School students use their creativity to help Africa

The second Public Benefit International Challenge for Youth concluded its two-month contest at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) Sunday.

Themed on "Innovation, Creation, For Africa", the event was aimed at helping Africa by bringing new ideas into practice.

It also focused on promoting gender equality with more female constants playing a more active role in, setting it apart from its first competition only with a consciousness of three of the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations — zero hunger, good health and quality education.

The participants, who were middle or high school students from China and other countries, were encouraged to come up with innovative public welfare projects that can improve the medical, nutritional and educational conditions for children in Africa living with HIV/AIDS or in poverty.

Solar Heart, a team with five participants, claimed the crown of the challenge. The project has already raised 240,000 yuan ($35,000). The female leader of the team said they would contribute thousands of solar pack bags that would benefit tens of thousands of school-aged children in Zimbabwe who face acute power shortage.

More products, such as solar roof tiles and solar umbrellas, are being developed, according to the team.

The key to the team's win was to combine creativity and high-tech with local environmental conditions, such as strong sun exposure, the judges said.

The judges added an international flavor to the challenge. There were four Chinese judges from the China Social Assistance Foundation, BFSU, Peking University and Capital Normal University, and five international judges from Rice, New York and Carnegie Mellon universities and the University of Pennsylvania, and UNAIDS.

The challenge was sponsored by the China-Africa Business Council and the China Social Assistance Foundation.