Meet 17 African Social Entrepreneurs Addressing Maternal & Child Health in Sub-Saharan Africa

The healthymagination Mother and Child Program—launched in March 2016 by GE and Santa Clara University’s Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship to address maternal and child mortality by supporting African social entrepreneurs operating in the health sector—has taken the first big step toward achieving its objective: selecting the first group of social enterprises that will receive training and mentoring.

“Social innovations and entrepreneurs in the health sector have in recent years yielded sustainable solutions to some of the world’s biggest health challenges,” said Jay Ireland, GE Africa president and CEO. “It is for this reason that the healthymagination Mother and Child program is focusing on training and mentoring social entrepreneurs working on increasing the quality, access and affordability of maternal and child health in sub-Saharan Africa, thereby enabling more women and children to experience better health.”

The initial workshop will be followed by a six-month, online accelerator program, where mentorship will be provided by high-profile Silicon Valley-based executives who have themselves undergone mentorship training by Miller Center. This accelerator and mentorship program will culminate in a “Premier Pitch” event in Africa where the 17 participants will present their respective enterprises to an audience of potential investors.

This training and mentoring blends Silicon Valley entrepreneurial principles with venture impact investing utilizes Miller Center’s Global Social Benefit Institute (GSBI®) methodology, which has been proven and refined through 12 years of working with more than 570 social enterprises worldwide. Participants will also be introduced to GE’s portfolio of products; hence they will gain specialized support and training on technologies and resources for the maternal and child health sector.

• Access Afya, Kenya, Dr. Daphne Ngunjiri;
• ayzh, Kenya, Habib Anwar and Zubaida Bai;
• Health Builders, Rwanda, Tyler Nelson;
• Health-E-Net, Kenya, Pratap Kumar;
• Hewa Tele, Kenya, Steve Alred Adudans;
• LifeNet International, Uganda, Burundi and DRC, Stefanie Weiland;
• Live Well Social Enterprise Business, Zambia, Charles Kalonga;
• Lwala Community Alliance, Kenya, Julius Mbeya and Ash Lauren Rogers;
• Nurture Africa, Uganda, Brian Iredale;
• Outreach Medical Services, Nigeria, Dr. Segun Ebitanmi;
• Peach Health, Ghana; Cobby Amoah;
• PurpleSource Healthcare, Nigeria, Olufemi Sunmonu;
• SaferMom, Nigeria, Adeloye Olanrewaju;
• Telemed Medical Services, Ethiopia, Yohans Emiru;
• The Shanti Uganda Society, Uganda, Natalie Angell-Besseling;
• Tulip Imaging, Kenya, Matthew Rehrig;
• Village Hopecore International, Kenya, Anne Gildea