The Data for Local Impact (DLI) Innovation Challenge congratulates all 20 finalists of the Second Challenge Window for having reached the pitch session stage. Out of 20 finalists, 18 were able to participate in the pitching event, sharing their different ideas on how to protect Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) against the risks of HIV/AIDS infections.
The Second Challenge Window focused on the Tanzanian’s Government’s health priorities; and specifically supported strategic PEPFAR programming addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic among AGYW, a partnership referred to as the DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS Free, Mentored, and Safe) Partnership. The DREAMS Partnership targets vulnerable adolescent girls and young women aged 10-24, with a special focus on 15-24-year-olds. This target population is 2.5 times more likely to contract HIV/AIDs than their male counterparts. DREAMS aims to reduce this vulnerability of AGYW by decreasing new HIV infections among 15-24 year-olds by 40% through a core package of evidence-based interventions targeted at 4 overlapping populations: young women, their care givers, their sexual partners, and their community members. These interventions have been proven to mitigate HIV risk behaviours, HIV transmission, and gender based violence (GBV).
The Second Window of the DLI Innovation Challenge was launched on May 24th, 2017 and closed on July 5th, 2017. We received more than 180 applications. After thorough review and evaluation by our judging panel of five local experts, 20 applications were selected to reach to the final stage of the challenge – a live pitch to the judging panel and an audience at COSTECH in Dar es Salaam.
Speaking as he was winding-up the pitch session, Mr. Agapiti Manday, the DLI Project Manager, congratulated the finalists for reaching the final stage and for giving wonderful presentations of their different ideas. Mr. Manday encouraged the finalists to focus on improving their projects by building teams that can develop the ideas into workable solutions that can have an impact in their communities.
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