Tigo Ghana, in partnership with International NGO, Reach for Change, have launched its annual competition, the Tigo Digital Changemakers Award.
The competition aims at identifying and supporting social entrepreneurs with digital tools and technology to improve the lives of children across the country. For 2016, Tigo is looking for innovations that focus on education, broadening digital inclusion and support business entrepreneurship.
The two winning entries will each receive a cash prize of up to GH¢ 70,000 and access to Reach for Change’s Incubator programmme, which includes business training, access to a global network of other social entrepreneurs and many more. The application period for the competition is now officially open and will close on October 25, 2016.
In a live Twitter launch for the campaign, the Corporate Affairs Director for Tigo, Gifty Bingley said, “We have a new focus for the Tigo Digital Changemakers Award this year and our team is really looking forward to supporting digital innovations that will improve education, digital inclusion or business entrepreneurship in Ghana.”
Tigo and Reach for Change will support educational innovations that use digital tools and technology to improve education in primary, secondary and tertiary education for children, caregivers and communities; digital inclusion innovations that aim to provide individuals and communities with access to information and communication technologies that are lacking opportunities to participate in digital communications; and business entrepreneurship innovations that provide support and information to entrepreneurs who are starting, maintaining or seeking to boost their small to medium sized businesses.
Amma Lartey, Regional Director, Reach For Change Africa explained, “We are looking for the best innovative digital ideas that can provide genuine solutions to problems facing children and society, while at the same time promoting connectivity and access to communications, particularly in deprived communities. We believe social entrepreneurship has the power to drive change in our communities.”
This is the fifth year that Tigo and Reach for Change are running the competition in search for entrepreneurs. Over the years Tigo has supported 16 social/digital entrepreneurs. And together with Reach for Change, the social entrepreneurs have benefitted from funding, coaching, mentorship and more to create impressive impact in Ghana.
One example of a social entrepreneur being supported by the programme is Josephine Marie Godwyll who is working in the field of education and digital inclusion through her social enterprise, Young at Heart GH. Josephine was selected as a winner of the 2015 Tigo Digital Changemakers Award and has been supported to scale up her organization through trainings and coaching provided in Reach for Change’s Incubator programme. She provides digital education to children in rural Ghana, teaching them basic computer skills, setting up ICT learning hubs and coordinating distance learning courses to help students understand digital technologies.
“Already this year, Josephine has impacted over 700 children through her digital innovation and her numbers continue to grow,” Bingley said. “Her work is not just giving children access to ICT technology, but empowering them to become ICT leaders of the future.”
Josephine is just one example of the type of the talented digital innovators that Tigo is seeking to support through this year’s award.
All those interested in applying or finding out more about the completion are encouraged to visit www.tigo.com.gh/digitalchangemakers. The application period will run from the 23rd of September to the 25th of October 2016. Social entrepreneurs with digital innovations that improve education, address digital inclusion or advance business entrepreneurship are encouraged to apply. The winner will receive up to GH¢ 70,000 and access to business expertise and mentorship from senior management of Tigo staff and Reach for Change advisors.
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