Dhaka, 19 September: The Youth Innovation Lab was held September 19, 2024, at the Eden Grand Ballroom of Hotel Amari, Dhaka, Gulshan, organized by the EYE Program under the Child Poverty sector of Save the Children in Bangladesh. This year a total of 20 youth-based teams participated in the boot camp of this innovation lab from five districts (Dhaka, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Satkhira, and Gaibandha) in Bangladesh, presenting innovation solutions on community-based agriculture model, cultivating organic spices to meet household daily needs, home decoration materials development through waste management, turning cigarette waste into resources, feed for domestic animals demonstrating how the youth are tomorrow’s innovators bringing solutions for the most pertinent national challenges today.

Since 2022, Save the Children in Bangladesh has initiated this “Youth Led Innovation Lab” to economically and socially empower marginalized youth. The lab fosters an environment where they are encouraged to think outside the box and initiate innovative solutions to development and humanitarian problems experienced by themselves and their communities. A solution-oriented mindset will ultimately pave the way to create employment opportunities and business opportunities for young people and by young people. The impact of youth-led innovation labs is:

· Inclusion, value practical knowledge, and imagination over technical knowledge

· Focus on the most marginalized youths, which are often overlooked by other innovation initiatives

· Youth-led business solutions to local environmental issues

· Local partners implement the labs at the community level

· Youth groups implement the business plan after the labs through mentorship and market linkage support.

The event brought together key implementing partners and stakeholders, including representatives from the relevant governments and UN agencies, to ensure their voices are heard while shaping the world's future. Save the Children is committed to continuing this youth-led innovation lab every year by developing strong networks with different private sector partners.

Around 55 youths from 5 districts will be joining this event. Dr. Gazi Md. Saifuzzaman, Director General, Department of Youth Development, will attend the event as the chief guest. Md. Khorshed Alam, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Selima Ahmad, President, Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce, and Ms. Nadeea Khandker, General Manager, Sustainability, Robi attend this event at the special guests.

Dr. Gazi Md. Saifuzzaman, Director General (Grade-1), Department of Youth Development,  “Innovation is necessary in all spheres of life as it makes life easy and beautiful.”. Tania Sharmin, Director-Child Poverty, Save the Children in Bangladesh, said, “We have been working to empower the youth through our Youth Innovation Lab since 2021. We believe that with the right guidance and support, they will be capable of building themselves and better the society as a whole. We will continue to work towards that goal.”

Shumon Sengupta, Country Director, Save the Children in Bangladesh, “The youth innovation lab not only empowers young people to enquire into their local problems but also helps them develop innovative solutions to address these problems. The aim is to unleash the latent potential of Bangladeshi youth to develop innovative, financially viable solutions to common problems.”