 is Nokia’s most powerful Android smartphone built to maximize performance with a distinctive design engineered to deliver exceptionally long battery life and stays cool. The exclusive Dual-Sight mode allows consumers use both front and back cameras simultaneously for split-screen photos and video with built-in streaming straight to Facebook Live and YouTube Live. The company used the opportunity to share its strong commitment to producing premium but affordable smartphones for the Ghanaian populace.

These would make the millions of people who have used older Nokia phones nostalgic while making others bump to their heads to such great intentions.

Last year HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones relaunched Nokia phones on Android operating systems. From affordable entry-level handsets to powerhouse top-end smartphones, each phone is suited to a different sort of user, with dual-sim versions too. The company has kept what many people loved about the brand – high quality externals, nicely optimized hardware, and plenty of care and attention put into the audiovisual and camera experiences with the jewel in the crown being the Android software.

Nokia solds millions and millions of phones. Android is the most ubiquitous operating system for phones. #NokiaLovesAndroid is super duper news for phone users and lovers.