Tag Archives: food

THE 14TH ANNUAL ARSO CONTINENTAL ESSAY COMPETITION

Application Deadline: April 23, 2027

LOCATION: Kenya

The Annual ARSO Essay Competition is a prestigious platform dedicated to fostering creativity, innovation, and critical thinking among the youth across Africa. Each year, they invite students to explore pressing topics, share their perspectives, and contribute to the ongoing dialogue on sustainable development and standards in Africa. Join in celebrating the power of words and ideas in shaping a brighter future for our continent.

ELIGIBILITY:

14th Continental Essay Competition for the year 2026/2027 Theme—”Advancing Intra-African Trade through Conformity Assessment and Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs)—Unlocking the Full Potential of the Cotton-to-Clothing Value Chain under the AfCFTA“

University and College Students under the age of 35 years eligible to participate

Enrolled in an accredited tertiary institution in an African Union Member State at the time of submission.

Aged 35 years or below as at the essay submission deadline

Open to students of all disciplines

May submit only one essay for consideration; group or co-authored submissions are not eligible.

Comply with Copyright Rules and AI Ethical Use Practice listed herein

Essay Guidelines

Length: 1,000 – 1,200 words, excluding references, cover page, and appendices.

Language: English or French

Essays must be original, unpublished works. Plagiarized or substantially AI-generated submissions will be disqualified upon detection; sources must be properly referenced using a consistent citation style (e.g., APA).

Submitted as a Word (.docx) document, size 12 font, 1.5-line spacing, with a separate cover page bearing the student’s name, institution, country, and contact details. The essay body itself should not bear the author’s name or institution to support blind judging.

Essays must be submitted through the National Coordinator in the student’s country of study; direct submissions to the ARSO Secretariat will be referred to the relevant National Coordinator.

Kindly attach a copy of the Identity Card or Passport and a completely filled Registration Form (ARSO/CACO/EC/Form 1/2026).

Download the Concept Note – Download Here English | Download Here French

Download the Registration Form – Download Here English | Download Here French

BENEFIT:

Prizes and Recognition

1st Prize: $1000 cash award, certificate of excellence, and public recognition at the ARSO Awards Ceremony.

2nd Prize: $800 Cash award and certificate of excellence.

3rd Prize: $500 Cash award and certificate of excellence.

APPLY

MELTON FOUNDATION GLOBAL SOLVERS ACCELERATION

Application Deadline: 15 November 2026

LOCATION: Germany

Connecting grassroots experiences, empowering social impact practitioners, and unleashing transformative change! The Global Solvers Accelerator is a peer-to-peer learning platform that unites emerging social entrepreneurs from around the world to nurture their leadership capacity, enhance their skills, strengthen their projects, and grow their impact in their local communities and beyond.

ELIGIBILITY:

The Global Solvers Accelerator is for people already working on social, economic, and environmental challenges: grassroots activists, social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, SDG practitioners, action researchers, community organizers, and more. What matters isn’t a person’s title; it’s that they’re already running, co-leading, or actively shaping a project, and want to deepen both the work and themselves.

With that in mind, well-suited candidates:

Are between 20 and 35 years old;

Are actively involved in an ongoing project, enterprise, research effort, movement, or community initiative tied to the SDGs—and can influence the decisions within it;

Have a track record of real social impact;

Want to connect globally, advance sustainable development, and help transform society;

Are curious, open-minded, and forward-thinking team players who are at ease working with people from different cultures, backgrounds, and identities—online and in person;

Bring a sharing mindset and a readiness to learn, unlearn, and relearn with peers worldwide;

Have sufficient English language skills to take full part in every aspect of the program;

Can commit roughly 4 hours per week to the program, including online engagement, regular meet-ups, and project-based assignments;

Can attend the week-long Global Solvers Co-Lab (3–10 July 2027, in Germany, fully funded);

Are eager to draw on the Melton Foundation’s global network to strengthen impact and practice global citizenship in local communities.

Beyond the checklist, this program is for people who want to move past showcasing their project and dig into the questions beneath it; who let the process challenge and change them as much as they hope to challenge and change the world around them. It isn’t only about what participants have already achieved; it’s about the mindset they bring: participants show up consistently and authentically, ready to question their own work and to give to the learning community as much as they take from it.

Much of the program is cross-cultural and cross-sector, so it asks for openness, curiosity, and a genuine willingness to learn alongside people from diverse backgrounds, identities, and realities.

BENEFIT:

At the Global Solvers Accelerator, everyone contributes—also financially. The program fee is 900 USD, which you will need to pay only if selected for the program. Scholarships covering 20%, 50%, or 80% of the program fee are available to participants with proven need.

If required, you must request a scholarship as part of your application form.

Melton Senior Fellowship:

Senior Fellow Orientation: December 2027 (Tentative)

Participants who successfully complete the program will be formally inducted into the lifelong Melton Senior Fellowship during this final orientation.

APPLY