UNICEF program calls for innovators to address water, sanitation, hygiene issues

UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) has announced the launch of the second edition of its WASH Young Changemakers Programme (WYCP) in a bid to address global challenges in water, sanitation, and hygiene.

Photo credit: UNICEF

The WYCP is an online support program for innovators under the age of 30 living in East Asia and the Pacific region who have market-validated solutions that deal with innovations in the areas of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

Participants of the program will spend an hour every week over three months with the UNICEF initiative, whose theme for its second edition is “Futureproof WASH.” The theme includes discussions in subjects such as climate change, water scarcity and other natural resources, urbanization, and migration.

From April to July, selected participants will receive one-on-one coaching; connections with mentors and technical advisors, plus a network of peers and potential partners; and the potential to have UNICEF as a customer.

Applications for the program are open until April 15 and interested entrepreneurs can visit its page to learn more details.

“The consequences of unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene on children can be deadly,” said UNICEF. “Over 700 children under age 5 die every day of diarrhoeal diseases due to lack of appropriate WASH services. In areas of conflict, children are nearly 20x more likely to die from diarrhoeal disease than from the conflict itself.”

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UNICEF works in over 100 countries to provide access to clean water and sanitation and basic hygiene practices in rural and urban areas. It works directly with schools and healthcare facilities to establish protocols for preventing and controlling infections.