World Economic Forum awards five innovative African social entrepreneurs
Five leading innovators were named Africa Social Entrepreneurs of the Year 2012 by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia May 10, 2012.
The awards were presented to the winners by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the WEF.
The winners were Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, co-Founder and Managing Director of soleRebels, Ethiopia; Sameer Hajee, Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda’s Nuru Energy Group; Paul Scott Matthew, African Director of North Star Alliance, South Africa; Andrew Muir, Executive Director, Wilderness Foundation, South Africa and Seri Youlou and Thomas Granier, Co-Founders, Association la Voute Nubienne, Burkina Faso.
The event was witnessed by President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of Nigeria, President Jakaya M. Kikwete of Tanzania, and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia.
The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship was founded in 2000. Since its inception, the Foundation has been identifying the world’s leading social entrepreneurs in over 40 countries around the globe. Social entrepreneurs implement innovative and pragmatic solutions to social problems by tackling the root causes and creating social transformation.
By Ekow Quandzie