SAHARA FOIUNDATION EMPOWERS AFRICAN SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS WITH SEED FUNDING

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 organization; and Impact
Amplifier, a social enterprise that accelerates the investment readiness, growth and capital
provision of high impact, innovative social enterprises in Africa.
The objective of the Fellowship is to better equip African social entrepreneurs with the
knowledge and skill sets required to build sustainable businesses, capable of addressing
the continent’s challenges. Faced with challenges such as inadequate energy, waste
management, unemployment, poverty, climate challenges occasioned by drought, flooding,
extreme heat etc. These African social innovators are helping to address Africa’s social
economic issues with their business models.
The need to accelerate Africa’s growth in access to energy and promote sustainable
environments across the continent, inspired the creation of the Sahara Impact Fund
Fellowship programme. We believe that Africa’s biggest challenges need diverse, local
problem solvers and Sahara Foundation is helping to identify and empower these social
solution providers.
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 actualization”.
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.
Speaking on behalf of the recipients, Lazarous Siwelwa from Zambia, expressed excitement
and gratitude on behalf of the 2022 Fellows. Siwelwa thanked Sahara Foundation, Leap
Africa, and Impact Amplifier for putting together such a rewarding experience that exposed
them to quality business knowledge, tools, and networks guaranteed to impact their
businesses for good.
In closing, Uzokwe speaking to the Fellows again, stated, “This is not the end”. The Sahara
Foundation is looking to continue this relationship and we urge you all as ambassadors to
go out there and strengthen your businesses and each other. Leverage this network and
build impactful social enterprises. As social entrepreneurs, Africa’s future depends on your
actions today.

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About Sahara Foundation
The SAHARA FOUNDATION is the personal and corporate responsibility vehicle of energy
conglomerate, Sahara Group with focus on interventions that promote increased access to
energy and sustainable environments.
Sahara Foundation promotes activities targeting sustained (impact driven) societal
wellbeing and touching lives through transformative partnerships, Sahara Foundation
recently realigned its focus areas to 2 key pillars for – Increased Access to Energy and
Sustainable environments.
This was borne out of the necessity for the Foundation to align with the Group’s vision of
bringing energy to life responsibly
About Sahara Group
Sahara Group is a leading international energy and infrastructure conglomerate with
operations in over 42 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Sahara is a
dynamic and transformative leader in various energy sub-sectors via its power (generation
and distribution), downstream, midstream, upstream and infrastructure businesses.
Sahara continues to explore new frontiers; creating innovative and sustainable ways of
bringing energy to life responsibly through the men and women who embody Sahara’s
irrepressible spirit as well as a global network of customers and business partners.

With over 4000 employees from multiple nationalities, Sahara is a uniquely diverse and
inclusive organization committed to delivering innovative energy solutions and promoting
sustainable environmental, social, and governance impact across key national, regional,
and global markets.