Idea Accelerators help young leaders of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo unlock the potential of their communities and natural environments. Aiming to inspire a generation of homegrown changemakers, the program explores civic engagement, entrepreneurship, and self-reliance within the context of environmental sustainability.
An upcountry town hosts workshops for about three months, supported by international experts. This mentorship is radically different from what is taught at schools, and being accessible from the youths’ home villages is a big plus.
Each cohort is made of about 30 participants. They meet every Saturday and partake in workshops/sessions related to the topic of the week. They leave with homework that has to be submitted for experts’ feedback — about 15 professionals from around the world are usually involved as lecturers/trainers/mentors.
Every participant is part of a small team that works on improving their business/project ideas along the way. To connect them all together, we have special Sunday activities like sports or community cleanings and interventions.
This is both a collaboration and a competition, as they prepare their concepts to be pitched in front of important guests at the end of the program. They know about this special day right from the beginning, hoping they would win some seed capital to kick start their impact. The most devoted among them are also invited to Friendship Camps where they meet participants from other countries.
