Tigo, Reach for Change to boost social entrepreneurship in Africa

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE

Millicom International Cellular S.A. (“Millicom”) operating under the Tigo brand, and non-profit organisation ‘Reach for Change’ are working in partnership to improve the lives of children in Africa through social entrepreneurship.

As part of the programme, a joint programme to identify and support social entrepreneurs with innovative solutions for children is being launched in Chad, DR Congo, Rwanda, Senegal and Tanzania throughout 2012.   

In the programme which has already been piloted in Ghana and has reached more than 140,000 children in the first year, Tigo and Reach for Change invite people in all of the African countries where Tigo operates to present innovative ideas for improving the lives of children.

The most entrepreneurial candidates with the strongest and most promising ideas are then invited to join a three year incubator programme, where they will work on transforming their ideas into sustainable ventures.

According to Tigo, the entrepreneurs chosen to join the incubator will receive salary funding as well as mentoring and professional advice from senior employees of the telecommunication company.

Commenting on the partnership, Sara Damber, CEO, Reach for Change said; “We are thrilled to have this opportunity to improve the lives of children in Africa on a large scale together with Tigo. We believe that the best way to create social change is to give the right tools to people who are passionate about their task and who have the entrepreneurial driving force to make a change.”

For his part, Mikael Grahne, CEO of Millicom said; “there is hardly a better way to take part in building the long term success of the countries in which we operate than investing in children and local entrepreneurship. The programme with Reach for Change helps us to understand burning social issues affecting the lives of children and gives us a unique opportunity to work hands-on, together with local talent, to address them.”

Meanwhile, the programme’s pilot in Ghana conducted in 2011, has already chosen five social entrepreneurs for the incubator, whose respective ventures are now improving the lives of over 140,000 children.