Call for Applications: 4YBY PERSISTENCE Creative Challenge 2025

Are you passionate about strengthening health systems and ready to help change the future of adolescent HIV prevention? If you care about youth-friendly services and want your voice heard, this competition is for you.

Public health workers and community teams face growing challenges—limited resources, shifting priorities, and burnout.

4YBY invites young people across Nigeria to help identify concrete, creative ways the health workforce can persist in delivering youth-friendly HIV self-testing and prevention services as we approach World AIDS Day 2025.

About 4 Youth by Youth (4YBY)

Since 2018, 4YBY has partnered with communities, youth groups, and health professionals to co-create HIV prevention services that actually work for young people.

This year’s competition seeks youth-generated ideas and creative expressions that show how we can support the workforce to overcome barriers and sustain youth-friendly HIV services.

Theme

PERSISTENCE

Central Question:

How might we persist in providing youth-friendly HIV self-testing and prevention services?

Who Can Enter

• Open to young people resident in Nigeria, aged 14–24.
• Individual or team submissions accepted.
• No prior experience required — youth from all backgrounds are encouraged to participate.

What You Can Submit

We accept all creative formats that communicate your idea clearly and powerfully:

• Essays, letters, or opinion pieces
• Storytelling or personal testimony
• Short videos or vlogs
• Artwork, photography, or illustrations
• Poetry, spoken word, or music
• Mixed-media formats (audio + visuals)
• Any other creative format that captures your idea

(When submitting media, include links or attachments as instructed in the submission form.)

Why You Should Apply

Share your story and solutions because your voice matters. Entry benefits include:

1. Increased visibility for your work and ideas
2. A chance to contribute to national public health efforts
3. A platform to showcase creativity (writing, art, video, music, etc.)
4. Influence how the health workforce is supported to persist
5. Connect with a global network of public health professionals

Prizes & Recognition

Top three winners will receive cash prizes:

• 1st Place: ₦250,000
• 2nd Place: ₦150,000
• 3rd Place: ₦100,000

Additional benefits:

• Recognition across 4YBY social media channels
• Opportunity to influence HIV prevention programming and policy
• Exposure to public health practitioners and networks

Judging Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated anonymously by a panel of subject-matter experts using these criteria:

• Relevance: Does the entry clearly show ways to persist through barriers to youth-friendly HIV self-testing and prevention services?
• Clarity: Is the idea well explained and easy to understand?
• Innovation: Is the approach original, creative, or fresh?
• Feasibility & Sustainability: Can the idea be realistically implemented and sustained over time?

Important Dates & Timeline

• Webinar (Intro + Q&A): November 1, 2025
• Submission Deadline: November 17, 2025
• Shortlist Notification (Top 10 invited to pitch): November 24, 2025 (via email)
• Pitch Presentations & Awards (4YBY Annual World AIDS Day Event): December 1, 2025

The top ten entries (highest cumulative scores) will be invited to pitch at the World AIDS Day event.

How to Submit

Method 1 — Online Form

• Complete and submit the Google Form (link below).
• If you include images, audio, or video, provide links (e.g., YouTube, Google Drive) or upload per form instructions.

Method 2 — WhatsApp Submission

• Download and complete the offline submission form.
• Send your filled form and any supporting files via WhatsApp to +234 909 049 6884.
• You may forward images, audio files, or short video clips alongside your form.

Submission Content Checklist

• Your entry (essay, media files, artwork, etc.)
• Completed submission form (online or offline)
• Contact email and phone number for shortlisted notification (kept separate for anonymity during judging)
• Confirm you have removed any identifying information from the submitted entry (see rules below)

Contest Rules & Terms

1. Anonymous review: Do not include names, organization names, or identifying information in your entry. Personal contact details should be provided separately where requested.
2. Original work only: Submissions previously published, accepted elsewhere, or under consideration by other outlets are not eligible. This includes print and online media, blogs, anthologies, and social media posts.
3. No AI-written content: Avoid using AI tools to write your submission. Entries that rely on AI in ways that violate the rules may be disqualified.
4. Rights: By entering, you grant 4YBY permission to use all or part of your work for publications, marketing, social media, and program materials. You will be credited unless you opted for anonymity.
5. Compliance: Entries failing to follow the rules may be disqualified at any stage of the process.
6. Decision: The judges’ decisions are final.

Tips for a Strong Submission

• Address the central question directly and concretely.
• Use real examples or scenarios to show practicality.
• Be clear, concise, and compelling—tell a story or show impact.
• For multimedia, ensure good audio/video quality and include short descriptions or captions.
• Proofread and check originality before submitting.

Support & Contact