Rockefeller scouts for fresh ideas

 Rockefeller Foundation president Judith Rodin.Photo/FILE  NATION

By JOHN NJIRU jnjiru@ke.nationmedia.com

In Summary

• Ten global finalists of the Centennial Innovation Challenge will have the opportunity to apply for a grant of up to Sh8.6 million ($100,000) and support in writing a proposal.

The Rockefeller Foundation has introduced a competition in a bid to improve conditions of workers in informal economies.

The organisation is looking for 10 people with the most brilliant ideas on how informal workers can obtain benefits enjoyed by those in formal jobs such as pensions and insurance.

The ideas will be accepted online through the foundation’s website.

Ten global finalists of the Centennial Innovation Challenge will have the opportunity to apply for a grant of up to Sh8.6 million ($100,000) and support in writing a proposal.

“The Rockefeller Foundation is looking to tap the ingenuity and dedication of today’s social innovators to address the world’s most urgent challenges,” said organisation’s president Judith Rodin.

Informal employment accounts for about 72 per cent of jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa