Almost a year ago we wrote about the annual Aid & International Development Forum (AIDF), which was held in Nairobi in February 2017. Well, after enjoying a successful event, they will be back again next year February 27th-28th in Nairobi, for the third edition. The event will explore the latest policy and project updates, best practices, and importantly, innovations that improve humanitarian aid operations and infrastructure in Africa. Inventive Africa is very proud to be media partners of the event and this year, with our new logo created for us by Brian Nyagol, a talented Kenyan who is the CEO of VibeCampo, Africa’s own social network, which we featured last month, we can actually appear on the AIDF website with the other supporters!
The AIDF have been running for 13 years and have the mission to support the drive towards positive outcomes in the future and promote collaboration between stakeholders. Their events showcase a need for targeted dialogue, strategic alliances on an intimate level, and showcasing Africa to the world. They bring together people from all sectors from governments and aid organisations and NGOs, to private sector companies, creating partnerships between those with understanding of the issues, and those with expertise.
Innovator of the Year!
This forum, AIDF will for the first time hold the Innovator of the Year competition, with the winners to be announced at the event in February. The competition celebrates the innovators that have created field changing innovations that have made an impact on the humanitarian and development sectors over the last year.
In recent years the amount of awards for African innovation across the continent has risen and risen. From big events held by Seedstars or the Innovation Prize for Africa, to national innovation awards, pushed by governments to drive innovation in their respective countries, these awards are showcasing African excellence to the world. Such positivity is much needed for a continent that is most often portrayed negatively in the world’s press, who seem to jump on stories about political issues, corruption and health emergencies.
The rise in the amount of awards for innovations also shows exactly how much effort is being made across the continent to push the technology agenda. Africa as a whole has begun to realise that it can no longer just rely on natural resources, and innovation is key to diversifying the economies, finding new revenue streams, and developing communities and the youth.
Nominations for the AIDF innovator of the year award have now opened and you can submit your nominations by downloading THIS FORM, and sending it to awards@aidforum.org.
Criteria for the AIDF Innovator of the Year Award:
- Inspired innovation: nominees should exhibit a thoughtful, creative and innovative approach to resolving humanitarian and development challenges in Africa over the past year
- Proven impact: the initiatives, research or inventions that nominees have introduced or implemented should demonstrate a positive impact on solving humanitarian aid and development challenges in Africa
- Building on success: nominees should be looking to enhance and grow the impact of their initiatives, research or inventions to accelerate Africa’s progress towards Sustainable Development Goals, including future plans to take their idea to the next level
- If your nominee is shortlisted they should be prepared to attend the awards ceremony on 28 February 2018 at the Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya
Application deadline: 31 December 2017
Finalists shortlisted: 15 January 2018
Voting: 16 January – 20 February 2018
Winners announced: 28 February 2018
If you know of someone, or a group of people that have come up with a life changing innovation, why not nominate them for the AIDF innovator of the year award. Not only are you pushing and encouraging them to continue with their creativity, you are encouraging others to follow their innovative paths, and push themselves to create solutions that may one day also be nominated for one of the innovation awards around the continent.
If you know of any innovations in Africa, an innovation that is changing lives, or you also want to be a guest blogger, get in contact with us on Twitter @inventiveAfrica or via email. Please she the blog with your network on Twitter and Facebook.
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