Women dominate 2020 Dadlihack winners’ row

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The winners of the 2020 Dadlihack, a joint presentation of the Ministry of Trade and the United Nations Office for Special Projects (UNOPS), were presented with their prize monies on Tuesday, March 23, 2021.

Trade Minister E.P Chet Greene presented cheques valued at US$10,000.00 to three teams as the top winners of the 2020 Dadlihack, the annual hackathon which is part of the UNOPS Global Innovation Challenge which brings together innovators, entrepreneurs and other developers to harness creative ideas and identify solutions for building climate-resilient infrastructure.

“The government of Antigua and Barbuda has made an investment in young people and the innovative industry, which is really part of a global revolution. In just about every country in the world this is the ‘in thing’. So for our young people who are involved and who have taken an interest by demonstrating their creative juices, the government sees it as its obligation to facility this expression on the part of our young people. The prizes are not ‘big’ but are symbolic and speak to a commitment of support for these ventures,” Greene stated.

The trade minister revealed that several major projects are earmarked for the Innovation and Incubation Park, the facility made available for the UNOPS funded project in Antigua and Barbuda. He also announced plans to relocate the park from its current location at the former US Tracking Station (southeast of the airport) to another area deemed to be more conducive for the activities of an innovation park.

Greene also noted that all the winning teams comprised of all-female were all-females or led by a female. While congratulating the winners, the minister also threw out a challenge for more males to get involved in the creative field and to make full use of the facilities available at the park.

The overall winners were Team Antigua Island Girls, (Team members: Kevinia Francis, Elvira Bell, Samara Emmanuel and Christal Clashing). They received a cheque for US $5,000.00 for their concept of a coastal ocean rowing programme and a youth development initiative combined with improving the eco-tourism industry.

Second place went to Dadli Yellow, a team led by Launesha Barnes and Christal Clashing which is exploring the possibility of turning the evasive sargassum seaweed into materials to make swimwear and other items of clothing. That team received a cheque for US$2,500.00, Third prize went to ARK Team (members: Seimone Joseph and Elijah James) This team also received a cheque for US$2,500.00 who presented (A)ccess to (R)esilience and (K)knowledge (ARK), a mobile marketplace which connects farmers to market and provides resilient data to optimise their product yields.

 

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