A TANZANIAN, JENNIFER SHIGOLI WINS 2016 AFRICAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD IN CASABLANCA, MOROCCO

BMCE Bank of Africa has announced the winners of the second edition of the African Entrepreneurship Award, which allocates $1-million each year.

A Tanzanian, Jennifer Shigoli, was among 11 winners of the second edition of 2016 African Entrepreneurship Award in Casablanca, Morocco.The award ceremony, chaired by President Othman Benjelloun, was held on 5 December 2016 to compensate the most significant and sustainable businesses in the award’s three categories: education, environment and uncharted.

Among the 37 finalists who participated to the Boot Camp held in Casablanca from 30 November to 3 December 2016, 11 winners were selected by a presidential jury.

The winners are as follows:

First place – $150 000

• Environment: Mahmud Johnson – Liberia – “Oil Palm products”
• Education: Jennifer Shigoli – Tanzania – “Reusable Sanitary Pads

Second place – $100 000

• Environment: Ernie Aylward – South Africa “Electric mini-cabs”
• Education: AbideenAdelu – Nigeria – “Mobile application for students”
• Uncharted: Joyce Kyalema – Uganda – “Pumpkin food”

Pioneer Awards – $50 000

• Frederico Peres da Silva – Mozambique – “Connect blue-collar, informal workers to customers”
• Achiri Nji – Cameroon – “Live status updates on road conditions”
• Benti Gelalcha – Ethiopia – “Veterinary Ambulatory Clinical Services”
• Murtula Sanni – Nigeria – “Online platform for skilled workers”
• Omar Kadiri – Morocco – “Free phone credit”.

President Benjelloun, at the ceremony, said the award was to compensate the most significant and sustainable businesses in the categories.

The statement added that the event marked “a fundamental turning point for African entrepreneurship”.

The African Entrepreneurship Award was announced in November 2014 in Marrakesh at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit to promote entrepreneurship.

The award was also to inspire entrepreneurs to launch and scale up businesses, create jobs and improve lives in Africa.

Jennifer Shigoli
Tanzania – Startup
Education Category

Keeping Girls in School in Tanzania

Jennifer Shigoli’s inventiveness and insistence keeps girls in school. The entrepreneur from Tanzania designs and manufactures reusable sanitary pads. With Elea Reusable Sanitary Pads, Jennifer is “committed to help women and girls break the barriers that menstruation creates in their lives.” The goal is simple, but impactful: provide affordable pads and keep girls in school.

Elea Pads are produced in Tanzania and packaged with information on hygiene. Jennifer says that “about 65% of women and girls in Tanzania cannot afford disposable sanitary pads.” Many resort to non-hygienic alternatives every month. The multiplying effects of affordability and absenteeism exacerbate drop out rates and young women falling further behind. With Elea, these barriers are no more. She says that “among piloted users of ELEA pads…only 5% of the respondents were unable to attend school during menstruation.”

In addition to keeping girls in school, her manufacturing process employs dozens of women. And, after winning the African Entrepreneurship Award, she plans to scale her business to increase her impact.