NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, May 27, 2016

First Lady Jeannette Kagame has said social entrepreneurship can be one of Africa’s most befitting avenues for economic transformation of the continent.

Mrs Kagame made the remarks, on Wednesday, at a gala dinner in Kigali in honour of the 2016 Social Entrepreneurs of the Year Awardees for Africa. The dinner was organised by Motsepe Foundation and Schwab Foundation. Fourteen outstanding social entrepreneurs from 11 organisations operating in more than 70 countries were recently recognised in the 2016 Foundation Social Entrepreneurs awards edition, for pioneering solutions for social and environmental challenges, ranging from child labour, an women’s empowerment, to climate change.

The dinner was attended by Adesina A. Akinwumi, the president of the African Development Bank, who delivered a keynote address; the Executive Director of UNFPA, Dr Babatunde Osotimehin; Dr Motsepe-Ramaphosa, wife of Deputy-President of South Africa; Co-Founder and Vice-Chair of the Motsepe Foundation, Dr Precious Motsepe, among other officials, and international guests, who are in Kigali for the World Economic Forum on Africa.

The First Lady said social entrepreneurship provide optimal responses to the most pressing needs of societies, such as empowering men and women to make good use of their potential and design creative solutions, to positively impact lives around them.

“Our coming together tonight, to recognise the social entrepreneurs of 2016 is a moment to be truly celebrated, for the immense contribution, these men and women bring to our lives both economically and socially,” Mrs Kagame said.

“It is quite interesting to see that this field of entrepreneurship, so often perceived as a means to make one richer, can also be such a powerful tool to uplift others, as tonight’s laureates have shown us.”