Launched in 2010, Solve for Tomorrow is Samsung’s global corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme for young people, helping them use science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to address challenges in their communities. Through education and mentoring, students learn to identify problems, develop ideas and build and refine prototypes. The global ambassador initiative gives them opportunities to present their work internationally.

The activities in Dakar build on Samsung and the IOC’s collaboration on SFT’s Sport & Tech theme and their joint delivery of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Impact Programme. On an Olympic stage where young athletes challenge themselves and grow, the two organisations are giving young innovators an opportunity to present their ideas, learn from others and take the next steps in their development.

“The commitment we made together with the IOC at Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games was a promise to give young people opportunities to discover what they can achieve through technology and sport,” said Eddie Cho, Head of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics. “In Dakar, that promise starts to take shape. The ambassadors began by tackling problems in their schools and neighbourhoods; now they are sharing their solutions with the world. We will continue this collaboration with the IOC to help young people build on what they learn, gain confidence and make a greater difference in their communities.”

“The Youth Olympic Games are about much more than competition. They are an opportunity for young people to challenge themselves, learn from one another and experience the Olympic values of friendship, respect and excellence,” said James Macleod, Olympism365 Director, IOC. “Together with Samsung, we are committed to supporting young people take that spirit beyond the field of play and into their everyday lives and communities. Bringing Solve for Tomorrow ambassadors together with the youth in Dakar is a wonderful opportunity for them to share their ideas, learn from each other and see what is possible when creativity, technology and sport come together. We hope they leave Dakar inspired by one another, with new connections and even greater confidence in their ability to make a positive difference.”

Three Solve For Tomorrow teams experience Dakar 2026

“We wanted to do something about the problems we saw around us,” said Ela Aksoy of Oilsorb, Türkiye. “Through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, we learned technical skills and worked with mentors to keep improving our idea until it became a working solution. We are proud to demonstrate what we have built in Dakar.”

“Taking part in Solve for Tomorrow in Dakar has been such a fun experience,” said Kukhanya Mbebe of Brick Beast, South Africa. “I really enjoyed meeting students from different countries, hearing about their projects and sharing our own experiences. My favourite part was getting to know the other students and exchanging ideas. We came from different places, but it was easy to connect through our projects.”

“We want to use the feedback we receive here to develop technology that can help more people,” said Ela Aksoy. “I’m taking home new ideas and great memories from Dakar,” said Kukhanya Mbebe.

Solve For Tomorrow Exhibition at Dakar 2026

At the SFT exhibition, organised in cooperation with the IOC at the Corniche West Live Site, visitors could explore the SFT ambassadors’ solutions and hear about the challenges they faced and how they refined their ideas. By discussing their work and exchanging feedback with people from different backgrounds, these young people can consider how their technology might serve a wider range of needs. The exhibition is part of a wider conversation and shared learning experience at Dakar 2026. The exhibition is scheduled to run through November 13, 2026.

During the exhibition opening, through the panel discussion: “Youth at the Heart of Global Transformation”, Samsung shared with the Senegalese students the SFT programme’s objectives to encourage young people to solve problems through technology and sport, highlighting how young people can use sport and the Olympic spirit in taking on challenges and working together in everyday life.

As part of the programme the ambassadors also met with IOC Young Leaders from Kenya and Lebanon for a knowledge exchange workshop with focus on social challenges of young people in Africa. SFT students who have used technology to tackle local problems will exchange experiences with IOC Young Leaders who have used sport to bring about change in their communities. After the workshop, the students have also visited the “Olympic Social Impact booth presented by IOC Young Leaders” in the Youth Olympic Village to learn about athlete experience engagement.

From Paris to LA, supporting the next steps for young innovators

Samsung and the IOC first introduced SFT ambassadors at Paris 2024 and affirmed their shared commitment to developing future talent at Milano Cortina 2026 and beyond.

In August 2026, they jointly launched the Solve For Tomorrow Impact Programme to support young innovators in developing their ideas and putting them to use in their communities and this programme will run until end of January 2028. As the Samsung’s Olympic partnership continues toward the LA28 Games, Samsung and the IOC plan to sustain their collaboration on SFT’s Sport & Tech theme and the SFT Impact Programme.

As a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner, Samsung Electronics is supporting the Games with Galaxy technology; from Victory Selfie and broadcast integrations to the Samsung Open Station, an experience space inside the Youth Olympic Village. Having supported the Youth Olympic Games since the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010, Samsung has gone beyond technology at Dakar 2026 to support young athletes’ personal growth as well.

For the athletes competing at Dakar 2026, reaching the Olympic stage is the result of years of dedication. But some of the most lasting lessons came from what happened along the way — overcoming setbacks, building resilience, discovering what matters beyond results.

That is why, on 03 November, Samsung hosted “Beyond the Medal: Your Journey Shapes What Comes Next,” a mentoring session at the Samsung Open Station inside the Youth Olympic Village. By bringing in athletes who have walked the Olympic path before them, the session aimed to inspire pride and motivation in the next generation — and to share the spirit of openness at the heart of Samsung’s Olympic partnership.

Two IOC Athlete Role Models ¹– Senegalese canoe slalom Olympian, Jean-Pierre Bourhis (31) and Ugandan swimmer, Jamila Lunkuse (29) – joined New Zealand tennis bronze medallist Marcus Daniell (36) for a conversation with young athletes.

Moderated by Lefa Makgato, CSR Manager at Samsung Electronics Africa – the session brought the three mentors together with 28 young athletes from 12 countries to share the journeys that shaped them; and offer a guide for exploring where life beyond sport might lead.

Open the Way: Finding Your Own Path

Makgato opened by asking each mentor where their Olympic journey began.

For Bourhis, who represented Senegal at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 and is featured in Samsung’s “Voices of Galaxy: Paddling for the Future,” the dream took shape in 2008, when Togo’s Benjamin Boukpeti won a bronze medal in kayaking at the Beijing Olympics.

“As a kid, I realised an African paddler could reach the podium,” he said. “Rio 2016 showed me that the way could be opened. Now my job is to keep it open for others.”

Lunkuse, who made her Olympic Games debut at 15, recalled that swimming began with friendship rather than ambition. “I wasn’t thinking about medals or the Olympics,” she said. “I just enjoyed being part of something with my friends, and that’s what built my love for the sport.”

Daniell, who ended New Zealand’s 109-year wait for an Olympic tennis medal at Tokyo 2020, pointed to choosing tennis over football at 14. “Because I’d given up a sport I loved, I knew I had to fully commit,” he said.

Break Your Boundaries: Learning Through Challenges

The conversation then turned to the biggest challenges each mentor faced. With almost no whitewater facilities in Senegal, Bourhis had to build his training base in France — while holding down a full-time job as an engineer in electric vehicle repair. “As an engineer, I see a limit as a problem to solve, not a wall,” he said. “I train before work, during lunch or late at night. What keeps me going is purpose.”

Lunkuse spoke openly about the anxiety she faced ahead of Rio 2016. “I became so focused on qualifying times that I no longer enjoyed it,” she said. “It was only when I took time away that I could see what I was going through and what help I needed — and that’s what got me to Rio 2016.”

Daniell described a knee injury in 2022 that kept him out for nearly two years. “What got me through was having something bigger than tennis,” he said. “Everyone fails. Those who last are the ones who learn to pick themselves up when they fall.”

Beyond the Game: Turning Experience Into Opportunity

Finally, Makgato asked how the lessons of sport carried into what came next. Through non-profit work, Bourhis is building a canoeing ecosystem in Senegal. “We’re building it step by step — and building canoes locally makes the sport more affordable, creates local jobs and leaves a lasting legacy,” he said. “I want to give the next generation the tools to build their own way.”

Lunkuse, a youth coach and World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee member, urges young athletes to look beyond results. “Results do not define your value,” she said. Similarly, Daniell – an IOC Athletes’ Commission member and founder of High Impact Athletes, a non-profit connecting athletes with charities – advised: “Look for a goal beyond personal success. For me, that was what kept pushing me forward.”

Opening Possibilities for the Next Generation

▲ Lefa Makgato, CSR Manager at Samsung Electronics Africa, moderated the session. (Copyright: IOC/ Franco Arland)

Makgato closed the session with a story of her own. Growing up in a small township in South Africa, she first encountered a computer at 18 — at one of Samsung’s Solar Powered Internet Schools. She later joined Samsung Electronics Africa, where she now leads CSR programmes across the continent, including Solve for Tomorrow, giving the next generation the kind of opportunity she once received. Having seen first-hand how a single opportunity can change a life, she had good reason to stand before the young athletes that day.

“I know first-hand how access to technology and education opens doors you may never have imagined. Where you are today doesn’t determine where you’re going,” she said. “We wanted to encourage young athletes to stay open to new ideas and recognise the potential they have to shape their own futures.”

1. IOC Athlete Role Models (ARMs) have been part of the Youth Olympic Games since Singapore 2010. Selected by International Federations for each sport, these experienced Olympians stay on site to speak with young athletes and lead workshops on topics such as career management and injury prevention, helping shape the athletes of tomorrow. ︎