Sahara
Group Foundation, the corporate social sustainability vehicle for Sahara Group,
continues its unwavering commitment to support young African social innovators
and entrepreneurs. This commitment was underscored by the provision of seed
funding to ten outstanding Fellows from its Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) Fellowship
programme.
The
Sahara Impact Fund Fellowship programme, a social initiative in partnership
with LEAP Africa and Impact Amplifier, was established to empower young African
social innovators whose enterprises are dedicated to improving access to clean
energy and sustainable environments across the continent.
In
its third year, the Sahara Impact Fund Fellowship programme welcomed a total of
twenty Fellows from various African countries who participated in a rigorous
six-month fellowship. The top ten Fellows have each been awarded $5,000 in seed
funding to support the expansion of their socially impactful businesses.
During
the programme's closing ceremony, the Director, Sahara Group Foundation, Ejiro
Gray, commended the Fellows for their remarkable dedication and resilience
throughout the program. She emphasized that "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."
Ejiro
Gray congratulated all twenty Fellows for their program completion and urged
them to apply the knowledge and experiences gained to deliver lasting impact
across Africa through their businesses.
The
top ten recipients of this year's seed funding from West Africa include: Paul
Nnaluo, Founder, Gas Monkey (Nigeria); Kehinde Fashola, Founder, Fizzle Power
Tech Limited (Nigeria); Muideen Adegoke, Founder, DigitAgric Integrated Limited
(Nigeria).
Other
regions’ beneficiaries include Andrew Mpashi, Co-Founder, Twalima Agro
Solutions Limited (Zambia); Philipo Kitungano, Founder, Kigoma Eco-cultural
Tourism Enterprise (Tanzania); Ainomugisha Shifra, Founding Director, SOLAFAM
Uganda (Uganda); Joyce Rugano, Founder, EcoRich Solutions (Kenya); Muofhe
Ratshikombo, CEO, Oumie's Grandè (South Africa); Timothy Munthali, Founder,
Tawonga Cooking Oil Processing Enterprise (Malawi); Jolis Nduwimana, Executive
Director, WEGE Company (Burundi).
Also
speaking at the event, the Executive Director, LEAP Africa, Kehinde Ayeni,
congratulated the Fellows for their successful programme completion and
encouraged them to persevere in their commitment to innovation and social
progress. She emphasized 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.
In
his remarks on behalf of the graduating Fellows, Paul Nnaluo thanked 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 has since its launch in 2020, directly
invested in over 50 African social innovators. Through strategic initiatives
like this, Sahara Group Foundation is dedicated to sustainably improving lives
and livelihoods across Africa.
To
learn more about the Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) Fellowship programme, please
visit www.saharagroupfoundation.org
for additional information. You can also connect with us on Instagram,
Facebook, and Twitter at @iamsaharafdn.