2nd runner up Team Enviro

Unlike every other day, Thursday, 22nd August was special and different because I had tarried all through the night practicing and rehearsing my pitch to participate in "Akwa Ibom Youth Innovation Challenge," organized by Clement Isong Foundation in collaboration with ActionAid. This was in commemoration of International Youth Day with the theme: "Driving Environmental and Climate Resilience through Digital Innovation."

I experienced sleepless night because the information to participate in the contest came in a very short notice and I really wanted to emerge as the winner.

Morning Routine

As early as 3:30am I was up from the bed to say a few words of prayer. After my prayers I went back to recite my pitch to ensure I remembered key points s in my pitch deck. When it was 6:00am I went out to see where I could power my phone since my phone battery was down and also buy noodles for my daughter's breakfast. Unfortunately no shop had opened at that time and so I returned home. Getting home we took our bath and we where able to live the house by 7:00. Since I couldn't see noodles we had rice for breakfast. I left home that early so as to meet with my team members and possibly look out for where I could power my phone in preparation for the event.

We arrived the venue at 7:20am and we met the cleaner trying to tidy the hall so we located a place to sit and relax while waiting for my team members. I couldn't drop my daughter in school for lesson because I considered the closing time to be beyond 2:00pm. From 9:00am other people started trooping into the place and my team members came few minutes pass 9 and we started editing our prototype. Shortly after the organizers arrived the venue at 10:05 the generator set was powered on and I was able to power my phone. The event that was scheduled to start by 10:00am finally started at 11:00am as the organizers took over one hour to arrange the hall for the event.

The event officially commenced at 11:00am and had seven teams of Young Innovators competing in pitching their innovative solutions, such as Team Enviro, Team Maximus, Team Smart Water Management System, Team Rota Green, Team Novary and Team Capture View. The event also had in attendance young people and othe NGOs who graced the event. To judge the pitching were the panel of judges comprised of tech experts and academic professionals with diverse experience.

At the end of the competition the judges gave their comments and observations, congratulating every contestants and encouraged them to effect corrections where observations have been made.

The winner was Team Maximus, 1st runner up was Team Smart Water Management System and the 2nd runner up was Team Enviro and I represented the team. Enviro is a waste management system that will solve improper waste disposal that is responsible for the spread of disease such as malaria, typhoid fever or cholera and environmental degradation.

We were awarded the sum of #50,000 (173 steem) as the 2nd runner up while the winner and 1st runner up where awarded #150,000 (519 steem) and #80,000 (277 steem) respectively

Afternoon Routine

The event lasted till afternoon and came to a close by 3:00pm and everyone dispersed to their various destination and we returned home rejoicing. Indeed my effort was not in vain and I give thanks to God for helping us. We arrived home by 3:30pm and I prepared atama soup with garri and retired to bed at 5:00pm after a warm bath

I wish to invite my friends @bela90, @goodnessok and @ogechukwu-martha to participate in this contest.