Two hundred Kenyan college students will benefit from technical and financial support to help them realise their creativity following the launch of the ‘Innovate for Good’ programme by Microsoft.
The initiative will train young people how to develop solutions in health, water and county development as the Kenya ICT board agrees the greatest challenge facing the youth with innovative ideas is financial support.
The programme, part from the Microsofts YouthSpark program, enables young people to collaborate, inspire and support each using technology while at the same time uniting people in local events and around the world online.
Jeffery Avina, citizenship director for Microsoft Africa, said the programme will give the youth an opportunity to transform their society and further their interest through creating innovative solutions.
Avina said: “The Innovate for Good program will collaborate with the Kenya Open Data Initiative to help the youth identify existing problem areas and the associated public data, then use this information to develop solutions that positively impact their communities.
“Whether their interest is in volunteering, working at a nonprofit, or starting their own venture, we will support them to move their ideas forward”.
Kenya ICT Board deputy chief executive Victor Kyalo says Kenya needs tens of thousands of IT professionals to provide human capital for technology companies to be set in areas such as Konza City and create innovative products for the ICT industry.
He adds that such programmes provide young people with tools to kickstart businesses and create space to utilise with their imaginative, artistic and resourcefulness.
