Young people with skills in the technology sector and creative minds in Mozambique between the ages of 15-24 are invited to take part in a competition that aims to provide solutions to stop the spread of HIV and stigma in Mozambique.

The initiative called Reboot HIV & AIDS Awareness is the result of a partnership between the United Nations, government partners, the private sector, academia and civil society.

Participants will have the opportunity to design solutions with the support of industry experts and mentoring from experienced professionals in different challenges proposed in the areas of i) Social Networks, ii) Data Analysis, iii) Social Communication and iv) Application Development for mobile devices.

For the mobile app development area, a hackathon specifically designed for tech-savvy young people is planned and will provide them with opportunities to work alongside like-minded individuals and develop their skills and ideas in a supportive and inclusive environment, using emerging and innovative technologies.

The much-anticipated hackathon is scheduled to take place in three phases, offering participants a unique and dynamic experience.

During the first phase, innovators will join forces remotely with experienced mentors to develop and submit their solutions to challenging HIV and AIDS-related issues via an online platform.

In phase two, 20 exceptional candidates will be selected to take part in an intensive three-day mentoring program at a university in Maputo.

Those selected will receive additional support from industry leaders and partners to improve their prototypes and the hackathon will culminate in an awards ceremony on the final day.

In the third and final phase, the winners will receive six months of mentoring from esteemed private sector organizations, academic partners, as well as United Nations agencies, to help them bring their ideas to life.

The call for applications takes place today, March 1st, and interested young people can register via the following website: https://tinyurl.com/mrp5ry6y with a duration of 4 weeks to receive innovative ideas from all young people in Mozambique, your prestigious media outlet is invited to support the dissemination of the initiative.