What is The HarDDA Initiative?
HarDDA is short for Harnessing the Demographic Dividend of Africa.
Demographic Dividend (DD): a simple definition
DD is an economic boost which occurs when the members of the working age population of a country, are able to simultaneously generate enough income to takes care of their needs and those of their dependants (the elderly and the children), while still saving and investing, throughout their economically productive years. To achieve this, the population needs to move from having high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates.
To learn more, please watch Mama HarDDA explain DD in simple terms.
Members of Afriyan and Students of Monash SA playing the DD Game
Who we are:
Chineme Ozumba: the initiator and coordinator of the program started the program in 2015, as a sessional lecturer in Public Health at Monash South Africa. She worked with a team of vibrant volunteers from the South African campus of Monash University Australia to promote DD knowledge among their peers. They formed the HarDDA MonashSA cell. She is also working to promote the DD knowledge beyond the borders of South Africa through various collaborations.
What we do:
Educate people in Africa about the Demographic Dividend (DD) and related concepts. However, we recognise the capacity of students of higher institutions to expedite DD knowledge within their networks.
Why we do what we do:
We believe that:
Africa's huge youth population has the potential to yield a DD if properly harnessed...but if not, it could result in chaos.
A 'DD-mindset' among African youth is necessary for ownership and achievement of the Africa's DD Agenda [A DD-mindset is a decision to achieve a 'personal DD' against all odds].
ADD-mindset can be achieved in our young people through engaging workshops, presentations and media
We can do this. Tell someone today about HarDDA, share our website, share the video, start a HarDDA cell, send us your stories.
LET'S HarDDA TOGETHER!