The General Electric (GE) and Santa Clara University’s
Miller Center for Social
Entrepreneurship has launched the second cohort of the healthymagination
Mother and Child Programme in effort to accelerate health innovations in Africa,
reports NaijaAgroNet.
This programme, NaijaAgroNet
reports selected 14 African social entrepreneurs who will benefit from training
and mentorship aimed at improving maternal and/or child health outcomes.
NaijaAgroNet
also reports that the healthymagination Mother and Child Programme would avail
selected enterprises to receive training and mentorship aimed at improving and
accelerating maternal and/or child health outcomes in Africa.
According to the Executive Director, healthymagination, Mr. Robert
Wells, the winners emerged after a rigorous application and evaluation process,
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 second cohort of entrepreneurs, he said, are currently
attending a three-day, in-person workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The workshop, NaijaAgroNet
gathered is packed with core business principles into a powerful forum
facilitated by senior-level Miller Center mentors and GE business leaders.
Mr. Wells also said that the programme is designed to help
the organizations acquire business fundamentals, improve their strategic
thought processes, and articulate business plans that demonstrate impact,
growth and long-term financial sustainability.
“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,” he said.
Executive Director of Miller Center for Social
Entrepreneurship, Dr. Thane Kreiner, said “GE’s mission to work on better
health for more people is evidenced by our continuing partnership to help
social enterprises scale their impact. This cohort’s impact aligns with the
target indicators for United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #3. Miller
Center is honored such amazing social enterprises applied to this Mother &
Child accelerator program.”
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.
Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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