A Kenyan lawyer has been selected to participate in a first global programme to nurture IT among the youth.
Valarie Neema Waswa is among the inaugural cohort of fellows of the Generation Connect Young Leadership Programme (GCYLP)—an initiative launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with Huawei to support 30 fellows annually for three years.
The GCYLP targets those aged 18-28 who receive mentorship and financial support in their projects to use digital technology to drive community development over one year.
Ms Waswa is among 30 initial fellows selected by a global jury from a pool of 5,249 applicants from over 200 countries worldwide.
She has worked with different organisations as a youth activist and envoy to promote peace and socio-economic development of women and youth.
Ms Waswa, who says she has a passion for youth and women's inclusion in governance, will receive an initial grant of $5,000 (Sh654,431) to implement a digital development project of her choice.
If her project proves to be the most impactful, she will receive an additional $5,000 (Sh654,431) grant at the end of the year to scale it up.
The funding will also support her in using digital technology to advance community development over a year.
“Seizing opportunities and creating new ones, being collaborative and resilient, as well as adopting a multi-disciplinary approach for a multi-sectoral world in which we find ourselves, will go a long way in helping you succeed and in impact people's lives around the world,” he said Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau.
Selina Wen, chief representative to the EU Institutions and Vice President of Public Affairs for Europe at Huawei, said young leaders “have played and will continue to play an important role in the digital era, at a time when the enabling power of technology should be further harnessed to address the most pressing social challenges”.
