By Kemo Cham
Sierra Leone – September 27, 2025: A team of six young innovators from Kenema has clinched the top prize in the maiden edition of the Social Equity Programme National Afinnovate Youth Challenge, held in Bo, Sierra Leone. Their project, “Team Kenema Water Supply,” impressed judges with a groundbreaking solar-powered water pump designed to help farmers draw water directly from underground sources to their fields, boosting agricultural productivity.
The challenge, organized by the Center for Advocacy and Sustainable Empowerment Sierra Leone (CASE SALONE), attracted over 3,000 participants nationwide. It was supported by the Z Zurich Foundation and Ghana-based Junior Achievement Africa, as part of a continent-wide initiative aimed at equipping youth aged 16 to 25 with entrepreneurial, leadership, innovation, and mental wellbeing skills.
The year-long programme featured 15 bootcamps across Bo, Makeni, Kenema, and Freetown, followed by eight weeks of online coaching and mentorship. Ten finalist teams emerged from regional pitching competitions, each receiving a seed grant of USD500. Team Kenema Water Supply earned an additional USD3,000 as the overall winner and will represent Sierra Leone at an international competition on October 31, with a chance to win USD5,000.
Jacob Sahr Yajo, team lead for Team Kenema, expressed his excitement: “I am overjoyed,” he told ManoReporters, thanking CASE SALONE and partners such as NEYG–SL and the Children Forum Network for their support.
The runner-up, Team Eco Twist Green Generation, received USD2,000 for their innovation that transforms plastic waste into handcrafted items and traditional fabrics. Team Eco Circula, the second runner-up, was awarded USD1,000 for their technology that converts plastic waste into durable construction bricks.
Other finalists showcased a range of impactful solutions:
- Team Cap Flop: Cassava-based nutritious food products to reduce reliance on imports.
- Team Tech and Innovation: A security device for farmers to detect intruders and wild animals.
- Team Crop Care Salone: Solar-powered cold storage for preserving produce.
- Team Establish the Needful: A solar-powered study light book.
- Team Agro Innovation: Organic manure from kitchen waste to boost farming cycles.
- Team Plantain Mix: Locally sourced baby food using plantain, fish, beans, and bennie seed.
- Team Achievers: Decorative items made from cartons and plastic waste.
Ibrahim Mansaray, Social Equity Programme Lead at CASE SALONE, described the initiative as a “big opportunity” for youth across Sierra Leone. “We want to awaken the creative minds in innovations among our young people,” he said.
Ousman Shero Kamara, Deputy Director at Elevate Afric Innovation, emphasized the importance of practical skills over formal education. “What we need now is not much of formal education, we need these skills that will place us on the path to progress,” he stated.
The final pitching event brought together local and international partners. Remijus N. Iweobi of the Global Fund for Children in Liberia praised the programme’s impact, noting that empowering youth through entrepreneurship is key to national development.
Paschal Fellah, CASE Salone board member, urged participants to embrace digital media and creativity. “In the job market, they do not look for how much books you have read, rather, they look at your professional experience,” he said.
The Social Equity Programme aligns with Sierra Leone’s Big Five Game Changer development plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to combat youth unemployment and drug abuse while fostering a new generation of social innovators.