Sahara Foundation, the personal and corporate social responsibility vehicle for Sahara Group has announced the award of $5000 each as seed funding to African social innovators who have successfully completed its 2022 Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) Fellowship programme.
The beneficiaries of the seed funding include Ayilara Assurance Oluchi, CEO of OnePad Reusable Pad, Nigeria; Lamin Ceesay, CEO of Karakunku Farm, the Gambia; Aminu Moses Rex, CEO Delfak Nigeria Ltd; Claude Albert Moghomaye, CEO, Bertec, Cameroon; Michael Osumune, CEO, Moon Innovations, Nigeria; Adeyemi Tunde, Ceo, D-Olivette Global Enterprise, Nigeria and Olawale Thompson, CEO, Planet Savers Global Ltd, Nigeria.
Other beneficiaries include James Thuch Madhier, South-Sudan; Ligare Allan, Kenya; Siwelwa Lazarous, Zambia; and Gerasia Laurent Andrea, Tanzania.
The three-month Fellowship was organized by Sahara Foundation in collaboration with LEAP AFRICA, a youth-focused leadership development nonprofit organisation; and Impact Amplifier, a social enterprise that accelerates the investment readiness, growth and capital provision of high impact, innovative social enterprises in Africa.
Speaking on the motivation behind the Fund during the SIF close out ceremony, Pearl Uzokwe, Director, Sahara Foundation commented that Sahara Foundation is committed to impacting lives and building sustainable societies across Africa.
She said, “The Sahara Impact Fund was set up to help close the gap in energy equality in Africa, as well as promote sustainable environment through the empowerment of creative social entrepreneurs working to move Africa from a continent of potentials to actualisation.”
Uzokwe urged the social entrepreneurs to use the training and funds received from the programme to advance their business dreams and congratulated all 21 Fellows who participated in this year’s programme.
Also addressing the Fellows at the close out ceremony, Ndidi Nwuneli, Founder, Leap Africa, congratulated the Fellows for successfully completing the programme. Nwuneli implored them to make good use of the knowledge acquired and help improve Africa’s development with their ideas and abilities.
She also thanked Sahara Foundation for powering this initiative and commended their commitment to advancing Social Development Goal (SDG) 17 – Partnership for the Goals.