Call for applications: NINJA Business Plan Competition in response to COVID-19 for African Startups ($30,000/Company)

JICA's 2020 NINJA Business Plan Competition in response to COVID-19 for African Startups ($30,000/Company)

Application Deadline: 29th July 2020 

https://bit.ly/32Q79Lc

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the agency that coordinates official development assistance for the Japanese Government in developing countries, has announced the launch of the NINJA Business Plan Competition for businesses emerging during the COVID-19 outbreak. NINJA is short for Next Innovation with Japan; the project was launched this year.

The NINJA Business Plan Competition will target startups and organizations from 19 African countries (the details are described below). The application is open for startups/organizations in all sectors with a specific focus on emerging businesses in COVID-19-related fields including, but not limited to:

Health: Online healthcare support; disease-testing solutions; medical data sharing and privacy protection solutions; distribution of drugs and medical equipment; IoT, including 3D printers, in the medical field
Disaster management: Geo-tracking during disasters; emergency information dissemination
Business services: Support for remote workers; efficient management/operation of online events
Education sector: Remote learning support
Food and agriculture: Efficient food/commodity distribution technology
Finance: Contactless transactions/payment; lending/insurance services to SMEs and individuals
Logistics: delivery service, urban mobility management
Other: Substituting imported goods with local innovative technology

Requirements

Have their head office or a branch in one of the target countries.
Be a profit/non-profit organization registered as an independent legal entity. Proposals from individuals will not be considered.
Have a very strong management team of at least 2 people.
Have innovative product(s) or service(s) in response or adoptable to the Pandemic and post-Pandemic society OR have a feasible business plan to create prototypes.

Call for 2021 Membership: Become part of the Global Young Academy

The GYA is a global organisation that places a high value on its diversity. The GYA encourage applications from all qualified candidates. 

Application Deadline:15 September 2020
 https://bit.ly/3jwiYMB

All applicants receive consideration and will not be discriminated against with regard to race, colour, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disabilities, or other factors. GYA especially encourage women and applicants from different minority groups, and from diverse disciplines including the natural, physical and social sciences as well as the arts and humanities and people working in government, industry, and non-governmental sectors to apply. 

Research fields: The call is open to all scholars working in any research-based discipline, including the natural, physical and social sciences, as well as the arts and humanities. 

Excellence: Applicants must be able to demonstrate a high level of excellence in their discipline, ascertained by a proven track record and expected future achievements. Moreover, applicants must demonstrate a clear commitment to making a difference in society. PhD or equivalent is a requirement for applicants.

Impact: The Global Young Academy is committed to a broad range of programmes around the world to support young scholars, promote science to a broad audience, engage in policy debate, and foster international and interdisciplinary collaboration. Applicants should provide evidence of interest or experience in one or more of these areas.

The GYA is an active organisation, and being a member requires a time commitment on each member’s part. In the event that applicants are selected as new GYA members, they should be available to attend the next Annual General Meeting, which is scheduled for 16 – 21 May 2021 in Japan.

Covid-19: Over 2,000 Angolans stranded in Portugal expected back

More than 2,000 Angolans stranded in Portugal will start arriving in the country from 24 July this year aboard TAAG planes, due to covid-19 pandemic, the Transport minister, Ricardo de Abreu announced Wednesday.

Of the 2,100 registered with the Angolan Consular services in Portugal, 1,800 are  based in Lisbon and 300 Oporto city.

TAAG Airlines has flown 3, 750 citizens home, who were stranded abroad, since the coming in force of the State of Emergency last 27 March, with a 14 day flight frequency. 

Also as part of the contingency plan to fight against the Covid-119, TAAG carried this months 760 citizens.  

Speaking at covid-19 daily update briefing, the minister said that the process initially covers those citizens with a valid ticket issued by TAAG, with top priority to patients, the elderly people and those undergoing medical assistance abroad. 

Covid-19: State Secretary assesses campaign hospital in Lunda Norte

The Secretary of State for Hospital Management Leonardo Inocêncio is assessing the implementation works of Campaign Hospital on Thursday in Dundo city, eastern Lunda Norte province.

Campaign hospital in Lunda Norte. 

With capacity for 200 beds, the local health facility was created to accommodate patients infected with Covid-19.

Twenty-four areas have been created to assist patients with mild symptoms, asymptomatic, for intensive care as well as logistics, laboratory and X-Ray rooms. 

Leonardo Inocêncio announced plans for installation of three areas more which include bathing house, doctor's room and administrative room, in coming days. 

He also said that two generators will be needed to ensure the supply of electricity.

 With 812 infections, Angola reports 33 deaths and 226 recovered.

Show in solidarity with visually impaired persons

A folk music was offered Sunday in Luanda during a fundraising solidarity show in favor of the visually impaired people.

The event, jointly sponsored by Public Television of Angola (TPA) and Platina Line, callected funds and essential goods to support the Angolan Blind Association.

The sow brought together Angolan musicians like Baló Januário, Socorro and Tunjila Tuwajokota group.

Banda Movimento and Banda Socorro, also joined the  3-hour-and-half event.

Thousands of viewers, in Angola and abroad,  have watched the show either through the television or social media Youtube.

Angola may become Africa's 4th biggest economy

Angola may become, until 2050, the fourth largest economy in Africa, according to projections from the Institute for Studies and Security (ISS), based in Pretoria, South Africa.

According to ISS report, the country will have, until the aforementioned period, a nominal GDP of USD 994 billion, behind Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt.

The study points out that Angola may surpass Morocco and Algeria, if it overcomes challenges related to good governance, access to quality infrastructure, education and primary health care.

Titled "Scenarios for the future of Angola 2050 beyond oil", the 46-page report presents five sectoral scenarios and predicts that the Angolan economy will grow seven times more than the current USD 140 billion.

Drafted last March, without taking into account the repercussions of Covid-19 on the economy, the report says that Angola is currently the fourth largest low-income economy in Africa, but may, until 2030, surpass Morocco and Algeria in 2040.

According to the document, which makes an integrated assessment of how the various sectors (economy, infrastructure, energy, demography, agriculture and health) may develop until 2050, this growth begins in this decade, with an average annual rate 4.6 percent.

Angolan Ministry of Education assesses distance learning efficiency

Ministry of Education assesses distance learning efficiency

The upgrade of the TV and radio classes in the primary and first cycle (7th to 9th grade) education system were analyzed last Tuesday, in Luanda, at a meeting between the minister of Education, Luísa Grilo, and coordinators of the projects.

Face-to-face classes to resume in July.

During the meeting, which took place in one of the meeting rooms of the Ministry of Education, the secretary of State for General and Pre-school Education, Pacheco Francisco, said that the contingency plan drawn up by the Ministry of Education for occupying children's time at home, with the support of parents and guardians, was successfully completed.

"The TV and radio classes helped the students not to stop in their learning process", he underlined.

"There were seven weeks of classes, this from February to March (beginning of Covid-19), and we had to find some tools to occupy the children's time", he stressed, adding that holidays or educational breaks are good, but when someone leaves doing what is usual (taking classes) loses skills.

The secretary of State made it known that the selection of the 50 teachers who participated in the project was not easy, since some had difficulties in working in classrooms different from the usual one.

Pacheco Francisco also denied rumours circulated on social media that Cuban technicians are advising Angolan teachers in the field of the Portuguese language.

As for the return to face-to-face classes, he said they are working towards creating conditions for bio-safety, not only in schools but also in homes.