The UN Population Fund and AfriLabs have developed an incubation initiative to support concepts addressing female genital mutilation (FGM) and climate change.
The Climate HackLab initiative was introduced in May 2021 by the UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Office as part of the flagship Safeguard Young People Programme. The HackLab is a project focused on climate innovation that aims to increase climate resilience and produce creative solutions for climate adaptation driven by young people, particularly women and girls.
The UNFPA FGM HackLab initiative strives to empower youth and provide them with the chance to be game-changers and the foundation of a sustainable, green future. The initiative focuses on young innovators, especially women and girls, who have creative ideas that may hasten progress toward UNFPA’s objective of eradicating harmful practices and gender-based violence by 2030.
Six innovators were chosen as winners in a subsequent pitch competition after completing the UNFPA Climate and FGM HackLab virtual bootcamps successfully, and they have been invited to take part in the UNFPA Incubation Program.
In order to provide a robust and intensive six-month incubation programme, which will include capacity-building activities targeted at product and business development of the selected innovations and support with resources and opportunities to produce full-fledged viable and scalable innovations and solutions, UNFPA will leverage AfriLabs’ existing pipeline of innovation hubs across the locations of the innovators.
The chosen hubs will offer incubation services to the top innovators in the UNFPA Climate and FGM HackLab throughout the program through online and offline platforms.
Agnes Kimweri, the founder of Tanzania’s Agki Medical Laboratory Company, Agripa Maposa, the CEO and founder of Zambia’s Tivwane Money Solution, Joseph Mulabbi, the team leader of Uganda’s AXCES Mobile System, Dirug Samuel Yugoro, the team leader of Nigeria’s Big Family 360 Foundation, Roukiatou Sedgo, the team leader of Burkina Faso’s Afriyan Burkina, and Deborah Nansanga (Uganda).
AfriLabs chose a member hub for the incubation initiative in each of the inventors’ nations.
