Sahara Group Foundation, the corporate social sustainability vehicle for leading energy and infrastructure conglomerate, Sahara Group, in partnership with LEAP Africa, a youth-focused leadership development non-profit organisation and Impact Amplifier, a South Africanbased advisory firm, has announced 20 social innovators from across Africa to be part of its 2023 Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) Fellowship programme. With a focus on increasing access to energy and promoting sustainable environments, the Sahara Impact Fund programme attracted over 300 applications from 19 African countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda, according to a press release. The statement said that SIF Fellowship programme, which was launched in 2020, aims to empower visionary African changemakers with the knowledge and resources required to expand their social enterprises and help address the environmental and social challenges affecting our society. Speaking at the induction ceremony of the new Fellows, Ejiro Gray, Director, Sahara Group Foundation stated: “We are thrilled to kick off the third Cohort of our Sahara Impact Fund Fellowship programme with this new set of inspiring social entrepreneurs and innovators who are committed to accelerating Africa’s development with their bold and innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirit.” In her congratulatory message to the twenty inducted Fellows, Gray commended the Fellows for choosing to create business models that support the growth of our society.
She asked them to take advantage of the Fellowship courses, workshop, mentorship, peer support, and networking opportunities, to build themselves and their social enterprises, to deliver widespread sustainable impact. This year’s SIF Fellows include, from Nigeria, Stanley Anigbogu, Oluwaseyi Moejoh, Kehinde Fashola, Emmanuella Azegba, Muideen Adegoke, Chidozie Igweilo, Joshua Attat, Osato El- Osemwingie, and Paul Nnaluo. Others include Patience Alifo(Ghana), Philipo kitungano(Tanzania), Erick Mbeva(Kenya), Joyce Rugano(Kenya), Jolis Nduwimana(Burundi), Kachigo Zulu(Zambia), Andrew Mpashi(Zambia), Timothy Munthali(Malawi), Ainomugisha Shifira(Uganda), Tukwatanise Bonnita(Uganda) and Muofhe Ratshikombo(South Africa). In her remarks to the newly inducted Fellows, the Executive Director, LEAP Africa, Kehinde Ayeni, stated that: “The most promising leaders are those who dare to challenge the status quo and envision a brighter future for the African continent.”
She congratulated the Fellows on their induction, following a competitive application process and challenged them to leverage the Fellowship towards shaping Africa’s future. Also addressing the Fellows at the induction ceremony, Nnamdi Ehirim, Project Associate, Impact Amplifiers, congratulated the new Fellows and urged them to immerse themselves in the Fellowship, as it possesses the potential to transform their mindsets positively as well as equiping them with the proven methodologies required to help strengthen their business models.
The Sahara Impact Fund Fellowship programme exposes Fellows to capacity building and investment readiness modules that support business expansion and allows them to create sustainable impact in society. The programme is also set up to reward outstanding Fellows at the end of the Fellowship with a seed funding of $5000. This financial investment was created to support the social innovators with the resources they require to scale their business model
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