Boehringer Ingelheim, has collaborated with Kenyatta and Strathmore Universities to launch the Making More Health Venture4Change idea competition (MMH). The competition is an adaptable local and global development program that aims to unlock the creative potentials of young aspiring professionals.
MMH is a global initiative that seeks to promote social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking and doing by finding innovative business models that create a benefit for the wider society. The initiative is focussing on bringing together both business and social knowledge. This combination is to improve health in communities through identifying and supporting the most promising solutions to overcome health challenges.
The program encourages participants to develop innovative, scalable and sustainable ground-breaking solutions on how to improve sanitation and hygiene for children and youths aged between 6-25 years. It further aims to foster ideas that create a holistic approach towards local community engagement and empowerment. This goal will be achieved by co-creating with various experts and several partners from different sectors or businesses to discuss best practices in health and more specifically, on improving hygiene for the younger population across the country.
About 25 students from Kenyatta and Strathmore University participated in a series of workshops focused on social innovation and entrepreneurship. The workshops integrated keynote speakers, social innovation advocates and practitioners. Participants worked in project teams and actively engaged in tackling group tasks and assignments that combine theory and practice.
Sabine Emmerich, Boehringer Ingelheim, Global lead of Making More Health Venture4Change programs had this to say, “This is a unique initiative that paves the way for stronger collaboration and partnership with the local community, supporting their entrepreneurial mind-set and supporting their inspiration and ambition of giving back to the community they live in. Our aim is to create new opportunities through innovative approaches. By partnering with new talents, universities, professors, teachers, as well as employees, the output presented will contribute to the development of sustainable solutions for all participants and their communities.”
At the end of the program, The 3 finalist teams will be given the opportunity to implement their ideas on the ground in partnership with MMH partners in Slums or rural areas of Kenya. Furthermore, the students will walk away with a sensitivity for social needs and top-level industry skills in the areas of global health, business development, pitching, leadership, presentation, and social entrepreneurship skills.