By Kimiywi Sydney
A Kenyan has been shortlisted among five finalists for the Äänit Prize which awards up to $80 000 in support of African ventures that deliver or have the potential to deliver positive social impact for some of Africa’s most marginalized people.
Odwour Midigo, founder and director of Ndalo Heritage Trust was listed together with Zimbabwean Atherton Mutombwera of Hutano Diagnostics, South African Dr Jessica Ronaasen of The Do More Foundation, Lesotho’s Koaile Monaheng of Khantša Energy and Zimbabwean Shantel Marekera of Little Dreamers.
An external panel of judges will make the final decision on Saturday, 17th September at 18:30 SAST.
The winners will be announced live in a special ceremony co-hosted by Mandela Rhodes Foundation (MRF) CEO Judy Sikuza, and Trek4Mandela Project Manager Sina Moyane.
The public and the press are invited to join the livestream (https://bit.ly/3eCEYYs) for the awards and hear from some of Africa’s exceptional minds in an intimate Q&A between the judges and the finalists.
Midigo’s Ndalo Heritage Trust is a grassroots organization in the country that addresses the sustainable development goals of zero hunger, health and wellness and climate action in marginalized communities. Its mission is to work towards the alleviation of hunger, disease, poverty and human suffering, with a focus on the first 1,000 days of life.
Ndalo works with marginalized families through hands-on training, drawing on existing UN frameworks for integrating agriculture and nutrition education with two programmes.
The first programme, The Udongo Kwa Maisha (Soil for Life) aims to engage mothers, caregivers, households and communities in accessing more nutritious food aimed at improving the dietary requirements of a child’s first 1,000 days of life.
The Maarifa Kwa Maisha (Knowledge for Life) programme addresses the health and wellness of children and their mothers, in particular children with special needs. This project targets early developmental screening and follow-ups to check that developmental milestones are being met. It screens mothers for postpartum depression and provides relevant support.
In addition, Ndalo’s Green Legacy Initiative has seen the planting of 100,000 trees in Western Kenya in partnership with Equity Bank to combat the impacts of climate change.
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation, Nelson Mandela’s official organization for leadership development, launched the Äänit Prize in 2021 with the aim of enabling positive social impact in Africa.
“We are tremendously proud to be offering the Äänit Prize in its second year. Each of these ventures has the potential to make a difference in the lives of people who have been left behind on our continent, which is exactly the type of value-driven entrepreneurship that we aim to support and develop at the MRF,” said Sikuza.
