14 organizations have been selected to be in the programme’s second cohort of social entrepreneurs and accelerate maternal health outcomes across Africa with impact areas including, Benin, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and more.
The 14 social enterprises include Afya Research Africa – STONE HMIS®, Cedars Diagnostics, doctHERs, Early Reach, Liberian Energy Network, Maternity Foundation, MDaaS, MOBicure, Neopenda, Sevamob, Sisu Global Health, Southlake Medical Centre – under LiveWell, SubQ Assist and Totohealth Tanzania.
The programme dubbed the healthymagination Mother and Child Programme was launched in March 2016 by GE and Santa Clara University’s Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship to continue to accelerate health innovations in Sub-Saharan Africa. The selected social enterprises will receive training and mentorship aimed at improving and accelerating maternal and/or child health outcomes in Africa.
According to Farid Fezoua, President & CEO, GE Healthcare Africa, “Nurturing a vibrant social entrepreneurship ecosystem is key for sustainable healthcare development and is a major focus area for GE in Africa. Through their various initiatives to strengthen mother and child care, these social entrepreneurs are bringing innovative approaches to tackle some of Africa’s biggest challenges and this is truly exciting.”
By leveraging GE’s domain expertise and the business-building skills imparted by Miller Center’s Silicon Valley mentors, the organizations will receive mentorship and guidance to acquire business fundamentals, improve their strategic thought processes, and articulate business plans that demonstrate impact, growth and long-term financial sustainability.
The kick-off workshop will be followed by a six-month, online accelerator programme with in-depth mentorship from Silicon Valley-based executives and local GE business leaders. The accelerator and mentorship programme will culminate in a “Premier Pitch” event in Africa where the 14 organizations will present their respective enterprises to an audience of potential investors.
Robert Wells, Executive Director of healthymagination, “Solving local health challenges calls for locally-adapted interventions and innovations, and Social Entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa are playing a major role in this regard. The healthymagination Mother and Child programme will continue to provide them with mentorship and in-depth training, accelerating health innovation and furthering our goal to increase the quality, access and affordability of maternal and child health.”
Related posts
