Unilever Kenya Launches 2nd Edition of the Idea Trophy

Unilever Kenya has launched its 2^nd edition of the Idea Trophy, an inter-university competition that seeks to improve the development of personal and entrepreneurial competencies amongst Kenyan undergraduates.

The 3-month challenge will see students from 5 campuses in Kenya compete for the 2013 honours that will not only give the winners an internship opportunity with the company but also earn them a trip to South Africa to represent Kenya in the Idea Trophy Africa championships slated for end of the year.

This is a development initiative designed to create an “out-of-the-classroom” learning experience that focuses on the development of personal and entrepreneurial/ business competencies amongst Kenyan undergraduates.

The IdeaTrophy was launched by Unilever in 2012 in collaboration with Rexona Brand and partnered with 9 universities. Students generated and submitted innovative ideas on creating brand awareness and growing usage of Rexona among their peers in the target universities. The ideas were subjected to judging based on creativity and feasibility.

Out of these, there were three winners and the grand prize was a trip to the Unilever Africa headquarters office in South Africa, interaction with the Africa Leadership Team and an internship opportunity in the Kenya office.

 

This year, the project is bigger and better. It will offer students exposure and the opportunity to stretch their potential as they unearth their creative abilities.  Speaking during the launch event, Ellen Bvekerwa, HR Director Unilever ESA said there is so much in it for the students, “they will have personal development, gain different perspective and experience in readiness to business life gained through working with a global brand – Lifebuoy and a global organization – Unilever”.

Expounding on why Unilever is investing in this challenge, Yaw Nsarkoh, Managing Director, Unilever ESA, explained that Unilever has a moral obligation as a responsible citizen to contribute to development of the youth.

“Unilever also wants to grow a talent pool and improve the quality of future graduates who are well equipped to match industry expectations”, he further said.

Yaw also outlined Unilever’s commitment to sustainability and making sustainable living commonplace. “It is Unilever’s ambition to grow the size of the business whilst reducing our environmental footprint and increasing our positive social impact”

This challenge will trigger creativity and nurture innovation, a pre requisite demand for industry. Speaking during the event, Anna Othoro, Nairobi County Executive for Trade, Tourism, Industrialization, Cooperatives Development reiterated the urgency in preparing graduates who will match Africa’s growth potential and in particular Kenya which is increasingly becoming an investors hub. “The key enablers which will drive the goal of industrialization are creativity and innovation”, she said.

The challenge will include public and private Universities in Kenya and it will be phased in three stages. The first stage will be the online registration and submission of business ideas. This will be followed by zonal competitions with 9 teams competing at the zonal championships. Two finalists from each zone will emerge from this process. The third and final stage where the finalists will present their execution plans.

The first prize is a trip to South Africa to visit our Africa Region Head Office & iPads, while the first and second runners up will win laptops and blackberry phones with certificates. The winners also stand a chance to represent Africa in Singapore for the Talent league which will bring together finalists from across the globe. 

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