Communications company Telfree has announced that its global head of research and development, Rapelang Rabana, has been appointed as Ambassador for the United Nations’ World Summit Youth Awards (WYSA).

Rapelang has been chosen to encourage young South Africans to take part in the WSYA, an ICT initiative of the United Nations (UN), and thereby receive international recognition for their efforts.

The WSYA selects and promotes the best digital projects, products, applications and services by the youth. It brings these together to strengthen efforts in reducing poverty and hunger, tackling ill-health, gender inequality, lack of education, lack of access to clean water and environmental collapse.  

Promoted throughout 160 UN member states, the WYSA encourages young people to use their knowledge of the internet and mobile devices to create ways to put the UN millennium development goals into action. Entries for the awards unfortunately close quite soon - this Friday 15 July.

Background to the new Ambassador for the United Nations’ WSYA

Rapelang Rabana graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor in Business Science Degree and Honours in Computer Science from the University of Cape Town. Her relationship with the UN World Summit Award initiative began last year. She was the youngest Grand Juror for the United Nations’ World Summit Awards, responsible for assessing more than 400 mobile applications from 100 UN member states.

 

Telfree was awarded the Outstanding Regional Achievement Award for Excellence in Mobile Content at the United Nations World Summit Award (WSA) 2010, for its MzansiSMS product. This was the first time an African mobile company was recognised by the WSA.