Aduragbemi Omiyale
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Ten young African social innovators from Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and others have been empowered with seed funding of up to $50,000 by Sahara Group Foundation, the corporate social sustainability vehicle for Sahara Group.
They were chosen from the 20 innovators who participated in a rigorous six-month fellowship of the Sahara Impact Fund Fellowship programme in its third edition.
The beneficiaries, who emerged as the top 10 participants, have been awarded $5,000 each in seed funding to support the expansion of their socially impactful businesses.
The top ten recipients of this year’s seed funding include Paul Nnaluo of Gas Monkey (Nigeria), Kehinde Fashola of Fizzle Power Tech Limited (Nigeria), Muideen Adegoke of DigitAgric Integrated Limited (Nigeria), Andrew Mpashi of Twalima Agro Solutions Limited (Zambia), and Philipo Kitungano of Kigoma Eco-cultural Tourism Enterprise (Tanzania).
Others are Ainomugisha Shifra of SOLAFAM Uganda (Uganda), Joyce Rugano of EcoRich Solutions (Kenya), Muofhe Ratshikombo of Oumie’s Grandè (South Africa), Timothy Munthali of Tawonga Cooking Oil Processing Enterprise (Malawi) and Jolis Nduwimana of WEGE Company (Burundi).
Speaking at the programme’s closing ceremony, the Director of Sahara Group Foundation, Ms Ejiro Gray, commended the Fellows for their remarkable dedication and resilience throughout the program.
“The Sahara Impact Fund Fellowship Programme was established to bolster Africa’s development by identifying and empowering young, creative social innovators working to create sustainable environments and bridge the energy gap in Africa,” she said.
Also speaking, the Executive Director for LEAP Africa, Ms Kehinde Ayeni, encouraged the beneficiaries to persevere in their commitment to innovation and social progress, noting that the investment in their growth by Sahara Group Foundation and LEAP Africa reflects confidence in their potential and the power of their ideas to advance Africa’s development.
Speaking on behalf of the graduating fellows, Paul Nnaluo thanked the Sahara Group Foundation and LEAP Africa for this inspiring learning experience.
He expressed gratitude for the invaluable knowledge and skills acquired during the fellowship and pledged to utilize them for meaningful change.
The Sahara Impact Fund Fellowship programme launched in 2020, has directly invested in over 50 African social innovators.
