African Union (AU)-UNICEF Youth Innovation Challenge on the Impact of Harmful Practices on the Mental Health of Children and Young People

Survivors of harmful practices such as children marriage and FGM may find it difficult to seek help and cope with the mental health and psychological challenges due to their experience and ordeal.

UNICEF & AUC invites you to share with us what you and your team think would be an innovative way of focusing on either of the following issues:

1. Creating awareness in their respective communities, peer groups and beyond on the impact of harmful practices (HPs) on mental health/well-being
2. Helping survivors cope with psychological consequences of HPs through different ways
3. Neighborhood/community-based activities/services that can help survivors of HPs cope with various mental health and psychological needs

The Innovation solution should:

• Show how it will support young people particularly girls and young women affected by HPs
• Work directly with your peers/communities
• Be collaborative
   

You must

1. Be an African youth to be considered for the innovation challenge
2. Describe your innovative intervention in detail and submit your plan
3. Work collaboratively in a group in your country and decide on a focal/intervention.
4. Submit name of your team and team lead responsible for the intervention oversight.
5. Submit 5-10 photos and 1-minute video clip explaining your proposed solution etc.

Prize:

• The best 10 interventions will be awarded $2,500 each to implement their intervention in the community

The Pitch

Selected teams will be contacted and required to submit and present their detailed proposal for 5 minutes at the intergenerational Dialogue in February 2022 (Date TBC)

Application Deadline: January 31st, 2022

Submissions and Queries

To: unicefauo@unicef.org

Cc: youth@africa-union.org