"Apps4Africa Climate Challenge" - Courtesy of American taxpayers

The warmists at US State Department seem to think that Africans - particularly young Africans - have not shown enough interest in global warming/climate change recently. That´s now going to change: The State Department is the main sponsor of a new climate missionary project, "Apps4Africa Climate Challenge":

“This is a fantastic time for engagement on climate issues,” said Mariéme Jamme during a webcast on the Apps4Africa Climate Challenge.
Apps4Africa is a competition that is collecting ideas on ways to use mobile technology to help Africa cope with global warming. There are three regional competitions throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and nine winners will receive cash prizes for suggesting innovative, practical applications for mobile phones, computers or the Web.
Jamme coordinates the Apps4Africa competition for West/Central Africa, one of the three competitions taking place in late 2011 and early 2012. She spoke during a November 3 webcast sponsored by the U.S. State Department, along with State Department Science and Technology Fellow Jeffrey Fox.

By participating in Apps4Africa, “everyone can have their say on climate change issues across Africa,” she said.
“The ultimate goal is to make sure that African people are engaged” in addressing their own climate change issues, Jamme said. “We have been listening to the West quite a lot. I think it’s time for Africans to start taking ownership of the climate change issues we have on our own continent.”
She pointed out that, for the first time, Africa is hosting the annual United Nations climate change conference, which is set for November 28–December 9 in Durban, South Africa. “We cannot go to Durban without having African people deciding on climate change issues,” Jamme said. “I will be happy if someone says, ‘I did participate in Apps4Africa, I had my say, and now I’m not feeling left out.’”

She said Apps4Africa wants young people to become engaged in climate change issues, with help from mobile technology. “We need to decode what climate change means for them,” she said. “Young people say, ‘I’m getting all this information about climate change, but what can I do?’”
“Mobile applications, online, Facebook, Twitter, the radio — all those can help young people understand,” she said.

In each of the three regional Apps4Africa competitions, first-place winners will be awarded $15,000, second place $7,000, and third place $3,000. They may also receive support from Apps4Africa partners, such as help with business plan development, advice or investment.

Read the entire State Department article here

What could be more trendy than to "engage" young Africans by offering them "cash prices for suggesting innovative, practical applications for mobile phones" to help Africa "cope with global warming", people at the State Department seem to think. But in these times of austerity measures at home, the majority of American taxpayers probably would not like to see their money wasted on useless projects like "Apps4Africa".