Pitch Challenge Mentorship Applications Now Open!

At the 2024 REGIONAL Global Health Practitioner Conference in Nairobi, Kenya (28-31 October 2024), we hosted an exciting Pitch Challenge where the top 4 finalists presented innovative solutions to pressing community health issues. During this session, a cross-sector panel of judges selected a Pitch Challenge Winner, Runner-Up, and 3rd Runner-Up. We are now seeking mentors from our International Community Health Network to guide these teams as they continue to grow their ideas and implement their project plans.

We are now looking for mentors from our International Community Health Network to help these teams as they grow their ideas and implement their project plans.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please complete the application below. Applications are due Monday, December 20, 2024 COB EST.

If you have any questions, please email Kate Kabore, kkabore@coregroup.org.

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* 2. Why are you interested in being a Pitch Challenge Mentor? w 0

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* 3. What languages are you fluent in? w 0

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Diversity Innovations Initiative
The Diversity Health App, developed by the Diversity Innovations Initiative (DIV), is an innovative digital solution designed to provide Deaf persons in Uganda, including refugees and host communities, with accessible healthcare information and connections to Deaf-friendly healthcare and gender-based violence (GBV) services. The app features a library of video content on health topics delivered in Uganda, DRC, South Sudan, and Burundi Sign Languages, along with contact details for trained health workers, GBV officers, and counselors proficient in Sign Language. Building on a 2021 YouTube pilot that reached over 1,700 users and trained 50 health workers in basic Sign Language skills, the app expands the scope to address diverse health needs and support Deaf refugees. Currently in the testing phase before launch on Google Play, this solution tackles communication barriers in healthcare by ensuring inclusive access to vital services for Deaf communities.

Kuhenza's Child Vase Management Mobile Application
The Child Case Management Mobile Application Team from Kenya, has developed a digital solution to support community-based care identification, counseling, and referrals for children with disabilities and their families. The app, launched in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has since engaged over 50 users, families, developers, students, and engineers to refine its logic and content. By gathering real-time data across Kilifi County’s 35 wards, the app helps guide counseling, care, and service referrals for children with disabilities, effectively tripling the support provided in its second year of use. The app utilizes CommCare, a digital platform that allows offline use and requires no coding experience, enabling tracking of children’s progress across physical, social, academic, and emotional dimensions using tailored tools like the Washington Group measurements and Measure Evaluation’s Child Status Index. It also includes features for community leader case management, prioritization, and emergency care to provide immediate support to children in crisis. Through this app, Kuhenza aims to make programs more inclusive of children with disabilities, providing a template for other organizations looking to develop their own m-health solutions.

Strong Enough Girls' Empowerment Initiative
The Indi-Genius Podcast Series, developed by Strong Enough Girls' Empowerment Initiative (SEGEI) in Nigeria. This project aims to provide innovative solutions to bridging gaps in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) education for youth in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Using podcasts as a low-cost, accessible, and youth-friendly platform, the series amplifies the voices of young SRHR leaders from Nigeria and Niger, showcasing their lived experiences and indigenous knowledge. Participants gain skills in advocacy, data management, and social media use, while the podcast fosters inclusive dialogue and localized solutions to SRHR challenges like adolescent pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and HIV/AIDS. With 20 episodes, over 3,000 social media views, and significant community engagement, Indi-Genius exemplifies the power of indigenous leadership in creating sustainable, responsive SRHR interventions.