June is Focus on Africa’s Women Edupreneurs Month
Every month at Lionesses of Africa, we shine a spotlight on a particular industry sector where Africa’s women entrepreneurs are making a real impact, through their businesses, their innovation, their products, services and craftsmanship, and their passion for what they do. This month (June), we are turning our attention to the truly inspirational edupreneurs of Africa, the women who are creating leading-edge technologies and revolutionary new approaches to education in order to make a real difference to the lives of new generations of children and young people across the African continent.
All this month at Lionesses of Africa, we are featuring and paying tribute to some of these truly inspirational women edupreneurs whose commitment to changing the educational landscape of the African continent for the better, is creating a new, brighter and more exciting future, full of possibilities, for Africa’s children and young people. Through their highly innovative companies and ground-breaking new products and approaches, they are making a significant difference to the way that Africa’s education challenges are being addressed, and in the process giving hope and inspiration to tomorrow’s African leaders. Some are names you may already know and their award-winning work you may be familiar with, whilst others may be new to you, but their commitment to finding real and lasting solutions to key educational problems speaks volumes and is really exciting - these are Africa’s leading women edupreneurs who are making a real difference.
Here are just some of the African Women Edupreneurs who are inspiring us this month, not simply because of the incredible work they do each and every day to transform the educational landscape of the continent, but also because they are a source of inspiration to so many other women entrepreneurs as they make a difference in the lives of so many.
Take for example, the wonderful Rwandan entrepreneur, Lydie Hakizimana, who through her company Drakkar, has revolutionised the textbook environment for children in Rwanda in an effort to improve children’s literacy in her country, and is now embarking on a new mission to build and create inspirational new schools. We are also featuring one of Africa’s entrepreneurial pioneers in educational broadcasting, Nisha Ligon of Tanzania, whose highly innovative animated television programmes are bringing education to life for thousands of children in Africa. Another ground-breaking African woman techpreneur, Rapelang Rabana of Rekindle Learning in South Africa, is looking to improve education across the continent by turning people’s compulsion to check their mobile phones into an unprecedented opportunity for learning. A real game-changer in the field of education in Africa is Anne Githuku-Shongwe, the founder and CEO of AFROES Transformation Games in South Africa, who is empowering young people in Africa to learn, engage and challenge existing perceptions through gaming technology.
At Lionesses of Africa, we also encourage everyone visiting our website and social media platforms to nominate those African Women Edupreneurs from around the continent that inspire them, and we will happily profile them during the coming weeks. Click here to make your nomination. Our month-long Focus on African Women Edupreneurs is all about showcasing the best and most inspirational women working and building businesses that are making real advances in the field of education in Africa, so be part of the process and make a difference to a woman edupreneur that inspires you.
"I believe that in 10 years one of the greatest drivers of data usage on the continent will not just be entertainment and social media, but educational, training and learning content, and I want Rekindle Learning to be at the crux of that.” - Rapelang Rabana, Founder and CEO of Rekindle Learning (South Africa)
“Afroes’ mission is to inspire the conversations and actions of youth across Africa with a message of possibility and pride.” - Anne Githuku-Shongwe, the founder and CEO of AFROES Transformation Games (South Africa)
“Ultimately, literacy opens our souls, our minds and our hearts to knowledge to transform our lives, our communities and our country for the best.” - Lydie Hakizimana, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Drakkar Ltd (Rwanda)
“We want to transform learning for the 440 million under 16s in Africa by bringing them fun new way to learn, that opens the door to a future of digital learning.” - Nisha Ligon, Co-Founder and CEO of Ubongo Kids (Tanzania)