Google on Monday said application process of the ongoing Google Impact Challenge in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa closed with over 5,500 entries.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the Internet Search giant, at Google for Nigeria in July 2017, announced that Google.org would be investing $20m in non-profits working across the African continent over the next five years.
May this year, Google took the announcement a step farther in making the Google.org $20m investment in Africa a reality through the launch of the Google Impact Challenge 2018, the first the firm would be running the Impact Challenge in Africa.
“Many African innovators are doing great work with real impact and we’re keen to shine a light on them, and give a financial boost to their projects and ideas. The process of selecting the 12 finalists has begun and the winners will be unveiled on November 28 in Lagos, Nairobi and South Africa,” Google said on Monday.
The Internet Search giant is going to rely on the public to help in selecting the best ideas presented by nonprofits and social enterprises in the Impact Challenge.
The public will vote for the idea they believe has the most potential, and judges will select 3 more winners after hearing in-person pitches from a set of finalists.
The winning nonprofits and social enterprises will receive cash as well as access to guidance, technical assistance and mentorship from Google, which they are free to take up should they so choose.
“Many African non-profit organisations are using technology in innovative ways. However, access to funding and technological know-how is often a barrier to other, equally-ambitious projects getting off the ground. We want the Google Impact Challenge to change that, as well as encourage the entire non-profit sector to think big,” said Mzamo Masito, Google Head of Marketing, Africa.
Meanwhile, the Search giant said its Grow with Google Initiatives, aimed at getting people in Africa the right skills and tools to make the digital world work for them, their businesses and their communities, have trained more than 2.5 million Africans.
“We’ve also trained more than 9,000 Africans developers who are on their way to becoming Google certified. And together with our partners Udacity and Andela, we’ve provided 15,000 two-month “single course” scholarships and 500 six-month nanodegree scholarships to aspiring and professional developers across Africa,” Google stated.
TNG reports each country involved in the Google Impact Challenge 2018 has $2m to be awarded to 4 winners and 8 runners up.
TheNewsGuru is published by Kingdom Media Network Int’l Nigeria Limited. TheNewsGuru, a multi-media company, started as Nigeria’s first comprehensive, real online newspaper, TheNewsGuru.com [read more]
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