In a dynamic stride towards advancing sustainable development across the African continent, the Sahara Group Foundation, the personal and corporate social sustainability vehicle for Sahara Group, a leading energy and infrastructure conglomerate has embarked on an inspiring journey of empowerment of young African social innovators through its Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) Fellowship programme.
The Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) Fellowship programme, a social empowerment initiative in partnership with LEAP Africa and Impact Amplifier was created in 2020 to empower young African social innovators helping to increase access to clean energy and promote sustainable environments across the continent, with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to deliver widespread impact.
At the end of the Fellowship programme, the top ten (10) outstanding Fellows each receive a seed funding of $5,000 to support their businesses. Alumni’s who have received this funding in the past have gone on to strengthen their social enterprises, allowing them the opportunity to deliver sustainable solutions to many more people and communities withing and beyond their locality.
This year’s SIF seed funding recipients are: Kehinde Fashola, Founder, Fizzle Power Tech Limited, (Nigeria), Andrew Mpashi, Co-Founder, Twalima Agro Solutions Limited, (Zambia), Paul Nnaluo, Founder, Gas Monkey, (Nigeria), Muideen Adegoke, Founder, DigitAgric Integrated Limited, (Nigeria), Joyce Rugano, Founder, EcoRich Solutions, (Kenya), Muofhe Ratshikombo, CEO, Oumie’s Grandè, (South Africa).
Others include Philipo Kitungano, Founder, Kigoma Eco-cultural Tourism Enterprise (Tanzania), Ainomugisha Shifra, Founding Director, SOLAFAM Uganda, (Uganda), Jolis Nduwimana, Executive Director, WEGE Company (Burundi). and Timothy Munthali, Founder, Tawonga Cooking Oil Processing Enterprise, (Malawi).
Sahara Group Foundation has so far in the last three years invested directly invested in over fifty young African social innovators. The Foundation’s commitment to building sustainable societies is evident in its dedication to identifying and empowering innovators with ideas and businesses that support a sustainable Africa.
Speaking at the close out ceremony of the 2023 SIF programme, the Executive Director, Sahara Group Foundation, Ejiro Gray, celebrated 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 viable and sustainable solutions to prevalent problems in Africa.”
Ejiro Gray congratulated all twenty Fellows for completing the programme successfully and advised them to apply the knowledge and skills gained to deliver lasting impact across Africa through their businesses. She commended those who received the seed funding and urged them to nurture the seed into a healthy tree.
To learn more about the Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) Fellowship programme please visit www.saharagroupfoundation.org and connect with us on LinkedIn with the Foundation’s name: Sahara Group Foundation, while on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter it is @iamsaharafdn.
Sahara Group Foundation through impactful initiatives like the Sahara Impact Fund programme, the Sahara STEAMers programme, the Sahara Sustainable Policing Projects, and the Go-Recycling Initiative, is helping to create a more equitable and sustainable Africa for today and future generations.
