Local community leaders need to submit their best community-growth ideas ASAP as ambassadorship search draws to a close

LG Electronics’ Global Ambassador Challenge is underway and still open to Gauteng-based residents with innovative and sustainable ideas aimed at empowering their communities. Entries are open until Sunday, 12 February, so time is running out for NGOs and individuals to enter. [To enter the LG Global Ambassador Challenge, submit your proposal here.] 

The winners will be announced at a media event and ceremony at the LG headquarters in Midrand, Gauteng on the 22 February. Each winner will receive a grant of almost R150 000 to fund their community-enriching projects and stand to be recognised as official LG ambassadors.

The challenge – the company’s annual corporate social responsibility initiative – promotes sustainable solutions to help solve social issues in South African communities. In partnership with Friends of Hope, Korea Food for the Hungry International (KFHI) and global NGO Friends of Hope, the challenge takes place in six countries on three continents and calls for talented participants from various fields including digital education, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and design.

The LG Electronics Global Ambassador Challenge was successfully launched in South Africa in 2022, and this year, LG aims to increase the number of entrants from NGOs and community projects for increased community development in Gauteng.

President of LG South Africa, Jinkook Kang said, “The inspiring response to last year’s challenge informs us of a pressing need for community development in South Africa. At the heart of these communities are brilliant minds who hold key innovations for a healthy and sustainable future. We are eager to collaborate with residents and leaders and encourage them to share their visions of social upliftment with us so that together, we can make them impactful realities.”

The three winners of the 2022 challenge were notable examples of projects encompassing transformative innovation from communities in Soweto and Pretoria. Cavall-Ann Elliott’s project aims to empower young people with digital education, Annette Hole of Keagile Project Partners hopes to change her community with an agriculture project, and Sarah Shkaidy looks to provide community members with the tools and resources to live sustainably by starting a bakery.

To enter the LG Global Ambassador Challenge, submit your proposal here. For more information on the initiative and for any queries, contact June Lee at civetjun@gmail.com.

Once winners are selected, the initiative will run from March to July 2023, during which time the winners will work directly with KFHI representatives to develop and realise their projects.