Agribusiness firm, Syngenta East Africa in partnership with Enactus Kenya, has awarded $1,000 (Sh87,790) each to 25 startups from five African countries to help turn their ideas into businesses.
The 25 startups will proceed to the semi-final competition dubbed Agribiz4Africa on August 29. The top three contestants from the two categories – Agribusiness Idea and Agribusiness Messaging – will proceed to the finals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the African Green Revolution Forum 2014 at the African Union Headquarters.
The winner of the business idea competition will receive a $10,000 (Sh877,900) cash prize while the winner of the video production competition will get a $5,000 (Sh438,950) cash prize.
The competition targeted youths aged between 18-30 years from sub-Saharan Africa who had to submit a 500-word business idea essay. James Shikwati, the Enactus Kenya country director, noted that youth from Sub Saharan Africa were challenged to identify a problem that makes a particular crop’s value chain ineffective or inefficient.
Here is a list of the 25 start-ups awarded funding.
Jane Wanjiru Maina – Kenya
Born at Bahati in Nakuru,Jane had a passion of farming while still young. Despite being a teacher Jane have always had desire to pursue farming as a full time career,not only for self development,but to help the poor farmers improve their yield.Jane is currently teaching in Nyeri.Kenya
Nickson Nduhia Muturi – Kenya
He is a young self motivated person who is always driven by desire to achieve the best and add value to humanity. Although Muturi will be graduating with a bachelors degree in Economics and sociology from Egerton University this November,he has passion in agriculture.
Alain Shyirakera – Rwanda
Shyirakera was raised up in Kigali,Rwanda and has studied economics at the Independent Universityof Kigali (ULK).
Sarah Wambui – Kenya
Sarah Wambui Wanene is a co-founder of Agrinovations Enterprises and the current secretary of the Youth Agro Environmental Initiative, a Community Based Organization. Prior to starting Agrinovations, she worked in the hospitality industry as a customer service executive for over 6 years. She holds a diploma in travel and tourism, diploma in cabin crew duties and certificate in customer service.
Hermann Cyr Toni – Benin
Toni holds MSC. in in forestry and natural resources management, from the University of Abomey-Calavi (FSA/UAC), Republic of Benin.he is currently a social enterprenuer at a local NGO in Benin.
Babatunde Alayande – Nigeria
Alayande was born on 16th September 1989 at Lagos Oyo state in Nigeria.Alayande is currently studying Bachelor Of Science In Mechanical Engineering from the University of Lagos.He loves research and aerobics as hobbies.
Bertrand Momo – Cameroon
Momo Bertrand is currently studying Management at the Catholic University Institute of Buea. He has a great passion for community work ,runs a small Business consultancy initiative since 2012- BISIG Consultancy ; and an agency thatmarkets african rice- Brand Your Rice.He once received an award of being the Best Entrepreneur and Best Public Speaker in his university; and best student in the Littoral Region in Cameroon in 2010.
Olayiwola Adeyemi – Nigeria
Adeyemi is a Management Consultant with experience in strategy formulation for business development and human capital management.
Jannatha Bhagar – Kenya
Jannath is an agriculturalist and work as an assistant in a social media community project-GCI, and a communications coordinator in the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology and the United Nations University for Advanced Studies initiative, in the development of a Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) for Education in sustainable development.
Joseph Njoroge – Kenya
Dr Joe Njenga is a multi-talented Kenyan Entrepreneur who is involved in different industries and enterprises. He currently works as an entrepreneur in technology and agriculture industries ,and is notably an accomplished web programmer who is proficient in mobile and web development technologies.
Kiprotich Koros – Kenya
Kiprotich Koros has a background in Linguistics and an interest in writing. Agricultural activity has always been around him and he has recently developed an interest around agribusiness.
Kevin Muriithi Kithinji – Kenya
Kithinji holds a Bachelors Degree in Commerce (finance and Banking option).He has 3 years experience in communication and training with Africa carbon exchange.
Charles Omondi Ogingo – Kenya
Ogingo is Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering student from The University of Nairobi and is the Current Executive Chairman of Proofy Power and Light Ltd.
Wisdom Orok – Nigeria
Wisdom is a Nigerian by birth who is in consideration for Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the SMC University in Switzerland. He has two years experience in business management.
Wasonga Rawlings Ochieng – Kenya
Wasonga,is currently a student at Egerton university ,Njoro campus pursuing Bachelor of Science in Agronomy. In 2012 he successfully patented his research project on soil pH access via mobile phone system with an aim of boosting agriculture in kenya.He is also the co founder of New life youth group Kenya in Nakuru county.
Ogili Ifeanyi Samuel – Nigeria
Ogili was born in 1988 at Enugu state in Nigeria.He is a student and a youthful enterprenuer.
Obadiah Biwot – Kenya
Obadiah recently completed his undergraduate studies in agribusiness management from Egerton University Njoro campus he is also a trained professional accountant with work experience in financial management and accounting.
Muhammad Salisu Abdullahi – Nigeria
Abdullahi is theFounder/Managing Director of Haleematus-Sa`adiyya Enterprises, Azare .He holds Bachelor of Science honors in biochemistry from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Florence Muriuki – Kenya
Florence Muriuki is an agripreneur and an Actuarial Science student at the University of Nairobi. She is passionate about youth empowerment, community building and social change.
Fatima M. Hassan – Nigeria
Fatima is a Nigerian by birth who holds Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication from the University Of Maiduguri in 2007. She has worked as an intern at N.Y.S.C at Thinkers Communication, Kaduna State, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Kaduna and the National Television Authority (NTA), Maiduguri. Mrs. Fatima loves reading and travelling.
Lydia Kaboyo – Kenya
Kaboyo holds bachelors degree in community development from Moi University.she loves reading inspirational books and listening to inspirational talks at her free time.
Madelle Kangha – Cameroon
Cameroonian by birth and African by destiny, Madelle’s vision is to be a leading social entrepreneur, a mass recruiter of local change makers.Madelle is an alumnus of the African Leadership Academy, Watson University, and holds a BA in Law and Anthropology from the London School of Economics.
Alhassan Abdul-Washeru – Ghana
Alhassan Abdul-Washeru obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Ghana. He is currently on student internship at the Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of Ghana Medical School.
Christine Gombe Akinyi – Kenya
Christine is a young, ambitious and self motivated HIV Aids Management and Communications graduate from Mount Kenya University. She is currently the chief executive of NextFarm Kenya Limited.
Rhode Ahlonsou – Benin-