We hope this message finds you well and still filled with hope. As the novel coronavirus has swept across borders, we have seen how rapidly business-as-usual turns into uncertainty and lockdown. The Covid-19 pandemic is unprecedented. The only thing we can say about the future is that it is uncertain.
The pandemic, as in all other aspects of our lives, has had an adverse impact on education systems. According to the latest figures released by UNESCO, some 1.3 billion learners around the world were not able to attend school or university as of March 23, 2020. However, in times of adversity, there is also opportunity. We have witnessed with admiration as businesses, government, and civil society across the continent and the world, have connected across sectors and borders for solutions that will help us all through these challenging times. We hope that this agility will be seen as proof of what is possible when we come together for the greater good.
In the last few volatile weeks, #MyLittleBigThing by MK-Africa has enhanced our online learning programs through free weekly webinars on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These sessions have led to young people from all over Africa broadening their knowledge on SDGs as well as engaging in meaningful discussions about how they can contribute to the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also offering free sustainability courses on learning.mylittlebigthing.com. Our mission is to train, inspire, and mentor young people using relevant local content on the SDGs. We are glad to provide a platform where young Africans can interact, learn, and be inspired.
In light of these developments, we have extended the application period for the 2020 #MyLittleBigThing SDGs Innovation Challenge. We are therefore still receiving competition entries and I encourage college and university students from across Africa to apply. We will be sharing more information about the exciting new ways we are re-engineering the competition in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, our webinars will continue to engage Africa’s youth on the best ways that young people can be part of the solutions that will lead us forward to even greater collective wellbeing and prosperity.
Muthoni Kanyana C.E.O – MK-Africa