A Zambian youth has scoped the World Bank sponsored blog for development award (#Blog4DevAward).
Musopa Kalenga, a Zambian national, entered an essay writing competition organised by the World Bank Africa Region called #Blog4Dev.
For the first time ever, the World Bank Africa Region hosted the regional blog competition, in 2019, in order to offer young people the opportunities to enhance their networks and realise their dreams.
The competition was for on exploring the topic “what will it take to enhance the skills needed to prepare Africa’s youth for the digital economy and the future of work?”
Young people from 48 African countries were invited and requested to share their ideas on how they could prepare themselves and other youths for the digital economy and a technology-driven workplace. Ms. Musopa entered the competition.
She wrote about how investing in human resources and skills development could prepare young people to prepare for their future and to accelerate their productivity in the digital economy.
In her write-up, she highlighted how the government should invest in education and health to achieve the goal of preparing young people for the digital economy.
She stated in the write-up that for the education sector, the curriculum must aim at empowering young people with cognitive, social behavioral, and adaptability skills due to their relevancy to the future of work. Under the health component, she said in her paper that digital technology
investments by the Government and through public-private partnerships, could also play a key role in achieving the objectives targeted at digitising the health sector. In her submission, she stressed her believe that for young people to excel in the digital economy, they will need to live as part of a healthy population.
In the adjudication process, the World Bank shortlisted one person from all the participating African countries. She was picked as the winner from Zambia and was invited for the 2019 IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings, where she has been attending various sessions on digital transformation.
On learning about the development, Zambia’s delegation leader and Minister of Finance MARGARET MWANAKATWE says Musopa’s achievement will have a positive demonstration effect on other youths in Zambia.
The Minister wished Musopa more success in her future endeavours and added that, “I would like to see more young females pursuing their dreams of contributing to a Smart Zambia towards Vision 2030.
Mrs. Mwanakatwe has pledged K10, 000 of her personal funds to help Musola to advance her work.
Young Musopa is scheduled to leave Washington DC, for Lusaka, later in the day.
