Shalisha Samuel, a Vincentian student of Law, has been selected as the 2013 Youth Innovator for Ghana by Youth Challenge International (YCI).{{more}}

YCI is a leading global youth development organization, based in Toronto, Canada, which promotes youth innovation to drive positive change. The organization’s programmes are designed to meet the needs of youth affected by poverty through three integrated sectors: youth livelihoods, youth health and youth leadership.

YCI accomplishes these objectives by engaging youth ages 18 to 30 in overseas volunteer projects. They provide young people with the opportunity to live and work on community-based projects in Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Costa Rica, Guyana, Nicaragua and Vanuatu.

Following a comprehensive application and interview process, Samuel was selected to volunteer with YCI and their local partners in Accra, Ghana, on development projects in the community between June and July.

As the 2013 Youth Innovator, Samuel will teach Monitoring and Evaluation techniques to local staff and student body organizations from 28 tertiary institutions in Ghana.

The students implement projects in their communities, ranging from teaching business skills to beauticians, to facilitating technology transfer for agricultural production in rural communities. The Monitoring and Evaluation project will be carried out in collaboration with ENACTUS: Entrepreneurial Action and Us. ENACTUS is a community of student, academic and business leaders, committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a more sustainable world.

Samuel has a history of development work on behalf of the region. She was instrumental in building the World Intellectual Property Organization’s first Caribbean Unit. She was diligent in streamlining the Unit’s monitoring system, a critical component in results based management. Speaking about the opportunity to volunteer in Ghana, Samuel notes:

“I’m honoured to be selected from such a competitive international pool. I would like to thank my friends and family who has supported this vision, particularly the Youth Challenge International for the opportunity and the Rotary Club of Barbados West for their tremendous support of the trip.”