#IdeasChangeLives
We believe anyone could have an idea that has the power to change lives.
No matter who they are or where they are.
#IdeasChangeLives is our global innovation challenge
We look for digital solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems. The campaign sought to find people with fresh, entrepreneurial spirits with big ideas to instil positive change in people's lives.
More than 2,000 entries were submitted in 2018 from across 170 countries, all competing for the chance to win £20,000 funding and mentoring to develop their ideas into real life solutions.
Watch our video about the campaign here:
So how did we do it?
Our campaign
The success of #IdeasChangeLives hinged on our social media campaigns, powered by the British Council's global network.
Our campaign focused on creating opportunities for young people to harness digital technology and solution to improve the world they've inherited for not only themselves, but also future generations.
By positioning this competition as an opportunity for young minds to mould the world into a better, inclusive and socially responsible one, we managed to generate over 70% of our social media engagement with millennials aged 18 - 35.
Our 2018 winners
mHub
Mhub is Malawi’s first community-based human rights platform. It aspires to reduce violence against women and girls by connecting them to human rights information and organisations.
It enables women and girls to report issues issues including sexual assault, reproductive health rights, early marriage and human trafficking. These reports are transferred to human rights organisations for intervention.
The platform works both online and via USSD - meaning that women and girls without the internet or phone credit are still able to access this life changing help.
Our funding and support has already helped them extend their USSD platform to both telecommunication providers in Malawi, enabling more women and girls to access human rights information and intervention.
“Since winning #IdeasChangeLives we have expanded our technology platform and next we want to build more partnerships with human rights stakeholders”
Monica,from Mhub, one of our 2018 #IdeasChangeLives winners
StanLab
StanLab is a virtual science laboratory that aims to support over 6 million students in Nigeria access practical STEM education through augmented reality.
A strong population growth and significant ‘youth-bulge’ (over 70% of the population is under the age of 35) in Nigeria has resulted in a lack of education resources. Yet in 2017, it was ranked 131 out of 139 countries in maths and science.
StanLab seeks to close the gap in quality STEM education and prepare students with strong scientific and mathematical skills needed to thrive in the future workforce.
"Coming out tops in the competition gives me joy. I won the championship by using technology to bring quality scientific education to secondary schools. I was able to offer a solution where students, especially in public schools, can learn in a laboratory class without physically seeing the lab."
Job Oyebisi, founder of StanLab and #IdeasChangeLives 2018 winner
The solutions to global issues require cooperation between people, organisations and nations
We find the people to do it
#IdeasChangeLives makes it a reality
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