Building on the success of an initiative in Zambia to
encourage young people to come up with ideas to address unsustainable
environmental practices, MTN Group and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have
announced the Africa PachiPanda Challenge. This extends the organisations’
joint initiative to four more countries on the continent.
On the sidelines of COP28, MTN Group Chief
Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer Nompilo Morafo met with the Zambia
Minister of Green Economy and Environment Collins Nzovu who said the local
initiative had been a great success and included some first-of-a-kind projects
in Zambia: “The Challenge has been a significant milestone in driving
tangible solutions to address sustainable and lasting climate solutions in
Zambia. The type of initiatives – such as waste-to-electricity plants – which
have emerged from the Challenge has been noteworthy. We now need to focus on
scaling the programme and ensuring we support these businesses in a meaningful
way.”
To attract new ideas to address challenges, increase
conservation awareness and create a more sustainable Zambia, MTN Zambia and WWF
Zambia launched the PachiPanda Challenge in 2022 and held it again this year.
Attracting more than 1,500 applicants, the events invited young Zambians
and SMEs to submit their solutions to several ‘challenge statements’.
“We are proud to have birthed an innovative Initiative
out of Zambia that supports Youth-led Small Businesses in the Climate
Space that creates green jobs in a green economy.” MTN Zambia Foundation Chairperson, Rose Sibisi.
“Through the Zambia PachiPanda Challenge, which is
now transitioning into an African challenge, we believe that sustainable
innovations key to addressing the pressing environmental issues facing our
continent will be developed,” said Nachilala Nkombo, Country Director,
WWF Zambia.
The Challenge will now expand to include four more
countries – Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda – and will be open to
applications from young people (aged 16-35) and youth-led SMEs with early-stage
or idea-stage solutions to the environmental challenges presented.
“The Zambia PachiPanda Challenge, run by MTN Zambia
Foundation and WWF Zambia, was an absolute success in the first two years, and
we believe the initiative brought about meaningful and sustainable projects
that have the potential to transform disadvantaged communities for the better,”
said Evelyn Mwamubiru-Mwaura, Country Offices Project Quality Director, WWF
Africa.
Morafo echoed these sentiments, saying: “MTN
Group and WWF are committed to fostering innovation and sustainability in
Africa and leveraging technology to achieve that. This challenge is an
opportunity for African innovators to contribute to their communities and the
wider continent, creating solutions that address environmental and social
issues.”
The Africa PachiPanda Challenge, which is set to be
launched in 2024, is more than a competition; it is a platform for change. It
aims to inspire participants to think beyond conventional boundaries, develop
solutions that address immediate challenges, and contribute to the long-term
sustainability of their communities.