Eight African social entrepreneurs have been selected among the latest cohort of Echoing Green Fellows, giving them access to funding and support to develop solutions addressing some of the continent’s most urgent challenges.
The selected entrepreneurs are part of a global cohort of 17 individuals. Each Fellow will receive $100,000 in seed capital, capacity-building support and lifelong access to Echoing Green’s global community. The initiative is expected to strengthen early-stage social enterprises working in areas including healthcare, water, education, food security, climate and employment.
Echoing Green, which has supported more than 1,000 leaders and social impact organisations through its Fellowship programme, said the latest group represents the potential of social entrepreneurship to create practical solutions to major social problems.
Echoing Green CEO and 1992 Fellow Cheryl Dorsey said the diversity of the selected leaders shows how social entrepreneurship can contribute to positive change. She said the organisation was pleased to invest in the entrepreneurs at an early stage to help accelerate their impact.
African entrepreneurs tackling major challenges
Adeola Ayoola
Famasi, Nigeria
Ayoola is focused on improving healthcare for people living with chronic illnesses in underserved markets. Through Famasi, the goal is to transform pharmacies into a reliable first point of care, helping people access the support they need while increasing the life expectancy of those managing long-term conditions.
Abakar Mahamat
O’Nadif, Chad
Mahamat is working to improve access to safe drinking water in low-income communities in Chad. O’Nadif plans to develop community-run, pay-per-use water services designed to make reliable water more accessible while creating a sustainable local model.
Caleb Nduna
Ona AI, Kenya
Kioko is addressing barriers faced by Deaf and hard of hearing students. Ona AI aims to expand access to digital education by integrating real-time sign language avatars and accessibility data into learning platforms, potentially allowing more students to participate in digital education.
Faith Kuya
SafeSip, Tanzania
Kuya is tackling the water crisis affecting women in rural Africa through SafeSip. Her initiative will establish autonomous, solar-powered filtration hubs known as “WaterBanks”, providing affordable water around the clock while supporting community-led economic independence.
Irene Etyang
MAMLO FOOD, Kenya
Funded with support from TWILA, Etyang is focused on increasing incomes for marginalised women smallholder farmers. MAMLO FOOD plans to use community-based micro-factories to process locally produced raw ingredients into market-ready food products, allowing farmers to capture more value from their produce.
Building economic and environmental opportunities
Hellen Munyasa
Helton Traders Limited, Uganda
Munyasa is addressing plastic pollution by turning plastic waste into affordable sewing thread for textile traders. The initiative seeks to reduce plastic waste in heavily polluted areas while creating a useful product from discarded materials.
Mohamed Ali Diini
Iftin Global, Somalia and Kenya
Diini is working with young people in communities affected by violence and poverty. Iftin Global combines economic opportunity programmes with trauma-informed education and mental health support to help young people overcome barriers to employment and reduce cycles of poverty.
Abeer AbuGhaith
MENA Alliances, Middle East and North Africa
AbuGhaith is focused on improving career opportunities for women and young professionals in conflict-affected MENA communities. MENA Alliances connects them with global employers and professional networks, creating pathways to employment and economic security.
The Fellowship forms part of Echoing Green’s wider effort to support entrepreneurs at the early stages of developing solutions to social problems. For the eight African Fellows, the funding, resources and international network could provide important support as they expand initiatives designed to improve livelihoods and access to essential services across their communities.
