Application Deadline:November 30, 2020
Are you a young African between the ages of 18 and 28 and currently residing in Africa? Here is another chance for you to have your say on building your nation and continent! As you know, Africa’s exponential youth growth comes with immense opportunities for you to inject fresh ideas, vibrancy and optimism into addressing many of Africa’s challenges.
Earlier this year, the entire world came to a standstill as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) quickly spread across the globe. In an attempt to combat the pandemic, the world went into lockdown; schools closed, production chains ground to a halt, social life was disrupted, and people retreated into their homes. Everything changed.
Today, the scope of the pandemic and its devastating effects on people and economies is staggering. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of October 8, there have been 36 million confirmed cases globally, 1.2 million of which were in Africa.
In an effort to find a common solution to a common challenge, we would also like to hear the views of African youth on the COVID-19 response. Based on the situation in your country, answer the following question:
How can young people work with their governments and civil society organizations to respond to the impact of COVID-19 and build a stronger post-pandemic economic and social system?
Launched in 2014 by the World Bank Kenya office, the #Blog4Dev competition is an annual writing contest, inviting young people to weigh in on a topic critical to their country’s economic development. The competition is a way to engage Africa’s youth and provide a platform for them to share their views—and solutions—about development topics that are important to them. In 2018, it became a regional competition, open to young citizens from all 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Blog4Dev winners contribute to the blogging community through original content posted on the Youth Transforming Africa blog platform.
Youth Transforming Africa (YTA) is a World Bank-supported youth engagement initiative that aims to engage more African youth in the thinking and discussions on development in Africa.
ELIGIBILITY To be eligible for the #Blog4Dev competition, you must:
· Be a citizen of one of the 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa;
· Be between the ages of 18 and 28 on November 30, 2020;
· Not have been a winner of previous editions.
Prizes
Winning authors are eligible for several prizes, including an invitation to attend a dedicated program during the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings 2021 (if the health situation improves), opportunities to represent Africa’s youth at high-level events, a chance to intern at a World Bank country office, or an opportunity to have their blog published on the World Bank blog Youth Transforming Africa.
Selection
The winning submissions will be selected based on the following criteria:
· originality;
· clarity in writing and presentation;
· practicality and relevance;
· potential impact on development.
HOW TO ENTER
Using the links below, submit your original blog entry, written in English, French, or Portuguese, detailing your ideas about addressing the impact of COVID-19 and building a stronger post-pandemic economic and social system by November 30, 2020.
Submissions through email or post will not be accepted.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the World Bank Africa 2021 #Blog4Dev Essay Contest