Future Forward: Youth Innovations for Employment in Africa challenge

THE CHALLENGE:

Ashoka and The MasterCard Foundation have launched the Future Forward: Youth Innovations for Employment in Africa challenge to find the next generation of changemakers with bold new ideas and projects - for young people by young people - that will increase employment opportunities in Africa.

We’re looking for young people, between the ages of 18-30, from sub-Saharan Africa to join this community and share their solution that is tackling youth employment issues. Top entrants, who submit their solution by the early entry deadline of October 15th or the final entry deadline of November 5, 2014, will be eligible for prizes including a monetary prize and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Ashoka Globalizer Summit in South Africa. At this Summit, winners will be connected to other innovators, partners, and investors, in addition to receiving mentorship and training to help their ideas and projects grow.

HELP FIND THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHANGEMAKERS:


We are reaching out to you because we are keen to create a network of innovators and partners. If you know of any individuals or organizations that would be a good fit for this challenge please reach out to my colleague Lauren Parnell Marino (lmarino@ashoka.org).

Help spread the word – attached you can find language that you could use to spread the word on your social media accounts, newsletters, and blogs. You can also help to spread the word using the attached e-card (for email and for facebook/twitter), or by joining the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #AfricaYouthFwd.

JOIN THE ONGOING CONVERSATION – Webinar on November 4th 8am ET:

We invite you to share insights in a dynamic ongoing online conversation which features disruptive solutions and innovations for youth employment in Africa. Catch up with past online panel conversations, blog series, twitter chats and youth insights here.

You can also join the conversation during the upcoming webinar in the ongoing webinar series. The next one will take place on November 4th at 8am ET. You can join the conversation on twitter using the hashtag #AfricaYouthFwd.

​Tweet to announce the webinar:
Shattering Myths and Talking Trends in Youth Employment Innovations. Let's discuss on 11/4! http://bit.ly/nov4ayf @Ashoka @changemakers

STAY TUNED

We’ll be developing an innovation guide and a toolkit to provide tips and other practical advice that equip people with the how-to’s for developing impactful solutions for youth employment. In the meantime, sign up for our listserv. And be sure to read about solutions, get to know innovators, and stay informed about the upcoming opportunities to engage at changemakers.com/futureforward.

"Having the right mindset and networking usurp talents in you." - Andrew Mahiga

"Before letting into a little bit about myself and my work, I’d like to share a life lesson that is something that I hope we as young people come to realize rather sooner than later. I also don’t want what I write afterwards to influence your perception of who I am and what I’m doing. As Tanzanians specifically, and Africans in general, we tend to quickly accept our fate – our situations at face value. We tend to pass the buck to people, things and situations – environments we grew in, schools we went to and situations. That type of thinking is very dangerous to ourselves and to the people around us. Everybody has personal battles which have nothing to do with the above mentioned circumstances.


I am Andrew Mahiga, Managing Director of Maanisha! (www.maanisha.co.tz). I was born in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania and moved around the world soon after. I studied at Olympio Primary School in Upanga for 1st Grade then moved to Greenacres Boarding School in Kenya for 2nd Grade. My mother was awarded a Master’s degree scholarship to study in Australia. Subsequently, I completed my 3rd to 5th grades in Australia.

I returned to Tanzania to complete 6th and 7th Grades before going to Swaziland (Southern Africa) for 5 years of high school. My university education was in The City College of New York (U.S.A). I received a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies. University period was probably the most important time in my life. Not only did I discover my passion, but I also discovered myself – what made me happy, what made me sad, how I acted around people etc.


My globe trotting exposed to different cultures and mindsets with people around me influencing my perception. I developed a passion for marketing, media (and social media), advertising, fashion and branding.


So that is where I began volunteering and interning while studying and realized success has more to do with whom you associate with from whose brains you can pick up something."

Read the rest of the article here.

How to Overcome the Struggles of Being a Young Entrepreneur

Via Entrepreneur Magazine.



"Editor's Note: The Grind is a weekly column that asks a revolving cast of young founders to take us through the daily rigors of running a business, as well as offer up advice on how they achieved milestones or overcame challenges. Follow The Grind on Twitter with the hashtag #ENTGrind.

By: Sarah Haselkorn
Image credit: Geoff Story

Being a young entrepreneur definitely has its advantages, but there are also downsides. I developed the idea and the business plan for Green Bean, a healthy restaurant, during my sophomore year at Washington University in St. Louis, Miss. At first, I kept it a secret, worried family and friends would tell me I was crazy for starting a business at such a young age.

When I decided to finally break it to my mom and dad, I remember sitting on the edge of their bed, nervous to tell them I was planning to take on such a huge endeavor. They could definitely sense my nerves. As I began to explain I wanted to open a restaurant, I surprisingly watched my mother's face soften. As soon as I told them my idea, my mom let out a huge sigh of relief and explained she was thrilled to discover I wasn't pregnant.

Telling my parents about my venture was only one of the many hurdles I faced as a teenage entrepreneur. As a young founder, particularly at a non-technical startup, it's extraordinarily tough to earn credibility. In a people-facing business where you're often relying on first impressions to succeed, it's even more difficult.

Although age is just a number, it does pose a variety of challenges for budding entrepreneurs. Here are some of the greatest adversities I faced, and how I overcame them:

1. Being taken seriously. Just like my parents' reaction, strangers were shocked when I told them I owned the business they just ate at.

Related: The Hidden Pain of Being an Entrepreneur

Customers would often ask me at the register if our location was a franchise. When I was able to speak knowledgably about the business, they'd inquire if I owned the place. Upon answering yes, the response was always, "Wow, you're so young!" I always laughed and shrugged it off. "You can do anything," I'd say. The trick is to never give anyone a reason to think you can't do it.

As a young entrepreneur, you have to work harder to prove yourself. You'll never be perfect, and you will make mistakes along the way. Fail gracefully, learn from your mistakes and address them with maturity. Confidence, coupled with unwavering humility, goes a long way.

2. Securing funding. For young entrepreneurs starting out, my first piece of advice would be to aim for a business that doesn't need a lot of capital, as it's really difficult to gain access to finances, especially with banks. Unlike VCs and angels, they require extensive personal credibility and financial history. However, launching a business that requires little cash to start up is not always possible.

For a business like mine where raising VC money would be next to impossible and the need for a lot of upfront capital was required, it felt logical to turn to a bank. Yet, it wasn't an easy path.

The best tip would be to work your assets. The easiest route is family and friends. Pitch yourself, your smarts and your dedication in hopes they will support your financially. Even if they're not willing or able to directly invest money, they might consider signing on a loan with you to help boost your credibility with banks."

Read the rest here.

"What the youth could do to bring change in Tanzania." by Julius Bwahama

Dar es Salaam. The fight for the independence of the so-called Tanganyika on December 9, 1961, was peacefully led by Julius Nyerere, Rashidi Kawawa and Abeid Karume. Then followed Jomo Kenyatta and Milton Obote who fought for that of Kenya and Uganda respectively.

This proved that the youth of Africa were indeed men and women of valour who united to turn the dark pages of colonialism into a free continent. They were followed by a generation of old men; they say wisdom goes with grey-hair. True, they served their nations and saw their countries through the cold war while others went through bloody coups and civil wars, but Tanzania stood firm as a shining star of peace. The old wise men of Africa Julius Nyerere, Yoweri Museveni, Kenneth Kaunda and Nelson Mandela will always be remembered for their selfless pursuit of the good things for their nations.

This decade celebrates a change. The recent years record of Joseph Kabila, Barack Obama and Uhuru Kenyatta has put the young blood again on the scene. This time around it has been in style for there are not only presidents but also young Members of Parliament. Following the disputed elections of 2008 that led to the death of more than 1,000 people, most Kenyans must have had their fingers crossed when presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta was announced winner. Their worries became worse when his rival Raila Odinga contested the results by filing a petition at the Supreme Court.

However, this time violence was not the answer to election disputes as candidates preached peace and tolerance before their supporters.

The 2013 Kenya General elections has shown a good example to African countries where disputed election results have often led to bloodshed. A case in point is the 2007 election run-off in Sierra Leone and that of Zimbabwe in 2008. The Kenya elections have also shown us that this is no longer the time for old grandpas such as Robert Mugabe, 89, of Zimbabwe to lead their countries; rather it is era of the youth. At 50 President Kenyatta may not be a very young man, but he epitomises the new trend of more and more youngsters venturing into politics.

According to Kawe MP (Chadema) Halima Mdee,35, the recent elections in Kenya have significant lessons that Tanzania politics could learn from, such as live debates of candidates. “President Uhuru Kenyatta, his main rival Raila Odinga and others took part in debates. These give the politicians a chance to represent their policies on social, economic and political issues. “However, in Tanzania debates are not mandatory, thus voters cannot easily identify the candidate with policies that can solve their problems. At the end of it all they choose candidates according to their big names rather than their potentials,” explains Ms Mdee. She says the new constitution of Kenya has given an opportunity for unsatisfied candidates to challenge presidential results in court. Thus at the end of it all the real loser is not left grieving, which is not the case in Tanzania, she explains.

“For Kenyatta coming into power, it is clear that the youth can also take very high posts in politics because at 50 he is not very old. “Being a bit young gives you the chance to do more research and thus bring issues that affect the people. It should also be noted that the majority of East Africans are young,” argues Ms Mdee. She says being a young politician one can easily mingle with the youth in the streets and neighbourhoods apart from easily interacting with them and identifying their problems. Saying most old leaders have nothing to lose, she explains: “I am a councillor in the Kinondoni Municipal Council and MP. Since I started my tenure, MP John Mnyika and I have managed to increase revenue collection from Sh15 billion during the time of our predecessors to Sh23 billion in 2012.

“I have also managed to improve feeder roads in my municipality to tarmac level, in such areas as Sinza and Kijitonyama.

“My advice for the youth seeking to join politics is to be patient and strong because politics is not for the faint-hearted. This is a job with a lot of blames and rivalry. So you have to have a strong heart and faith in order to survive.’’

Another MP, 32-year-old Moses Machali (Kasulu Urban-NCCR-Mageuzi), the Kenya elections have taught us several lessons. One is accepting defeat as did Raila Odinga after his petition was thrown out by the Supreme Court. He says there is a dire need for the Judiciary to be appointed by a separate entity rather than the president as in Tanzania. “We need to change the system because if the president appoints the Judiciary he/she may sometimes be biased because it is difficult to bite the hand that feeds you,” says Mr Machali.

In Kenya Judges and Magistrates are selected by the Judges and Magistrates Vetting Board that forwards names of candidates to the Parliament for approval before officially appointing them. He says young people should also be more involved in politics. “I am happy to see that Mr Kenyatta is not very young but a dynamic man. “In the past CCM had not done enough to accommodate the youth, and that is why most left for the opposition such as Chadema which has very many young politicians,” he explains. Most young politicians are aggressive in presenting issues that are of importance to the public, especially in Parliament. “The youth are achieving a lot. For example, I recently conducted a research with fellow MP James Mbatia into challenges of the education system in our country such as lack of a national school curriculum and what could be the solution. “As an MP, I have managed to break the secrecy that surrounded the expenditure of funds allocated to the Parliament for my constituency. Beforehand the funds were used without anyone being accountable,” says Mr Machali.

However, Mr Said Nkumba (CCM Sikonge, Tabora) says the Judiciary in Tanzania is independent. “Even if the judges are appointed by the President, justice is still separated from the government. For example, take the many petitions that the opposition has won. He states that the new trend of youth going into politics is a sign of the maturity of Tanzania politics. “So long as they are able to deliver then the seniors should transfer power to them, but they should learn to accept defeat rather than causing mayhem,” advises Mr Nkumba.

Read more here.