By Nellie Kapatuka in Egypt
Sharm el-Sheikh, Mana: Government has said t was happy with two youthful Malawian innovators.
The two are Joyce Sikwese of Green Impact Technologies and Ulaya Mwale of Mpatsa Engineering Company and have been awarded K 200 million for climate adaptation projects during award presentations for the Youth ADAPT Challenge, at the ongoing COP27 taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Deputy Director for Environmental Affairs in the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Shamiso Banda Sunday said it was encouraging to note that Malawi’s innovations are able to be recognized at such big global spaces.
“We are happy because innovation and issues of technology development are very much in line with what the climate change policy in Malawi aspires to achieve,” she said.
Banda said since called upon other youth and innovators in the country to come up with similar innovations for Malawi to be able to adapt to issues of climate change.
The two were awarded US$100,000 each in absentia for pitching best climate change adaptation business solutions in the 2022 African Youth Adaptation Solutions Challenge.
In an interview with Mana, Sikwese said she was excited to be one of the 20 winners of 2022 Africa youth Adapt Innovation challenge because.
She hoped the award would help put smiles on the faces of smallholder farmers she plans to work with in the rural communities.
“The US$ 100,000 will be used for procurement of M’bwezera nthaka organic fertilizer processing machine and distribution of portable solar water pumps to smallholder farmers through agro dealers, cooperatives and associations,” Sikwese said.
According to Mwale, the grant has come at a time they have been looking forward expanding their scope in providing rural Malawians with clean and affordable water services.
He said with the raging Cholera outbreak in Malawi, there could never be a better time to get such financial boost to reach hundreds with water.
The Youth ADAPT Challenge an annual competition and awards program for youth-led enterprises (50 percent women-led) with the aim of boosting sustainable job creation through support for entrepreneurship and youth-led innovations in climate change adaptation and resilience across Africa and is jointly organized by the Global Centre on Adaptation, the African Development Bank and Climate Investment Funds (CIF).
