The Yango Fellowship program recently concluded with a graduation pitch day in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, where six innovative projects from young African talents were honored. The program, which lasted for 12 weeks, provided training, mentorship, and collaborative work on innovation, technology, artificial intelligence, leadership, and project presentation. The event took place at the Ivoire Trade Center in Abidjan Cocody and was attended by 24 fellows from six African countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, Zambia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Senegal, and Morocco.
The competition involved a pitch session where participants presented their solutions to an independent jury, who evaluated the projects based on predetermined criteria. The jury selected three individual projects and three collective projects for recognition. The individual projects included "RoboCore Zambia" by Fredrick Mwepu from Zambia, a platform that aims to make STEM education more accessible and practical. Another project, "Shuttle Smart Ghana" by Meshack Kwame Nartey from Ghana, is a mobile application that enables students to track the location and arrival time of university shuttle buses.
The third individual project, "Smart Bin Collection Senegal" by Oulimata Rose Dia from Senegal, is a solar-powered smart bin that transmits data on its fill level via a 2G network to improve waste collection. The collective projects included "Africoded" by Team 4 Africoded, a platform that uses artificial intelligence to connect African job seekers with cross-border job opportunities. Team 5 Harambee's "Smart Waste Collection & Recycling System" is a platform that links households, waste collectors, and recycling actors through a reservation and planning system.
Team 1 Bloom's "African Transit Payment Revolution" is a cashless payment solution for informal transportation in East and West Africa, using contactless cards and Mobile Money. The six distinguished projects received a total grant of $12,000 to support their development and implementation. The Yango Fellowship program aims to support the next generation of leaders and technological innovators in Africa, with a focus on artificial intelligence.
Shashi Singh, Vice President of Operations at Yango Group, emphasized that the company's commitment goes beyond its mobility and delivery activities, aiming to contribute to the development of digital infrastructure and African skills. Kadotien Alassane Soro, Yango's Country Director in Côte d'Ivoire, presented the Fellowship as a program that enables young Africans to use their skills to address community challenges.
Jacob Dri Bi, representing the Ministry of Youth Promotion, Professional Insertion, and Civic Service, welcomed the initiative, highlighting the complementarity between the public and private sectors in strengthening employability and youth skills. The Yango Fellowship program seeks to promote skills development, networking among young talents, and the transformation of their ideas into solutions addressing African community challenges.
The Yango Fellowship is a program that provides support and scholarships to students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Its objective is to support the next generation of leaders and technological innovators in Africa, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence. The program's impact is expected to be significant, as it addresses the need for innovative solutions to community challenges and provides young Africans with the skills and resources needed to succeed.
Key points
- The six distinguished projects received a total grant of $12,000 to support their development and implementation.
- The Yango Fellowship program aims to support the next generation of leaders and technological innovators in Africa, with a focus on artificial intelligence.
- The program's impact is expected to be significant, as it addresses the need for innovative solutions to community challenges and provides young Africans with the skills and resources needed to succeed.
