Coronavirus: Young leaders fight the pandemic through digital innovation process

From developing a responsive website portal that displays a map (integrated with Google GIS) and provides near real-time updates on the number and location of currently affected COVID-19 patients, to tackling the vulnerability of our current working force, professionals need to regularly up-skill and cross-skill to stay relevant in the job market; 350 young people collaborate to tackle the current challenges caused by the novel virus: Coronavirus (COVID-2019).

Under the auspices of the UNLEASH Innovation Lab for the SDGs, this initiative dubbed Unleash Global COVID-19 Hack, was a 2-day global digital hackathon designed to collectively address some of the challenges humanity is facing due to the spread and effect of COVID-19 to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In the Africa/Europe sub-group, the hack focused on various issues like mental health, communication-related problems, resources and equipment for medical and health workers. Participants went through intensive innovation process using slack, zoom and miro to actively share ideas and were facilitated by UNLEASH alumni.

A total of 31 solutions were developed, ranging from how to deal with poor mental health in times of social isolation, fighting fake news circulating around COVID-19, to delivery systems for vulnerable people.

“I have learnt a lot and willing to use these ideas generated to support my country beat this invisible enemy, it has been a fruitful process and I will love to do it again” - Rawan Taha (Egypt)

UNLEASH Lead Implementation Partner, Chemonics International were also part of the Hack supporting five respective teams’ journey from insight to prototype in just two intensive days.

“With the help of a phenomenal group of facilitators and a range of experts in our time zone, the groups developed impressive solutions to issues like access to care for vulnerable populations and economic resiliency for individuals and small businesses,” said Director of Global Operations & Improvement at Chemonics International, Lauren Behr.

The hackathon had participants from Lead Innovation Partner, Deloitte and young people from across 73 countries.

The organizing team of the hack in Africa and Europe (GMT) zone consisted of Ghanaians who had previously participated in UNLEASH: Andrews Kofi Akoto-Addo, Emmanuel Boamah Preko, Benjamin Nana Baisie, Afia Bobia Amanfo and Abdulrahim Shaibu-Issah.