Vodafone Foundation supports cutting edge technology solutions for vulnerable young people
The Vodafone Foundation’s newest and most innovative programme has been unveiled tonight as part of a ten year strategy
to halve the number of disadvantaged young people in Aotearoa.
Five community organisations from around the country have been selected for the Vodafone Foundation’s inaugural Change
Accelerator programme, which will support them to take a technology-based game-changing idea from concept to reality,
using technology from the Vodafone xone Innovation lab.
Innovations include a ground-breaking app from the East Cape’s sole primary health provider, Ngati Porou Hauora. The app
will provide fly-buys style incentives to encourage young parents to regularly engage with health and education
services, and childcare support systems.
Taumaranui-based Thrive Trust will explore an original youth-led “Tiny House” building microbusiness incubator that
could utilise panelised technology to both employ, and house, young people.
It’s a solution the Trust believes would address issues around affordable accommodation, and provide education and
employment pathways for young people.
Bay of Plenty’s Sexual Assault Services organisation will develop an app for young people who’ve found themselves in an
unsafe or uncomfortable situation.
The app, based on the Easy Rescue App, originally developed by Vodafone Turkey, can immediately send an alert and
geo-tagged location message to a trusted network of family and friends.
Auckland based Ngā Rangatahi Toa, an arts-mentoring and transition programme for rangatahi who have been excluded from
mainstream education, will expand its reach nationwide via online content facilitated video-conferencing sessions to
provide interactive education to all.
And current Vodafone Foundation community partner, Central Otago’s Sticks n Stones, will take its work to stop bullying
to the next level, to help young people who are based rurally around New Zealand and feel isolated, connect with their
peers.
Sticks n Stones aims to offer everything from distance learning opportunities, to youth-led supportive communication
networks.
Vodafone New Zealand Foundation Chair Antony Welton said technology has a big part to play in levelling the playing
field for excluded and disadvantaged young people.
“We are committed to using technology for good, we know that online platforms and apps can create positive social
change, and we’re excited to help these amazing community organisations take great ideas and turn them into reality.
“Each of these projects has the power to change the lives of a vast number of young people living in Aotearoa today.
We’ll provide funding, mentoring, and technology experts to help breathe life into their ideas, and we know our
community partners are prepared to roll their sleeves up to make it happen,” Antony said.
Each of the participating community organisations will receive grants of $15,000 to cover their expenses during the
six-week Change Accelerator programme based at Vodafone’s Christchurch Innov8 centre, and contribute to their
organisation’s kaupapa. They will also be invited to apply for the Vodafone Foundation’s Innovation Fund at the end of
the accelerator.
ENDS