STEMi Makers Africa Commemorates the International Youth Month 2020.
An Africa By Us, For Us and Of Us Series that sheds light on the need to enable engagement of youths, strengthen their capacity and push them to the forefront of global innovation, taking important steps to accelerate social, scientific, and technological change in all of Africa.
Over the next 50 years, our world will face a range of complex challenges. New technologies and the priority to accelerate the sustainability agenda will require a shift in how we engage youths through self-exploration in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
STEMi Makers Africa commemorated the International Youth Month for 2020 with a Series titled “Africa By Us, For Us and Of Us” from the 29th to 30th of August 2020. This was a Virtual program and the event was an engagement of 12 Country Leaders who presented their narratives in driving Sustainable actions in Health, Agriculture, Technology, the new Workforce skills, Innovation, STEM Education, Citizen Science, Entrepreneurship and SDG point focuses in which we can engage young people at the local, national and continental level to be self-reliant, technology problem solvers and innovators
Speakers at the The Africa By Us, For Us and Of Us implored youths to be more involved in the society in terms of seeing what they can do for the society and not just what society can do for them.
We had leaders like Dennisk Masina (Botswana), Grantina Modern (Tanzania), Martins Adusei (Ghana), Mulikita Jackson (Zambia), Mehiret Walga (Ethiopia), Claudette Nkwenti (Cameroon), Prince Achoja (Kano State, Nigeria), Nweze Victor (Lagos, Nigeria), Essah Taylor (Liberia), Madalitso Mwaungulu (Malawi), Kabwita Erwan (DR Congo), and Amanda Obidike (Host of the Africa By Us, For Us and Of Us event).
The event took a dynamic and holistic approach where the Speakers didn’t call on government actions for youth development but how youths can have a mental awakening for the sustainable change they desire, position themselves for emerging opportunities in Agriculture and Technology, think outside the box for our growing economy, begin to volunteer and be engaged in local policy making, entrepreneurial engagement, and collaborate amongst themselves. The informal sector in Africa makes up for 70% of the economy, hence, the whole of Africa needs to accept use of technology by leveraging on current technologies, embedding practical STEM education in schools from the grassroots,and developing policies that fosters entrepreneurship education at all levels.
The two-days program was an exhilarating experience with over 17 Countries who joined the virtual conversation.
