Steeped in Waterloo’s entrepreneurial atmosphere that spans technology to social innovation, this team was unique because it did not approach the problem from a westerner’s point of view. Liban and Mariak are both students who came to Canada through the World University Service of Canada Student Refugee Program.
From Liban and Mariak’s personal experiences, the team knew that there was little access to organized sports within Kenyan refugee camps. The team’s solution involved training referees in the camps, organizing tournaments to engage residents, and giving refugees the ability to create their own sports equipment.
Motivated by his experiences, and recognizing that he and Liban have many friends still living in refugee camps, Mariak loved inspiring others and sharing ideas with so many other people. Liban found himself inspired by all the ideas generated by the other teams. Looking to the future, Liban remarked, “We have created an idea ourselves, that we will be able to use as a building block for a real-life business.”
The Hult Prize challenge is the world’s largest student competition for social good. Of the 50 teams participating at Waterloo, this Grebel team placed in the top 10.
