MasterCard and UN Women Singapore kicked off the second wave of Project Inspire yesterday, setting aside US$25,000 for the woman that will change the world
Kenyan and East African NGO’s and nonprofit organisations have been encouraged to submit their entries with MasterCard East Africa Vice President and Area Business Head James Wainaina saying the project gives local youth a chance to show their creativeness.
“Project Inspire presents an opportunity for youth around the region to harness their creativity and propose initiatives that make a change in the communities around them. MasterCard is proud to be making an effort to bolster high-level corporate leadership for gender equality pivoting on Women’s Empowerment Principles as guide posts for actions that advance and empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community. We look forward to seeing more inspiration in the submissions this year,” he said.
Since the inception in 2012, Project Inspire has over 30,000 supporters on Facebook, two million impressions on Twitter as well as 23,000 views on YouTube to date.
In the previous competition, a Ugandan project made it to the last 9 nominees and battled it out with projects from India Cambodia, Nepal, Indonesia, Philippines and Sri Lanka.
Last year the prize went to Women’s Private Personal Market Place, which presented a mobile phone application that empowered women in rural Rajasthan to become entrepreneurs by selling feminine hygiene products in their communities.
According to the judges the winning projects were evaluated on sustainability, impact and long term economic and social benefit to disadvantaged women and girls in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.
Project Inspire was launched in remembrance of 100 years of the International Women’s day celebrations.
