African Social Entrepreneurs Proudly Leading Africa’s Transformation

Date:

Share post:

African Social Entrepreneurs Proudly Leading Africa's Transformation

There has been a rise in social entrepreneurship in Africa; so we took a closer look. No doubt civil society is indeed the catalyst for social change, and Africa is no exception.

No fundamental social change occurs merely because government acts. It’s because civil society, the conscience of a country, begins to rise up and demand, demand, demand change. Joe Biden

Africans understand this and so over the years, we have seen this demand for change through the emergence of many African social entrepreneurs with start-ups ranging from clean energy to medical help and much more.

Top African Social Entrepreneurs

We decided to take a closer look at these social entrepreneurs and share with you our list of the top social entrepreneurs from Africa.

Ellen Chilemba

First on our list is Ellen Chilemba, who at the age of 22 is already a force to be reckoned with.

Ellen founded her organization, Tiwale, at age 17 in 2012. Tiwale’s aim is to help women escape poverty by empowering them with the relevant education and information through workshops, vocation skills training, and interest-free micro-finance loans.

In a few short years, Tiwale has trained hundreds of women and has helped many of them start successful businesses.

Ellen has been called a powerhouse by Forbes, as well as being named one of their “Africa’s Most Promising Entrepreneurs Under 30”.

Jean Bosco Nzeyimana

Next, is Rwanda born, Jean Bosco Nzeyimana.

At the early age of 19, Jean came up with the idea to process waste into environmentally friendly and affordable fuel in his community.

His company, Habona Ltd collects and sorts trash to create briquettes, organic fertilizers and bio-gas with the aim to reduce the number of people still dependent on charcoal for energy.

Nzeyimana has won many business awards including being named Top Young Entrepreneur of Rwanda and receiving the African Innovation Prize.

Chike Ukaegbu

Educator, entrepreneur, investor, and humanitarian are just some of the words used to describe our next African social entrepreneur, Chike Ukaegbu.

Nigerian born but living in the U.S., he launched the Education and Entrepreneurship Leadership Fund in Nigeria in 2014. This fund has awarded academic scholarships and seed capital to youth entrepreneurs.

He then founded the diversity-focused Startup52 in 2015 with a goal to provide better access to capital and other resources for founders from communities that are not among the ‘usual’ list. Chike is well respected in his field and hailed as an expert by many.

Victor Ochen

Nobel Peace Prize nominee Victor Ochen formed AYINET in 2005 as a way to bring peace to a war-ravaged Uganda.

Born in Northern Uganda, a product of a community displaced by war and a victim touched by war himself, Ochen’s heart was moved by his encounters with those with similar experiences.

These encounters affected change in him and helped him to effect change. The African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET) is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to making peace and justice a reality for victims and survivors of war.

It’s a major initiative being to get victims much needed rehabilitative surgery and to empower youths to leadership.

Gina Din-Kariuki

The Gina Din Group (GDG) founded by Kenyan born Gina Din-Kariuki, is the most awarded agency in Africa. It’s founder and our next entrepreneur, Din-Kariuki, is considered the foremost expert in communications and public relations in Africa.

She serves as a goodwill ambassador for the Red Cross and runs the Gina Din Foundation which empowers youth and women through leadership training, entrepreneurship workshops, and employment opportunities.

The Foundation also seeks to connect youth and women with mentors, global resources and media platforms to propel them towards their goals.

Barclay Okari

Sixth on our list is 22-year-old Barclay Okari. Okari was inspired to found his start-up after volunteering to teach at a small girls’ high school in Western Kenya.

He discovered that many of his students missed classes regularly because they couldn’t afford sanitary napkins. The sadness of this fact and a desire to change it birthed AFRIpads – the inexpensive, reusable, washable sanitary towel.

Impact Africa Industries, Okari’s company, has sold and distributed over one million Safi Pads to low-income women across Uganda and Kenya. This young entrepreneur has turned a $1,500 loan from his parents into a product of impact.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisement -

Related articles

Priscilla Ojo Unveils New Name After Wedding to Tanzanian Artist Juma Jux

Nollywood stars and fans have flooded social media with congratulatory messages following the traditional wedding of Priscilla Ojo,...

African Masterpieces of Literature & Song

The following is our list of the most famous pieces of work about Africa, cutting across: literature politics ...

Best African Singers Heard Around the Globe

So you want to know who the best African singers are? The African continent has given birth to some...

‘We Will Not Be Bullied’: South Africa’s President Responds to U.S. Aid Freeze

Pretoria, South Africa – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has pushed back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision...