The Homecoming Revolution Issue

HOW CAPETOWN, KIGALI, LAGOS, ACCRA AND NAIROBI BECAME ENTREPRENEURIAL NERVE CENTERS in Africa Harvard Columbia MIT Yale & Wharton WHY AfricaN Conferences Must Evolve

IBM Accelerating

Alexander Cummings on Coca-Cola’s Mission to Africa Africa’s revival

the homecoming revolution

LONG LIVE

Strategies for

GLOBAL Success

DAVID ADJAYE

SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM. NOBEL PEACE CENTER. SUGAR HILL HOUSING. THE REBEL SAVING OUR CITY The rise in opportunities to innovate and create + a snippet of Hubs in Africa SUMMER 2014 ISSUE USA $5.00 AFRICA/UK $7.50

start-up success Meck Khalfan Rahama Wright Nene Marks Reginald Mbawuike And John Agbaje

this is THE new fresh

from the editor

As the world ruminates on the 270 plus girls taken hostage in the north of Nigeria, some quarters of the mass media seems to utilize the situation to reinforce and reiterate a tired depiction of Africa: the continent with civil strife, mass criminal activity, pandemics and governments at war with their people.

As you read through this issue we want you to see the other side of Africa. This issue celebrates the educated and motivated Africans executing plans for projects to benefit both themselves and their home lands. These businesses and organizations range from major technology start- ups to locally based NGO’s designed to work where larger entities have failed.

It is essentially through balanced media coverage that the narratives on Africa will change.

The effort is crucial if the image of Africa is to change.

It has been nearly sixty years since independence for most countries on the Continent, and in that time the first post-colonial leaders have come and gone. These men were vetted before independence took place to ensure their continued attention to the colonial powers.

In such cases, this meant business as usual in the relationship between the country and the former colonial power. As elections take place, these older leaders are being voted out or in some cases pushed out for a new generation of leaders.

With this generational shift, there is the possibility for a fresh, new look to governance as well as development.

The younger generation understands that there are two important factors if Africa is to reach its full potential. First, the economies have to be re-directed and guided to serve the nation and not a foreign entity. Secondly, there is a large population of young people with a huge reservoir of energy. Somehow, these younger Africans must be integrated into the plans for success so that they become invested in the future of their homelands. It is crucial that they are part of the resurgence. If these young people do not see their place in a vibrant, recharged Africa they will likely use their energy to demonstrate their displeasure.

Africans have been resilient as well as innovative in their solutions to local problems. As Dayo Olapade stated in her recent book, The Bright Continent, “If necessity is the mother of invention, Africa’s adversities are the mother of necessity.”

We encountered wonderfully successful efforts on the part of young entrepreneurs and project directors as we composed this issue. But this is just the beginning of the narrative. In future issues we will bring you more positive profiles on such innovators. All we ask is that you join us on this journey and imagine the beauty of the Continent standing tall and proud.

Robert R. Bernstein Applause Africa Team

Founder | Graphic Designer Adebowale Folorunsho Co-Founder | Brand Director Michael Ikotun Editors Sophia Egbelo Shakira Attitebi Robert R. Bernstein

Adedana Ashebir Executive Editor Lolade Siyonbola Associate Editors Ogonna Nwawka Adeola Adejobi Business Development Director Nnamdi “NaMÓ” Ebere Strategy / Communications Director Seun Ariyo Web Master Lekan Ikotun Digital Content Manager Jamiu Folarin Editorial Fellows Alexis Miller Edem Torkornoo Ademidun Adejobi Photo Production Oluwaseye Olusa Yinka Ajakaiye Gugu Lethu Solwazi Afi Olusola Adriana C. Sánchez Nigeria Bureau Biodun Folorunsho Applause Africa is published by APPLAUSE AFRICA COMMUNICATIONS LLC 1379 St. Marks Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11233, USA +1 415 871 7615, +1 347 613 5876 Nigeria Bureau: Ekwo Awolo House, 43 Osolo Way, Isolo, Lagos, Nigeria +234 805 520 4740, +234 704 223 0151 Email: info@applauseafrica.com Facebook: ApplauseAfrica Twitter: @applauseafrica Website: www.applauseafrica.com

AS SEEN IN THE LAST ISSUE OF APPLAUSE AFRICA AA

EMPOWER

20

CHANGE AGENTS

influential

Be the change. Be Inspired. Be you

voices to

watch in

In today’s popular media, a strong black woman the concept of has dissolved into fictitious character s. The modern African woman is constantly tossed to and fro, searching for an identity that meshes her family’s traditions and society’s expectati As much as she ons. seeks to celebrate the woman that she has become, she is constantly judged.

As a young Nigerian woman living in New York City, I consisten come across young tly women struggling to find themselves in this dazed society. This led me to come up with the first installmen t of an afro-futuristic project seen from an African woman’s perspecti ve. Most celebrate d fashion stylists express their interpretation of what this African woman should look like—and often times, it story they are portrayin is hard to believe the g.

Twenty Fourteen

Recognizing African women with powerful and inspiring voices The African Women Power Network

Rapelang Rabana

(South Africa) is CEO of ReKindle Learning and Yeigo Communications. ReKindle Learning is an innovative technology-driven education company that uses and integrates the power of mobile and internet technology to improve and complement learning for students and corporate employees. ReKindle Learning, an interactive mobile learning platform is designed with the idea of ‘learning as a lifestyle.’ Rabana states, “Education is the way out of poverty.

For Africa to leverage on its population, the continent must focus on education and work hard to improve the educational system.” Her other company, Yeigo is credited with creating ground-breaking applications and services that took advantage of the internet, mobile and cloud computing technologies to tackle the cost of communication in South Africa. In 2008, the Swiss-headquartered Telfree Group of Companies, a pioneering next-generation telecoms operator, acquired a majority stake in Yeigo, enabling the group to provide the full range of telecommunications services. .

Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola

(Nigeria) is CEO and Co-Founder of Wecyclers, a for-profit social enterprise working to help communities reclaim their neighborhoods from unmanaged waste.

Founded in 2012, Wecyclers, in partnership with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), utilizes low-cost cargo bicycles called “wecycles” to provide convenient recycling services to households in Lagos, Nigeria using a SMS-based incentives system. Adebiyi-Abiola is a graduate of Fisk University, Vanderbilt University, and MIT’s Sloan School of Management. While at MIT, Adebiyi-Abiola was a Legatum Fellow. She is currently an Echoing Green Fellow, Tech Award recipient, and laureate of the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards.

Spectra Speaks

(Nigeria) is a queer afrofeminist writer and activist. Spectra is also the founding director of Queer Women of Color and Friends, a grassroots organization and media collective dedicated to highlighting LGBTQ women of color, immigrant, and diaspora voices. Her blog, Spectraspeaks.com is a global afrofeminist blog which publishes social commentary about gender, sexuality, diaspora communities, and movement-building through the lens of “Love” and media psychology. Her work uses media to amplify the voices of marginalized people which has featured on both mainstream and alternative media outlets, including ABC network, Huffington Post, Ms. Magazine, Curve Magazine, Racialicious, and BET.com.

Vivian Onano

(Kenya) is a Moremi Initiative fellow, a ONE Campaign Congressional District Leader, a UNA-USA campus advocate, and a Half the Sky Movement Campus Ambassador. Her goal is to help create sustainable healthcare systems in rural parts of Africa which will change the lives of women and girls. Vivian has participated in a number of global international development gatherings, including serving as a panelist at the Clinton Global Initiative, and CARE International’s conference to unlock the power of Girls. She was also a youth representative at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Mametja Moshe

(South Africa) is executive director at Identity Mineral Resources (Pty) Ltd., an African mining investment company. Moshe is one of Africa’s leading voices in the mining industry. Before joining the Identity group of companies, Moshe worked as an Investment Banker at Morgan Stanley covering the South African, Zambian, and Nigerian Mergers & Acquisitions and Equity capital markets for the mining industry. Moshe has sat on the boards of EuroDollar Foreign Exchange (Pty) Ltd and Southgold Exploration (Pty) Ltd. Moshe holds a B. Com Hons (Accounting) and a B. Com Hons. (Management Accounting) degrees from the University of Kwazulu Natal. Moshe is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a graduate of the Global Executive MBA Program at Columbia University and London Business School.

Hussainatu Blake

(Cameroon/Atlanta) is co-founder of Focal Point Global (FPG), a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower underserved youths in Namibia and Cameroon using education and technology to address social issues. Hussainatu Blake was also recognized as a White House Champion of Change. Her organization, Focal Point Global will launch the Gambia and Namibia HIV/AIDS Education Initiative--an inter-African and multi-religious (Muslim and Christian) program focused on linking African youths to one another to discuss how to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS on the continent.

Juliana Rotich

RATIO IMMIG

N REFO

RM PL

IMMIGRATION REFORM AND THE FEAR OF NON-PROFIT IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES ATTORNEYS Olubunmi Segun and Jessica M. Greenberg, ASC Staff Attorneys

E

ighteen months ago, I sat at my desk across from a gentleman in his midfifties. Twenty-five years ago, he landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport and passed through U.S. Customs Services without incident using a “black market” passport. The man laughs as he recounts his entry into the United States,

claiming that he looked nothing like the photograph of the passport’s owner, but he was desperate.

I explain that unfortunately it does not appear that he has a means of adjusting his undocumented immigration status to a lawful immigration status, like Lawful Permanent Resident. At the end of our meeting, the man asks whether I believe immigration reform is possible. I respond in the affirmative, clarifying that if the newly promulgated immigration regulations and policies are an indication, the reform will be harsh. As we stand shaking hands, the gentleman tells me that I am incorrect: comprehensive immigration reform will happen and it will be good.

data,

pollution, and creates jobs for marginalized communities.

Ecopost manufactures fences from wasted plastics, a green alternative to expensive timber fence products - with only two percent woodlands cover--and this provides an important service to Kenya’s fencing industry. Through her work, Rutto has spawned an ecosystem of new jobs as traders buy plastic waste from the public, sort it, and resell it to her company. She is also a laureate of the Cartier Women’s Initiative.

Anie Akpe

Let’s Start A Revolution

The shoot took place in a small town in Upstate New York, unfamiliar to the tourist crowd, which allowed my vision to come to life. Models were adorned by African designers such as Adeleke Sijuwade, Olayinka Idowu, Kibonen NY and All Flo; shoe designer like John Ashford and accessory designer brands Yumnah Najah, Vivienne Kelly, AMI, Hearts and Shop Lately Ankara pillows designed adorned the models.

by LYN BORGA brought an African flair to the landscape With five exciting . looks backdrops, the Futuristic and three different AFRICANA embodies what I hope the future African woman would be.

(Global) Ambassador Lilian O.

Nkemdilim Begho

Ajayi

It is essential to note and then reiterate that the above is certainly a step in the right direction, but each - with the exception of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals - is merely a proposal. It is absolutely meaningless until proposed as a bill, which must pass through the House of Representatives before referral to the Senate, where the bill is then presented to the President. There he will either refuse to sign, veto the bill - returning it to the House - or sign it into law. Because immigration is under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security, the law will be unenforceable until the pertinent agencies (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Patrol) determine the means of administering and applying the law. The process is extensive and a bill may stall in Congress without recourse. Unfortunately, there is no immigration reform, yet.

Immigrants are an exceptionally vulnerable population for a myriad of reasons. And, it is this vulnerability, coupled with the attention immigration reform is receiving, that is of very real concern and fear to immigration services providers, like us at African Services Committee. The fear is not unfounded -- immigrants regularly fall prey to immigration services fraud with both significant financial and immigrationrelated consequences.

a p p l a usea fri c a .c om

ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT HOMELAND SECURITY, 130,000 AFRICANS MIGRATE LEGALLY TO THE US EACH YEAR.

West Africa:

573,791

ETHIOPIANS

The African immigrant groups with the largest presence in the United States as of 2010 were Nigerians (219,309), Ethiopians (173,592), Egyptians (137,799), Ghanaians (124,696), and Kenyans (88,519)

EGYPTIANS GHANAIANS KENYANS

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF AFRICAN FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION AND TOTAL U.S. POPULATION, AGE 25 & OVER African immigrants

U.S. population

16.1%

10.4%

Graduate Degree

24.2%

17.7%

Bachelor’s Degree Only

27.7%

28.9%

Some College

20.0%

28.5%

High School Diploma

12.1%

14.4%

No High School Diploma

The U.S Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census reports that

88,711

79,914

475,832

OCCUPATIONS OF AFRICAN FOREIGN-BORN WORKERS AGE 16 & OVER

41%

African immigrants make a big impact on the U.S. economy.

of Fortune 500 companies were founded by an immigrant or child of an immigrant

48%

of America’s top 50 venture-backed companies, as ranked by Dow Jones VentureSource, have at least one immigrant

Should You Really Start That Clothing Line?

Management, Business and Science

37.7%

Production and Transportation

14.4%

18%

Busayo Olupona

Service

of all small business owners in the U.S are immigrant

5.2%

Sales and Office,

19.8%

is the percentage of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. workforce

SCIENTISTS

Construction and Maintenance

3.3%

the NBA superstar with a heart of gold, and a soft spot for South Africa.

Serusha Govender

I wish I could do more. But for now I just want the youth to understand that they are the future, and that you shouldn’t put a limit on what you’re capable of doing… You gotta dream big to make big things happen. Shoot for the stars, and if you fall you’ll only hit the clouds, and that’s not so bad after all.

s

blazing a

trail

Sefolosha grew up in Vevey, Switzerland, one of the ‘pearls of the Swiss Riviera’ on the shores of Lake Geneva. It’s idyllic and serene, and headquarters for both Nestlé and Häagen-Dazs. It’s also about as far as you could possibly get from the bustling impoverished township of Mamelodi, on the eastern outskirts of Pretoria in South Africa. Here Sefolosha’s charity is running an after-school program using sports as a tool to understand leadership, teamwork, and what it means to work hard to achieve success. “It brings a whole lot of values to you from different aspects of life, not just sports but real life, that you apply to your own life,” explains Sefolosha. “It teaches you to listen to rules, to understand the rules, how to work in a group, self-esteem and to be good role models.”

“When I came to Mamelodi there was nothing for children to do after school... I saw a lot of young people in the corner, shooting dice, smoking, drinking at an early age. That isn’t really the best start for anyone to be successful.”

The NBA player first visited Mamelodi 11 years ago after years of hearing stories about it from his father, who was raised there. His parents -- South African musician Patrick Sefolosha of Malopoets fame, and his Swiss artist wife Christine -met in South Africa but fled the country’s banning interracial marriage. Though even in their new Swiss home there were then strict apartheid laws

The Decade of the African Woman

His first move was becoming the spokesperson for the Swiss-based foundation IMBEWU, which manages sustainable projects in South Africa. Then, along with his wife Bertille, they held a fundraiser in Oklahoma (where his NBA team OKC Thunder is based) in 2011 to raise funds for the after-school initiative -- their new neighbors gave generously and they were able to fund 150 needy youngsters from eight different schools in the area. “Sometimes you wonder what drives people to be so generous to kids they don’t know in a country they barely know,” says Sefolosha. “I’m just amazed by their generosity. Without them this wouldn’t be possible.”

It was a good start, though it turns out, not nearly enough. While the program has been incredibly successful Sefolosha explains there’s now a waiting list of children for the program a mile long, and they’ll have to hold more fundraisers soon so they can expand: “We really want to open another program for more schools, this time on the west side of Mamelodi... and then to have more people to take it to other schools all over the country.”

Despite Sefolosha’s rising star in the NBA, he remains firmly committed to his charity work; and his connection to his South African roots is a strong one -- though he doesn’t speak any native languages he loves listening South African house music and he enjoys dappling in the country’s local cuisine (his favorite food is Chakakala, as made by a close friend of his). But more importantly, he’s determined to see the youth of the country rise: “I wish I could do more.

But for now I just want the youth to understand that they are the future, and that you shouldn’t put a limit on what you’re capable of doing… You gotta dream big to make big things happen. Shoot for the stars, and if you fall you’ll only hit the clouds, and that’s not so bad after all.”

I followed the advice of the career reinvention guru and self-promotion expert, James Altucher, and chose myself. Actually, I try to follow his advice, but we’ll get to that later. Altucher’s argument is that the American Dream is dying and either you choose yourself by actualizing your dreams or you’re roadkill.

wanted to dye my own prints, source my fabrics and production from Nigeria; and, second, I was uncertain as to whether there was a market for my product. I knew the prints were beautiful, however, in essence, I was attempting to export and transplant a culture, and I wasn’t sure the average American woman would bite.

For many children of immigrants (mine are from Nigeria), there’s a playbook and I followed the rules. I remember my father yelling at me as I started college: “You must get a certificate.” His reasoning was that with that piece of paper, I would always be able to make a living and no one could take my certificate from me. Fair enough.

I stayed in this limbo of indecision for almost a year. Then, everywhere I went, I saw African prints. The fashion world was in the midst of the unfortunately named “tribal trend” and there was an “African-inspired” piece in almost every magazine. Friends, aware that I had this dream, began forwarding articles about African-influenced fashion lines. I started getting weird anxiety pangs whenever I would get one of these emails. I couldn’t really escape it, so after six years of corporate practice, I folded my cards at the law firm and chose myself.

After college, I followed the path of least resistance and went to law school. While practicing, I began nursing a dream. It was so far-fetched. I wanted to start a clothing line that reflected my own bi-furcated identity: I would utilize African prints and design contemporary, western silhouettes. Now this is crazy for a couple of reasons: first, I

ARE IMMIGRANTS

Source: Department of Commerce, Bureau of The Census, 2010 American Community Survey, www.immigrationpolicy.org, Partnership For American Economy/ National Foundation For American Policy/INC. 500 CE0 SURVEY, TIME.

From Kenya To Hollywood

constant reminders of his heritage. And after seeing the poverty and need in his paternal homeland, he knew he had to do something to help.

Hannah Saleh

24.8%

Lupita Nyong’o’s ScoreCard and her Oscar buzz wiss basketball megastar Thabo Sefolosha has got some serious game.

Not only has the towering 6 foot 7 inch guard been through the ranks of the NBA, but he’s also been helping his team Oklahoma City Thunder score some pretty inspiring victories against teams like the Brooklyn Nets during the grueling 2014 season. Off the court the 29-year-old is no less impressive: just ask Sefolosha what else he’s passionate about and he’ll tell you about a special afterschool project he’s running in a South African township that’s keeping kids off the streets and uplifting a community.

st yl e

Southern Africa: Eastern Africa:

33% 27% 27% STATISTICIANS COMPUTER SCIENTISTS

b ea ut y

280,280

OF ENGINEERS OF MATHEMATICIANS OF PHYSICAL

fa shi on

Northern Africa:

AFRICAN FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION BY REGION OF BIRTH

TOP COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN FOR AFRICAN FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION

NIGERIANS

Middle Africa:

Debo Folorunsho

Thabo Sefolosha

Futuristic AFRICAN A is the year 2030 portrayin a storyline based in g two strong women of color in their natural fake clichés, superficia element—free of l expectations, and doused with authentic ity. I was inspired by the strength of the women in my family most importantly, and envisioning a future where the African woman embraces who and she is; the beauty what she adds to the universe and her palatable energy which brings forth life. I was also inspired by nature—a most of my creative s works are centered around it—and the tranquility it added to some of the shots.

Lilian O. Ajayi

(Nigeria/New York) is co-founder of IBOM LLC, an organization dedicated to keeping the African Diaspora business community informed through seminars and cultural events. Akpe’s company aids small businesses around the world, particularly those owned by African entrepreneurs in the Diaspora. Akpe meshes her global experience and culture with skills from stellar corporate America leadership to provide unique and (Kenya) is an innovator,tosocial entrepreneur, results-driven services to her clients.

In addition leading IBOM LLC, Akpe is also founder of Innov8tiv.com. and founder of EcoPost, a company that specializes in environmentally (Nigeria) is friendly solutions that save the environment from deforestation,

Lorna Rutto

Jennifer Nnamani

Futuristic AFRICANA

(Kenya) is co-founder and executive director of Ushahidi – a web-based reporting system that utilizes crowdsourced

It is too early to declare, but I am willing to concede that I was perhaps wrong. On June 15, 2012, President Obama issued an Executive Order granting Deferred Action to Childhood Arrivals (with credit to Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, activist, and undocumented immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas), which allows undocumented immigrants under the age of thirty to receive Employment Authorization if specific criteria are met. In late January 2013, eight U.S. Senators released the Bipartisan Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, the first objective of which is “creating a tough but fair path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants living in the United States . . . .” The following day, at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, President Obama emphasized the need for “common sense immigration reform.” During his State of the Union address, the President reiterated that “real reform means establishing a responsible pathway to earned citizenship . . .” On February 16, 2013, the White House immigration reform plan was leaked, detailing an eight-year path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

AN

mobile phone, and web reporting to formulate visual map information of a crisis on a real-time basis. Rotich is an African Futurist and a TED Senior Fellow. Her organization, Ushahidi documented the Kenyan presidential election crisis of 2007-2008; the platform has since been used in Chile, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Haiti.

As a blogger, she has authored articles on Afrigadget.com, acted as Environmental Editor of Global Voices Online, and participated in the TED Global conference in Arusha. As a public speaker, she is known for her commentary on technology in Africa and voicing concerns about the loss of indigenous forest and water catchment areas in Kenya. Juliana Rotich was named Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year in Africa by the World Economic Forum.

managing director of Future Software Resources. Begho has successfully re-branded the company, thus changing its focus from stand-alone solutions to web-based educational, enterprise, and business solutions. Prior to her appointment at Future Software Resources, Begho has contributed to various research projects, such as the Wazobia Linux Initiative, the E-Government Interoperability Framework, NITDA open standards framework, as well as the deployment of e-commerce and e-portal solutions in the Nigerian public and private sector. Her company, Future Software Resources is also winner of the Etisalat Nigeria Prize for Innovation which created the iConnect project, which is focused on making ICT and education more accessible to Nigerian youths.

Nkemdilim is an active board member of the World Summit Youth Award, and co-founder of the Bake for Change Development Foundation.

I’m a doer. I tend to gather the basic information and then figure it out as I go along.

Before I left the firm, I had gotten books

on starting a fashion line and taken courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology. I just jumped in after that. I put together a collection, put it on my website, and then focused on getting the line into stores.

Fast forward, eight months after choosing myself, I’m seated at a booth at the largest trade show in the world, having spent a ridiculous amount of money to be there, absolutely convinced that the customers will come flooding in. Everyone had tried to prepare me: “Your first trade show is a challenge,” “The buyers don’t know you from Adam,” “They are hesitant to take a chance on a new line.” I thought I was emotionally prepared for disappointment, but there is nothing more soul-crushing than sitting for three days at a trade show, knowing that what you have to offer is beautiful, and leaving with two orders.

The lessons of the entrepreneur path have been fast and furious. In my previous life, failure was not getting the grade I wanted. The challenges of being an entrepreneur

ideas. problems. breakthroughs.

A SNIPPET OF THE STATE OF AFRICAN WOMEN

Investments in Women’s Education provide a “multiplier effort”, compounding the returns in other sectors; with more education in women comes increased health, economic growth and food security.

Organisations creating an impact amref | un.org | femnet.co who.org | ywca.org

90%

20%

Educated women invest 90% of their income in their family. Men invest 30-40%

50%

The rise of young african women Entrepreneurs

20

to watch out for in 2014

farai gundan, saran kaba jones, ojinika obiekwe, solome lemma and mpule k. kwelagobe a conversation with nobel peace prize winner

LEYMAH GBOWEE

ON THE ROLE OF THE MODERN AFRICAN WOMAN plus Thabo Sefolosha the NBA superstar with a heart of gold, and a soft spot for South Africa.

Africa accounts for 20% of the world’s births but contriButes 40% of maternal deaths

1in 4 women around the world Educated cannot read this mothers are 50% more likely to immunize their children than mothers million without an education If all women in sub-Saharan Africa had a secondary education, 1.8 million lives could be saved

1in4

1.8

43%

Womens education has contributed 43% of the reduction in child malnutrition

98% of people who can’t read live in developing countries

3X

A girl who completes basic education is 3X less likely to contract HIV/AIDS.

25% In sub Saharan Africa, investing in girls education has the potential to boost agricultural output by 25%

1% Each 1% increase in the level of women’s education generates 0.3% in additional economic growth

Girls make up 53% of the children out of school.

Debo Folorunsho

APPLAUSE AFRICA JOINED COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL AT ANNUAL AFRICAn ECONOMIC FORUM AWP Network @AfricWomenPower Always proud of my friends @ ApplauseAfrica - thank you for bringing Africa’s stories to the global stage. Kudos! And keep up the good work.

Francis Kessy @FrankKessy Why You Must Watch ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ - Applause Africa http:// applauseafrica.com/art-culture/289why-you-must-watch-half-of-ayellow-sun … via @applauseafrica

Chude Jideonwo @Chude Excellent evening with the amazing guys @ApplauseAfrica.

Thanks to everyone who made the reading

Farai Simoyi @FaraiSimoyi Watching @GbengaAkinnagbe #BigWords...love his work! We were honored the same night at the #AfricanDiasporaAwards 2012 #ADA @ApplauseAfrica

Mossy Much @MosmuchMuch 20 African women with powerful and inspiring voices - Applause Africa http://www.applauseafrica. com/xchange/202-20-africanwomen-with-powerful-andinspiring-voices … via @ applauseafrica Learning from the best!

MySocialMediaPA @mysocialmediapa @applauseafrica hey guys, whats the best email to contact you on?

We have an invite for you

Gbenga Akinnagbe @GbengaAkinnagbe @ApplauseAfrica thank you for spreading this message. we need ALL these young ladies back.

There is no room for violating people’s rights!

Theophilus @tphilus Defining “the African Diaspora,” and Why it Matters - Applause Africa http://www. applauseafrica.com/features/291defining-the-african-diasporaand-why-it-matters … via @ applauseafrica

Sarah M. Kazadi @sarahmkazadi In Union Square, at the #BringOurGirlsBack rally organized by @ApplauseAfrica.

Get down here. NOW: #NYC pic.twitter.com/xMPdSnaUP0

Lola Ogunnaike @lolaogunnaike @Ony_Law @AfricWomenPower @ ApplauseAfrica @BET you were a wonderful. Thank you for your valuable insights and passion. #OurDaughters

applause africa APP

MOBILE

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ONLINE

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Applause Africa founders Debo Folorunsho and Micheal Ikotun also joined the MEDIA and TECHNOLOGY panel to discuss the evolution of post-independence African media and the adoption of democratic governments which have not improved the circumstances in which journalists do their work. The panel included Claudine Moore, Founder of C Moore Media; Dayo Olopade, an Author; Oumar Telly Diallo, Host of The Voice of African Youth and Omoyele Sowore, Founder of Sahara Reporters discussed how content creators and providers are overcoming the challenges often faced in the effort to tell honest stories about African issues.

Debo Folorunsho @Debofolorunsho Thanks for joining us at @ applauseafrica & for putting #bringbackourgirls #NYC on your number 1 story. @CNN @cnnbrk pic.twitter.com/ su67oumnTB

Cote Ouest @CoteOUEST2 Great News.

RT @ApplauseAfrica: Film

by Mauritanian director wins Ecumenical Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival

connect with us!

The Eleventh Annual Africa Economic Forum at Columbia University Business School was held April 4th and 5th on Columbia’s New York campus. The theme this year was A Continent Ascends: Emergent Perspectives from the Frontier. Considering that there is weakening growth in global emerging markets, Africa’s trajectory is markedly bullish. As her nations cross key economic and social milestones, the narrative is clear: the Continent’s star is on the rise and Africa will emerge as the greatest growth story of our generation. With the theme Africa Rising: Emergent Perspectives from the Frontier, this year’s Conference looked to some of the most powerful voices to emerge from the Continent, people who have been most successful in navigating uncertain conditions and prevailing, by taking note of the perspectives offered by today’s change-makers. These individuals are best positioned to guarantee the future of the world’s most promising Continent.

Want to know what Africans in the United States are up to? Find out at applauseafrica.com — where Africans inspire each other so they can influence the world. Capture new insights, follow fresh perspectives, and forge new opportunities while sharing your story. Finally, subscribe to our magazine at www.applauseafrica.com/subscribe

6 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

Tanisha Dozier, Mpitulo Kala-Lufulwabo and members of the ABC 2014 Conference Committee

Micheal Ikotun Applause Africa with Mr. Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, Oando PLC during the Fireside chat at Altschul Auditorium.

Claudine Moore, C Moore Media, Oumar Telly Diallo, The Voice of African Youth, Omoyele Sowore, Sahara Reporters, Debo Folorunsho, Applause Africa and Dayo Olopade- Author.

Hello, COKE!

The Cola-Cola Africa Foundation helps today’s African youth understand the importance of selfreliance and the impact they have on the future of their economies.

The Africa-focused branch of CocaCola’s international philanthropical entity are addressing the issue of unemployment in African countries and helping to advance the continent-wide culture of entrepreneurship.

The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation has invested $3.1 million in programs that promote entrepreneurship amongst the youth in 12 countries.

The HomeComing Revolution

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Africa’s Most Entrepreneurial Cities

The Rise of opportunity

Profiles of new generation inventors, thinkers and entrepreneurs emerging

CONNECT

In the age of globalization, the most entrepreneurial societies win. It’s not just a matter of individual success.

Societies advance in vital skillsets will emerge to dominate significant sections of the global economy.

CELEBRATE Youth across Africa are getting connected and creating opportunities for themselves. Whether it’s safely inside Africa’s hubs or along the bullet-pocked street of Mogadishu, they are finding ways to improve the societies in which they live.

EMPOWER

Africa needs homegrown and local talent. Meet the entrepreneurs transforming the continent.

THE ENTIRE APPLAUSE AFRICA TEAM IS EXCITED TO HAVE OUR PUBLICATION DISTRIBUTED BY BARNES & NOBLE. THIS MARKED OUR NATIONWIDE LAUNCH AND REMARKABLY IS THE FIRST TIME THAT CONSUMERS (FROM NEW YORK TO CALIFORNIA) CAN PURCHASE A MAGAZINE FOCUSING ON BOTH AFRICANS IN THE DIASPORA AND AFRICA AS A WHOLE.

DAVID ADJAYE, PHOTOGRAPHED IN NEW YORK BY OLUWASEYE OLUSA Africa’s Most Entrepreneurial Cities HOW CAPETOWN, KIGALI, LAGOS, accra AND NAIROBI BECAME MECCA FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Harvard Columbia MIT Yale & Wharton WHY AfricaN Conferences Must Evolve

IBM Accelerating

Alexander Cumming on Coca-Cola’s Mission to Africa Africa’s revival

the homecoming revolution

LONG LIVE

Strategies for

GLOBAL Success

DAVID ADJAYE

SMITHSONIAN SUGAR HILL ALAFA CONCEPT STORE. THE REBEL SAVING OUR CITY The rise in opportunities to innovate and create + a snippet of Hubs in Africa

Read&Tell applause

projects WE

Little Sun A work of art that works in life

ADVERTISING PROMOTION EVENTS OPPORTUNITIES

Applaud

Whiz Kids Workshop EDUCATING ETHIOPIA’S CHILDREN

DryBath Taking a Shower Without Using Any Water

Little Sun is a social business and global project addressing the need for light in a sustainable way that benefits communities without electricity, creates local jobs, and generates local profits. Little Sun currently has distribution in eight African countries: Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Senegal, Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa.

Learn more at littlesun.com

Whiz Kids Workshop believes that massmedia is one of the most cost-effective and immediate ways to impact the large educational gaps in the developing world, particularly at the preschool level. Whiz Kids Workshop was established in the living room of husband and wife team Shane Etzenhouser and Bruktawit Tigabu in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2005. Learn more at whizkidsworkshop.com

A South African college student has a solution for poor hygiene: the world’s first shower gel that doesn’t require water to clean. DryBath is a Bath-Substituting gel, designed to replace the need for soap, water and skin lotion. DryBath provides its users with a fun and convenient alternative to traditional bathing, it saves valuable water and time, and may even save lives.

Learn more at headboy.org

The Clean Water For Uganda Project Take Action for Clean Water

Azuri Technologies Energising Rural Africa

YORUBA FLUENCY PROJECT REVIVING THE POWER OF LANGUAGE IDENTITY

The Clean Water for Uganda Project was created to address Uganda’s water insecurities by supplying safe water solutions, restoring water sources and fostering community participation in water policies in order to reduce the number of waterrelated illnesses and deaths.

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Azuri Technologies delivers affordable solar power in emerging markets. Customers in developing countries in Africa pay $10 for solar panel installation on their roofs and then pay about $1.50 a week for service. This provides enough electricity to light their homes and charge their phones, and after 18 months, they’ve paid off the cost of the solar panel.

The Yoruba Fluency Project provides language instruction to qualifying adults in the New York Metro area. After work, students meet to master the Yoruba language structure, modern music, proverbs and to watch Yoruba language films.YFP hopes to support other language groups in reviving their native tongues in the Diaspora. Learn more at www.learnyoruba.org

from the founder

How to be a David in an industry of Goliaths

i

am a big believer in second chances. Our editorial team badly wanted the one and only David Adjaye for our cover story; I had always been curious about his success story. For a while, I had wanted to ask him what practices got him where he is today; as well as how he secured the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, the new Smithsonian project, the Sugar Hill project and the many others that have won him the title of one of the world’s top architects.

Our editor in Boston was late for the interview scheduled with Adjaye at the Harvard Development Conference. He then had to leave us to catch a London-bound flight, but promised to keep in touch. Being a self-proclaimed panAfrican evangelist, I knew we would nail Adjaye down in his New York office sooner or later, and have a one-on-one chat with him.

I’m particularly proud of our accomplishments this month. We did visit Adjaye in his New York office, and all of my questions where answered during that conversation (page. 42).

Here at Applause Africa, we have stuck true to our mission: “bringing to the forefront Africans with innovation, social entrepreneurship and influence who work to increase and improve social impacts and investing in Africa and beyond.” AA has also co-sponsored events that encourage investment in and empowerment of Africans: The Harvard Africa Business Conference, MIT Sloan’s Africa Investment Forum and Columbia University’s African Economic Forum at which I was privileged to sit on the media panel.

Every African needs to become actively engaged in improving their communities. To revitalize a community, we must instill compassion, innovation and leadership skills in its members.

This will allow us to become the next generation of empowered global citizens.

The main idea behind this issue is to recognize ordinary Africans who have ideas and vision that can be commercialized—ideas that can make a

Debo’s Pick

Puku is a speedy way to amp up the power of your phone, laptops, MP3 player or tablet. It comes with two USB outlets, allowing it to charge multiple devices at a time. PRICE $99.00

difference. I visited with Meck Khalfan, a Tanzania native and New York resident who created and designed the Puku portable charger. The Puku, which is named for a Central African breed of antelope, is great option for ensuring you don’t miss life’s greatest moments. The Puku can fully charge your phone for 900 hours of standby time. Khalfan chatted with me in his New York office, expressing why he had no choice but to adopt the mindset of an entrepreneur.

The willingness to innovate, try new ideas and not fear failure is key to success for a media company like us. We are changing the mindsets of young African leaders to be entrepreneurs, leaders and to realize their full potential.

I honestly believe we’re in a new era today and our vision is taking shape with great young leaders. Now that you are inspired to act, how will you take the inspiration and stories from this issue to turn them into meaningful action?

In the meantime, have a wonderful summer!

Debo Folorunsho debo@applauseafrica.com

BUSINESS MICHAEL IKOTUN

CALL FOR RENEWED EFFORTS TO SUPPORT GREEN GROWTH IN AFRICA

upFront

There is need to advance efforts to mobilize financing and mitigate the impact of climate change on the African continent, panelists agreed in Kigali at the recently concluded Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank.

Although Africa accounts for less than 4% of global greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions, it is the continent that suffers the most from the effects of climate change given its high climate sensitivity and relatively low adaptive capacity.

The session held under the theme Green Growth: the Future for Africa focused on the need to build a more comprehensive and robust development model to promote growth in African economies, while sustainably managing natural resources and fostering social change.

During the interactive session, Donald Kaberuka, the President of the AfDB, reiterated the strong commitment of the Bank to supporting African countries’ gradual transitions to green growth, as indicated in its Strategy for 2013-2022, within the context of its twin objectives of inclusive growth and the transition to green growth.

IFC ISSUES FIRST INTERNATIONAL BOND IN RWANDA’S CAPITAL MARKETS

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has issued its first bond denominated in Rwandan francs, raising 15 billion francs (about $22 million) to expand the availability of long-term local-currency finance for local businesses while strengthening the country’s domestic capital markets.

The five-year bond, dubbed “Umuganda,” marks the first placement by a nonresident issuer in Rwanda’s domestic capital markets. It is also IFC’s first issuance in East Africa under the IFC Pan-African Domestic Medium Term Note Programme, which was launched in May 2012 to support capital market development in the region. “Umuganda” is the local expression for coming together to achieve a shared objective.

“Rwanda’s capital markets can play an essential role in boosting the country’s development,” said Claver Gatete, the country’s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. “The success of IFC’s Umuganda bond demonstrates that Rwandan capital markets are ready to welcome investors in Africa and globally.”

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SOCIAL UN ENVOY PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR NIGERIA’S EFFORTS TOWARDS ABDUCTED GIRLS

Pledging the UN’s commitment to assist the Nigerian authorities efforts to ensure the release of the schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram militants, the world body’s newly-appointed envoy to the country, announced that the UN has initiated the preparation of an integrated support package that includes immediate support to the affected families, the population and the girls after their release, in particular with psycho-social counselling and helping them reintegrate with their families and communities.

“I wish to reiterate the United Nations’ solidarity with the abducted schoolgirls and their families, the people and Government of Nigeria,” declared Said Djinnit, wrapping up his first visit to the country after being tapped by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to serve as his High-Level Representative.

In a statement issued from the Nigerian capital, Abuja, Mr. Djinnit said the abduction of the more than 200 girls from their school in Chibok on 14 April has been widely condemned by the UN, including the Secretary-General and the Security Council. “I wish to reiterate the strong condemnation by the United Nations of this unacceptable act of abduction of innocent girls,” he added.

BLOOMBERG LAUNCHES $50 MILLION REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PROGRAM

Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced the launch of a $50 million reproductive health program to prevent maternal deaths and help more women freely and safely make decisions about when to have children. Michael R. Bloomberg committed $50 million to Family Planning 2020 (FP2020), a global collaboration of governments, non-profit organizations, donors and researchers, to ensure that women in the world’s poorest countries have access to family planning information, contraceptives, and services by 2020.

Funding from this $50 million commitment will be allocated to the three core components of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ reproductive health program which includes new advocacy efforts, as well as an expansion of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ existing program in Tanzania.

Elements of the program include: 1. Advocacy grants to strengthen reproductive health rights for women in Nicaragua, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Uganda; 2. A rapid-response grant program to help governments and providers in 69 of the world’s poorest countries effectively deliver services; and 3. Comprehensive reproductive health services such as family planning and post-abortion care in existing and newly renovated health clinics in Tanzania, which has the eighth highest number of maternal deaths worldwide and where a woman dies from complications of pregnancy or

DIASPORA Lupita Nyong’o Set To Produce and Star in Motion Picture Adaptation of Americanah

TECHNOLOGY GHANA SOON TO VENTURE DEEPER OUT TO HIGH SEAS FOR HYDROCARBON

Ghana could become the first in Sub-Saharan Africa to explore the international waters for natural resources by extending the limits of her continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical miles— after her application gets approved by the UN General Assembly on the margins of the annual meeting of world leaders in September this year.

Back in April, the Sub-Saharan Africa’s newly-minted oilproducing country sent a highranking delegation to pitch her final submissions before the UN Commission on the Limits of Continental Shelf (CLCS)—and so far, a consensus has been reached between Ghana and the commission in regards to the Foot of the Slope (FOS) of the continental shelf and outer limits points thereof—with approval to be hinged on the recommendations of the CLCS to the General Assembly.

“By our reckoning, Ghana will be adding to the territorial space—within the continental shelf region, about 30,000 square kilometers in the eastern, and 31,000 square kilometers in the western geographical areas for hydrocarbon and other mineral exploration as well as scientific research,” said Land and Natural Resources Minister Inusah Fuseini.

MTN PARTNERS TO BRING ALTERNATIVE MOBILE ELECTRICITY TO NIGERIA

MTN, a telecom company in Nigeria and Nova-Lumos, has announced their collaboration on a next-generation alternative “mobile electricity” service. The Nova-Lumos service will provide alternative electricity to MTN customers who are living in rural areas across Nigeria and are not connected to the electricity grid.

The Nova-Lumos service is provided using a solar panel and an indoor unit that allows MTN customers to subscribe to alternative electricity on demand using their mobile phone. With Nova-Lumos, MTN customers can replace kerosene, candles and flashlights with modern electricity that can power significant lights, cellphones, fans, PCs or laptops, radios, TVs and other small electronic devices, all at once, every day.

“By paying for usage only in small payments, the same way our customers purchase airtime and other mobile services, MTN and NovaLumos will offer an innovative and widely-accessible service for all MTN customers,” said Michael Ikpoki, MTN Nigeria CEO. “MTN is committed to investing in the future of mobile electricity to our customers across Nigeria,” he added.

IBM DOES CLOUD brings to AFRICA WITH NEW MAINFRAME INNOVATION HUBS

IBM has announced the opening of two new Mainframe Cloud Innovation Centers as it seeks to extend its commitment to delivering high capacity technology solutions to Africa.

Located in Nairobi, Kenya and Johannesburg, South Africa, the labs will seek to provide clients, Business Partners and academic institutions with access to extended Big Data, Analytics, mobile and cloud computing technologies on the mainframe to help solve challenges across a broad spectrum of areas ranging from applied research to academic enablement.

“Cloud computing offers African countries the unprecedented opportunity to fast track their increasing participation in global markets in spite of the comparative lack of the traditional infrastructure used to facilitate trade around the world,” said Pat Toole, General Manager, System z, IBM. “Powered by our System z technology, these hubs will deliver optimal economics per workload to our clients and Business Partners who will also be able to access global best practice through our international network of centers.”

Oscar-winning Kenyan actress, writer and director Lupita Nyong’o has signed on to produce and star in a film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s award-winning novel Americanah. The Star Wars cast member acquired the rights to produce the diasporic love story in conjunction with D2 Productions, Potboiler Productions and Brad Pitt’s Plan B Productions. Americanah will be the second of Adichie’s novels to be translated to the silver screen.

Sophie Okonedo Wins Best Performance At The Tony Awards

“Jewish/Nigerian/Brit” Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda, The Secret Life of Bees) won the Tony Award for “Best Featured Actress in a Play” this June for her portrayal of Ruth Younger in the Broadway revival of A Raisin In The Sun, beating out her costar Anika Noni Rose. A Raisin In The Sun marks the Oscar-nominated (for her role in Hotel Rwanda) actress’ first appearance on Broadway.

Next up for Okonedo, she’ll appear alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in the second season of the BBC’s Shakespeare series The Hollow Crown.

Uzo Aduba Auditions For Every Role in Orange Is The New Black

Orange is The New Black’s Uzo Aduba recently teamed up with Funny Or Die for another (potentially) viral video. The Nigerian-American actress, who stars as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in the Netflix series, reads for her fellow characters in a “leaked” audition video from Season 1. Watch her pretty spot on interpretations of OITNB favorites Taystee, Alex, Red and Poussey, among others, on our website. www. applauseafrica.com.

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Experience the best of South Africa

AA

Scenic Splendor and Serenity

South Africa is blessed with spectacular scenery and natural landscapes - soaring mountain peaks and passes, dense and ancient forests, miles of unspoiled coastline, rivers to sooth or thrill you, and rolling flower fields and grasslands of every hue. Places to be still, places to inspire you, places to explore or to simply revel in the joyous gift of nature.

Wine Tasting

With wine regions stretching from the western to the far northern Cape and the edge of the Karoo you can almost taste your way around South Africa. Sample at well-known estates or seek out little-known gems – our Port and Brandy routes are renowned too.

Where there’s fabulous wine, great food is never far behind. Oenophiles, gastronomes and sybarites – don’t miss our winelands.

Outdoor Rush

Beautiful weather, spectacular locations, awesome scenery, and record-breaking, mega-thrill adventure mixed in – that’s how we’ve earned the title the Adventure Capital of the World.

Five-star Safari

At our finest award-winning safari lodges in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, the bush equals bliss. Luxury on call, impeccable service and cuisine, soothing spa’s and superlative wildlife encounters add up to safari adventures that will exceed your wildest expectations.

Simola Hotel Country Club and Spa On the hills above Knysna on South Africa’s Garden Route, lies the magnificent Simola Golf and Country Estate.

The Apartheid Museum is a museum complex in Johannesburg, South Africa dedicated to illustrating Apartheid and the 20th century history of South Africa.

Get into the groove Feel the energy of our cities, catch the beat of Afro-pop, hip-hop or jazz at a shebeen or all-night club, play in our casinos, visit the museums, be entertained in theatres. Shop, dine and follow the pulse of our rhythm to your next urban African adventure.

Cape Town International Jazz Festival is held on the last weekend of March each year, and attracts some of the biggest names in the music industry to the Mother City. The Cape Town International Jazz Festival offers superb entertainment and has become known as ‘Africa’s Grandest Gathering’. The event has attracted some of the world’s biggest musical names, among them Lauryn Hill, Dan Brubeck, Earth, Wind & Fire and national greats like Hugh Masekela and Jimmy Dludlu.

Struggle Sites

South Africa’s struggle for democracy continues to inspire and touch the lives of millions.

Visit our top struggle sites and museums and be a part of our journey to freedom as you walk in the footsteps of some of the greatest living freedom icons in history.

Magnificent Marine

Where else can you sail beside a whale, go eye-to-eye with wild Tiger sharks, cage-dive with Great Whites, be charmed by urban penguins, snorkel beside whale sharks and be entranced on a moonlit beach as new-born turtle hatchlings make their bid for life in the ocean?

Cultural Encounters

Experience cultural interactions that are real and inspiring.

Whether you spend a day in a Zulu village or a city township; a week in a Xhosa household or escape to a typical South African farm, you’ll find South Africans are friendly and their day-to-day lifestyles and customs accessible. Short or long stay – you’re welcome!

Truth Coffee Shop Standing on a dusty road in Gugulethu township on the outskirts of Cape Town. Photograph: Shanna Jones/Barcroft Media

South African Feast

From traditional comfort food to Michelin-star dining; a hearty shebeen buffet or a gourmet banquet beneath a star-strewn African sky, let your taste buds take you on a journey of discovery with mouth-watering South African soul food.

Indulge your senses

Relax and rejuvenate the South African way. Cocoon yourself in calming treatments and soothing therapies. Scented traditional balms made with indigenous oils and ingredients will have you stress-free and feeling like African royalty in no time.

local lingo South Africa has 11 official languages. English is the most widely used, and spoken almost everywhere. Just in case, here’s how to say “hello” in the other ten: South African English:Howzit Sesotho:Dumela Zulu:Sawubona Xhosa:Molo Ndebele:Lotjha Setswana:Dumela Afrikaans:HaaiSiSwati: Sawubona Xitsonga: Avuxeni TshiVenda: Ndaa/Aa!

CoNNECT The dodo - a flightless bird and a national symbol - was hunted into extinction in the 17th century.

Most Mauritians Once reliant on sugar as its main are multilingual, export, Mauritius has successfully diversified into textiles, upmarket speaking English, French, Creole tourism, banking and business and Asian outsourcing. languages.

Mauritius’s Chagos islands is home to a US military base.

Mauritius in 2013 overtook South Africa to become the most competitive economy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mauritius ranks 24th worldwide in the Democracy Index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit and is the only African country with “full democracy.”

The island was named by a Dutch squadron in 1598 after Prince Maurice van Nassau of the Dutch Republic, THEN THE ruler.

MAURITIUS The national flag of Mauritius, also known as the Four Stripes (Les Quatre Bandes in French) consists of four horizontal stripes of red, blue, yellow, and green, signifying bloodshed (during slavery and colonization), the Indian Ocean, new light (of independence), and lush vegetation respectively.

The government of Mauritius provides free education to its citizens from pre-primary to tertiary level.

The population of Mauritius at 1.2 million is a quarter of New York’s 8.4 million.

job placement to talented, underserved youth.

Their first program, WAVE Hospitality Academy, focuses on preparing youth for jobs in the hospitality and retail industries.

The passion, ingenuity, and tenacity Rewane and her fellow competitors showed were precisely in keeping with the spirit of the event, and more importantly, with the energy pulsing all across Africa today.

Alexis Miller

CREATING THE AFRICA OF OUR DREAMS THE HARVARD AFRICA BUSINESS CONFERENCE The Harvard Africa Business Conference was a can’t-miss event this past Winter. From February 28 to March 2, leaders and innovators from a wide cross section of industries took over Harvard Business School to discuss the theme Africa Accelerates: Equipping a Vibrant African Economy.

With a mix of sobering truths, success stories, and mostly boundless optimism, the event was a booster shot for all who love, care about and see opportunities on the Continent.

“Creating the Africa of our dreams,” was the mantra that founder and CEO of African Capital Alliance, Okechukwu “Okey” Enelamah, repeated in his opening keynote address. Fittingly, the conference provided an opportunity for attendees to do some collective dreaming about the African Continent we want to see.

Some ingredients for achieving this dream, as laid out in the conference schedule, included an environment where people invest in innovative ideas and young entrepreneurs; technology propels advancement in various sectors; infrastructure investments empower the private sector; women realize their full potential as leaders; education 14 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

is priority and is responsive to Africa’s human resource needs; journalists are empowered to demand accountability; and artists and cultural workers are recognized for their economic and social contributions. Each of these, among several others, were panel topics that offered informative, engaging, and interactive discussions led by some of the most eminent contributors to these fields.

A microcosm of the broader conference was the New Venture Competition, where ten entrepreneurs competed for a $10,000 grand prize and a $5,000 people’s choice prize. The ventures spanned industries such as educational technology, agricultural technology, human resource development, personal finance and solar energy. After a round of pitches and judging, three finalists advanced to deliver a final pitch and appeal for popular support. The winner of the $5,000 prize, determined by audience applauses, was Save & Buy, an online savings platform in Nigeria.

The grand prize winner, represented by CEO Misan Rewane, was West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE). WAVE is a youth development organization in Nigeria that offers skills training and

“It takes only one committed generation,” were among Mr. Enelamah’s parting words in his keynote. One generation to solidly take the reigns and do the hard work of bringing a shared prosperity to the continent. And so many have heeded this call. People like David Osei, Ato Ulzen-Appiah, Dr. Catherine Adeya, Michael Onyango, Walter Lamberson, Lolu Adubifa, Olubumni Otegbade, Nancy Barry, Lohini Moodley, Kwaku Fokuo, Jr., Ibukun Awosika, Nkemdilim Begho, Elizabeth Nyamayaro, Ory Okolloh, Ameto Akpe, Dayo Olopade, Jackson Muneza M’vunganyi, and so many more. Look them up; be inspired!

A final takeaway from the event, sobering as it may be in the highly charged “Africa Rising” atmosphere, is that Africa is not about the quick windfall. Harvard professor Catherine Duggan in her opening remarks aptly contrasted youth’s desire for “a quick sprint to wealth” with the recently departed Nelson Mandela’s “long walk to freedom.” The latter is what we need, she taught.

“The road is not going to be easy,” she added.

Edefe Ojomo, an international law lecturer at the University of Lagos echoed a similar sentiment.

Faced with the reality of poor infrastructure, overcrowding, and low faculty salaries, she is adamant that Africa’s future won’t be determined by the brightest and cleverest, but by “the people who are most willing to sacrifice.”

EXPLORING AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

In searching for a word to describe development in Africa, what comes to mind is empowering.

That was the sentiment infusing the halls of Harvard Law School during this Winter’s African Development Conference. Posing the question ‘what do we want?’, dozens of students and prominent figures in the Pan-African community came to this momentous conference to explore answers. The two-day student-run event raised many provocative points, like the misperception and lack of social understanding of the Continent’s variety of issues. Panelists and keynote speakers included distinguished guests like Raila Odinga, the Prime Minister of Kenya and world-renowned Ghanaian architect, David Adjaye. The often-passionate discussions centered around the future face of Africa in regards to urban planning, media and healthcare.

Delving into the infrastructure issues that plague urban development across many regions, the panel ‘African Future Cities’ highlighted positive advancements in construction and city planning.

As a British-trained rock star architect, Adjaye engaged his flare for structural creativity to the logistical complications of tropical urbanism.

The panelists stressed the need to develop new projects in tropical climates in the most environmentally friendly way, using mainly passive cooling techniques to create comfortable environments.

The development of thriving business enterprises in Africa was a crucial topic at the conference.

Co-founder Tim Mccollum of Madecasse Madagascar Chocolates, the only chocolate product completely manufactured in Africa to be sold in the USA, said “the entrepreneurial spirit is thriving in many countries making this a good time to invest in Africa.” Mccollum mentioned a surprising statistic: while 70 percent of cocoa comes from Africa, almost 0 percent of the cocoa is manufactured into chocolate for purchase.

Tapping into windows of entrepreneurial opportunities could have major positive impacts on employment rates and poverty throughout the continent.

The conference took a look at the role media plays in Africa’s growth and public perception.

Veteran Television Executive and General Manager at the Africa Channel, Lee Gaither, said people of the African Diaspora must take ownership of media and gain control of the pipeline in order to gain control of the message.

Since the media business is driven by profit just like any other enterprise, the way to diversify the voice of representation is to create better platforms. The Africa Channel, currently offered in a number of U.S. cities, uses travel, entertainment, and lifestyle to spotlight the complexities and issues facing people across the black diaspora.

Gems of Innovation coming out of Africa MIT Sloan’s Africa Investment Forum

Spotlighting remarkable game changers, the 4th annual MIT: Africa Innovate Conference filled the MIT Media Lab with a surge of empowerment. This sense of empowerment surged through attendees, panelists, and current students alike. Trailblazing as a huge contender for global innovation, the continent of Africa is thriving with creativity and visionaries working on many exciting initiatives. The focus of MIT’s yearly conference attracting hundreds of dynamic attendees is to showcase the latest ideas and innovations in entrepreneurship, finance, healthcare, energy and education.

Hosted by the MIT Africa Business Club, based in the Sloan School of Business, the conference stands out as a unique event that’s solutionoriented versus solely dissecting the problems that plague Africa.

The Vision Talks, where engaging panelists discussed ways to revolutionize a number of industries from education to healthcare, forced attendees to seek answers outside-of-thebox. Panelist, Ladi Delano, Co-Founder of DFL investments, spoke about the “True African Dream.” He mentioned that true African growth stories are not about a focus on GDP but rather a focus on youth employment. Ladi said he believes jobs should be created in the labor-intensive sectors in Nigeria such as “retail, hospitality, & agricultural sectors.” He also notes that activists in many countries throughout Africa are making a change in unique ways using social media.

Building support for the backbone of Africa, the panel, “The Continent’s Secret Weapon: Women in Africa,” featured a number of powerful female influencers like Saran Jones, founder of FACE Africa, Agatha Amata, CEO of Inside-Out Media Ltd., and Marianne Nyangi, Head of Women Banking, Chase Bank Kenya Ltd. The panel addressed female leadership and explored emerging opportunities as well as challenges women in Africa face.

Other provocative panels included, “Venture Incubator,” “Technology Disrupting Africa,” and “Investment in Africa.” Many of these panels highlighted the thriving technology startups spawning out of certain regions of Africa.

The keynote speakers at the conference were also powerhouses, raising crucial issues that are often not touched upon. Folorunso Alakija, philanthropist, and entrepreneur, who happens to be reported as Africa’s richest woman, spoke about business relations in Africa. She pointed out that the international community looking to invest in Africa should not treat enterprising on the continent as doing “business as usual.”

International investors need to be aware of cultural nuances and be resilient to learn effective approaches for dealing with possible cultural roadblocks.

Receiving a standing ovation, Hakeem Belo-Osagie, the closing keynote speaker, who is Chairman of Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Ltd ( a mobile telephone operator which operates in Nigeria under the ‘Etisalat’ brand) blew the audience away with his poignant message.

During his candid, yet humorous address, Hakeem captivated the audience with his true to life anecdotes about his time at Harvard Business School and internship with Boston Consulting Group. He mentioned that his grueling internship experience at BCG gave him realization early on that doing a job you love is very important for your spirit. He also noted the importance of utilizing your network when looking for professional opportunities and how leveraging family and friends as contacts will build avenues for career prospects. Not being afraid of failure and having tenacity are two traits that Hakeem says are crucial for personal development and growth. Additional words of wisdom included Hakeem’s perspective on work/ life balance and learning to work well with teams to get your long term goals met.

Fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, the MIT: Africa Innovate Conference gave entrepreneurs a platform to compete through its Business Plan competition. The winner, Disease Diagnostics Group, received $3,000 in cash prizes and is now eligible for up to $200,000 in venture capital funding from the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance. Overall the conference inspired and moved many attendees with provocative thought and action.

After leaving Africa Innovate, people who experienced the event said they had a deeper understanding of the complex solutions and approaches for revolution.

AfricaN Conferences Must Evolve

VIEWPOINT

How many times can we sit and reimagine, reignite, and rethink Africa?

Take a look at this list of recent Africa-FOCUSED conferences.

What do you notice?

HBS 2014: Africa Accelerates: Equipping a Vibrant African Economy Columbia 2014: A Continent Ascends: Emergent Perspectives from the Frontier NYU 2014: The African Gold Rush: Realities of Africa’s Economic Growth and Potential HBS 2013: Redefining Africa: The Emergence of a New African Story (15th) YAAPD 2013: Re-imagining Africa: A closer look at Autonomy, Identity and Perspective Wharton 2013: Succeeding in Africa: Translating Opportunities into Growth Columbia 2013: Africa Ignited: Exploring Ideas, Shaping Outcomes Columbia 2012: Africa Reclaiming Africa: Changing the Rules of Engagement HADC 2012: Rethinking Development in Africa NYU 2012: Redefining Africa: Innovative Business & Frontier Investments in Emerging Africa Wharton 2012: In the Trenches: Exploring Catalysts Driving Africa’s Growth

Unfortunately the past few years of the African Business conference circuit have been dedicated time and time again to the reignited, reclaimed, reimagined, redefined, and rethought Africa. Another popular title- “The Africa We Want.” I submit it is time we reimagine and rethink what we can do together in the span of two to three days. We simply cannot afford to hold the same panels repackaged in different titles on multiple campuses in a six-month span every year. Conferences must evolve from a revolving door for renowned keynote speakers to laser-focused arenas for action.

The list above is just the beginning- there are other Africarelated conferences at other schools, and some universities actually host more than one Africa conference within weeks of each other. I am not against conferences in totality but if themes and titles are any indication, we’re beginning to repeat ourselves.

Do we really need another panel on how great mobile payments are in Kenya? We’ve discussed this enough; and plus, the info is on Wikipedia. Do we really need another panel about the promises and pitfalls of oil and gas development?

Doubtful. Now, if a panel became a brainstorm session on how to hold oil and gas companies and governments accountable to their word re: environmental damage and community development, that is something else entirely. Sitting in an Ivy League classroom talking about the promises and pitfalls of oil and gas exploration is not going to cut it anymore. At some point, we have to stop listening to experts and give ourselves the platform do the work ourselves.

We could probably organize a conference about how to improve conferences but here is a list of ideas instead. This is by no means a definitive list, let’s hope this is the beginning of a conversation.

16 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

ADEDANA ASHEBIR

Spoiler alert: These ideas will require some organization and collaboration among campus leaders but let’s consider it good practice for addressing the challenges the Continent faces.

1

Get sector specific

Instead of planning various panels on different sectors, universities should coordinate and select a discipline to focus on. For example, journalism and social media at Harvard, public health at Yale, energy at Columbia, technology at Wharton, corporate social responsibility at NYU, etc. Topics can (and should) rotate yearly among universities as interest shifts and the student leadership changes. With this format, those interested in specific fields can make meaningful connections with speakers and fellow attendees. Separating themes wouldn’t eliminate an inter-disciplinary approach. Other sectors can be addressed as it relates to the main topic chosen.

2

Encourage Skillshares

It is great to hear from speakers that have accomplished much in their fields but conferences should also be spaces that empower and unlock the potential of attendees. What skills do conference goers already possess that they can share with others? Coding, grant writing, business development, social media fluency- the possibilities are endless.

The

list

4

Organize hackathons

Some attendees might have ventures they are working on and need help thinking through ideas or scaling up. Conferences gather anywhere from 200 to 1000 participants and are thus a perfect venue to hear constructive suggestions.

Incubator and consultancy MansaColabs and startup accelerator Tiphub recently collaborated to organize the DCTechAfrique Hackathon in Washington DC. Interdisciplinary teams helped diaspora-led Ghanaian education start-up RevisionPrep identify opportunities and challenges in market size and think through curriculum materials, user-experience and data collection needs. Imagine if this could be replicated at a conference scale. Surely there are other innovators that could benefit.

3

Provide greater access to venture capital

Conference sponsor lists are a who’s who of banking institutions, consulting films, and multinational corporations: IBM, Unilever, McKinsey, BCG, Bain, PWC, GE and more.

Planning conferences is not cheap, but some of these resources should be re-directed to pitch competitions. Harvard has done some VC pitches in the past but once again, at a larger scale we could truly support homegrown ideas and solutions. Between hackathons and funding, we could spotlight and support the great work that young Africans are already doing.

5

Promote dialogue with students at African universities

For all the talk about Africa, there is rarely communication about these issues with our peers on the continent. We cannot afford to have conversations independently of those currently living there. I acknowledge that the time difference might make it difficult but having at least one event that is livestreamed is definitely possible. Social Media Week Lagos proved that.

I respect the work conference leaders have done thus far. I’ve planned my fair share of campus events and I’ve participated in Africa-related conferences as an attendee and a speaker. Conferences are great opportunities for learning and networking, but the tried and true format of the past few years must enter a new phase.

We’ve come a long way since Harvard Business School’s first Africa conference in 1999. The topic then? “Reversing the Brain Drain.” Just think what passionate and informed attendees could accomplish if we re-imagined conferences beyond reimagining. To meet this potential, conferences must evolve. The challenges are simply too great for the status quo.

Adedana Ashebir is a freelance writer based in the Washington, D.C. area. She is the creator of the #AfricaSees hashtag, a digital response to lazy headlines in the Western media’s Africa reporting. The hashtag is a spoof of the January 2014 Associated Press headline “Africa Sees Violent, Deadly Start to 2014” that discussed only five countries, or roughly 10% of the continent. You can follow Adedana on Twitter @AdedanaAbroad.

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The metallic shoe look is bold and injects instant shine & glam to any ensemble.

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Felidia Restaurant: The taste of real Authentic Italian food right in midtown. I have been there a few times and I always have a great experience. The food is fantastic!

INSIGHTS

DEBO FOLORUNSHO

AFRICA’S MOST ENTREPRENEURIAL CITIES

HOW CAPETOWN, KIGALI, LAGOS, accra AND NAIROBI BECAME HUBS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

While startup cities are just emerging, there are smart and sophisticated steps being taken to develop healthy entrepreneurial ecosystems across the African continent.

African countries continue to throw off their post-colonial cloak to become the world’s fastest-growing group of economies. The catalysts for much of this explosive growth are the mobile phone and the internet.

According to analyst ABI, in 2012, 76.4 per cent of Africans owned a mobile phone; that’s 821 million out of a population of more than a billion people. this mobile penetration rate almost certainly surpassed 80 per cent in 2013. This revolution has created extraordinary opportunities. This has created new possibilities for African talent to start any project of their dreams.

Companies in the IT and telecom industries have proven to generate significant positive cash flow and profitable reinvestment opportunities for their retained earnings.

High growth companies are also responsible for innovation, which is necessary for the development across the Continent.

Lagos, Nigeria

The Lagos tech scene is on fire. This city has seen some amazing things happen in its tech space in the last few months, with its tech neighborhoods and state-backed innovation hubs. The majority of entrepreneurs in the country are operating in Lagos, the former capital of the country and Lagos beats the rest of Africa with fastest new company growth despite it having major roadblocks with registering properties and getting electricity, according to the World Bank. Nigeria has 160 million people with more than 100 million of them using mobile phones daily. Nigeria is creating its own Silicon Valleys, thanks to Nigerians in the Diaspora who are moving back one after the other to support the growing industries in entertainment, technology and fashion.

Clusters of start-up tech companies are also forming and are attracting big international investment. Technology has enabled a new generation of creators and innovators emerging from Lagos to come up with inventive ideas that solve local problems. Techpreneurs of iROKOtv and Nollywood fame, Jason Njoku and Bastian Gotter, also launched a Lagos-based company, SPARK, a one million dollar project created to support and develop aspiring Nigerian tech and internet entrepreneurs. Currently SPARK has seed-funded 13 companies in Lagos including: Hotels.com.ng, Christians.com.ng, Bus.com.ng, Giddimint. com.ng, Borro.com.ng, Insured.com.ng, ToLet.com.ng and Foto.com.ng.

The iHub is a space for the technologists, investors, tech companies and hackers in Nairobi, Kenya. This space is a tech community and facility with a focus on young entrepreneurs, web and mobile phone programmers and designers. It is part open community workspace (co-working), part investor, VC hub and part incubator.

Accra, Ghana

Ghana is one the fastest growing economies in Africa, experiencing strong growth over the past decade and forecasted to grow at 6% to 7% in the coming year. With a diverse and rich natural resource base, Ghana also has one of the highest levels of per capital GDP in Africa.

Entrepreneurship is going to play a key role in Ghana’s future. The number of entrepreneurship education and training programs has multiplied in Ghana over the past decade, and a growing number of young people are pursuing entrepreneurship, with hopes of striking it big. The Accra entrepreneurial environment is vibrant and growing in comparison to its other West African counterparts. The Ghanaian business infrastructure is stable, and the government promotes business and entrepreneurship. Recently Hub Accra opened, a co-working space offering shared working spaces, dedicated desk spaces, private office space, and conference room rentals. Several young businesses, including the winner of the last Startup Weekend Accra, SliceBiz, has already located their offices in Hub Accra.The World Bank’s Doing Business project ranked Ghana 64th in terms of “ease of doing business.”

PricewaterhouseCoopers with Eni High-tech architecture and Neomodern Buildings in West Ridge, Accra.

Nairobi, Kenya

Kigali, Rwanda

According to the text of the government mission, Rwanda Vision 2020, Rwanda will attain the status of a middle-income country by simply skipping the industrialization phase and directly shaping an approach based on information technology and communications economy. One of the first moves of Vision 2020 is KLAB. Located in Kigali, KLAB-meaning “knowledge laboratory” – is a unique collaborative space for young entrepreneurs and other engineers to access free WiFi, participate in workshops and conferences, to compete in hackathons, or simply exchange code tips while playing table football. The center can also count on the experience of 21 mentors available to develop ideas or offer business advice to new businesses hoping to break into the technology sector. Today, the facility hosts 85 KLAB “tenants” and 11 startups, most of which have already launched products on the market. Foyo, for example, has developed an application that sends daily health advice and dietary tips to its users, while Torque is famous for its inventory system in the cloud for small and medium enterprises. One of the most successful companies is KLAB GiraICT, which manufactures tablets and smartphones, very similar to HP and Samsung devices, but accessible to the lower income population through monthly installment plans. Since its launch, GiraICT opened branches in Burundi and Ghana.

kLab is funded jointly by the Rwanda Private Sector Federation, the Rwanda Development Board and Japan International Cooperation Agency.

If you haven’t traveled to Kenya lately, you may not be aware that a mobile evolution is occurring in Nairobi. The rapidly rising digital entrepreneurship scene has real promise to grow successful businesses, stimulating job creation, generating new sources of revenue for the mobile industry and delivering innovative services for customers. Nairobi, in the heart of Kenya, has already produced some notable success stories, such as Craft Silicon, a software firm that provides core banking, microfinance, mobile and switch solutions with software and electronic payments services for over 200 institutional clients in 40 countries. Craft Silicon’s market value is estimated at $50 million. Also a mobile money service set up in 2007, known as M-Pesa, accounted for more than 31 per cent of Kenya’s GDP across more than 19 million customers in 2012.

Cape Town, South Africa

Forget the business energy of Johannesburg, the city of gold. Brush aside Pretoria, the ‘sluggish’ capital city of South Africa, with its phlegmatic businesses and government buildings looking like monasteries. Here comes Cape Town, South Africa’s second-biggest city, which is said to be emerging slowly but surely as the country’s Silicon Valley. The city is emulating the world-renowned region in California which is home to some of the world’s largest technology companies and many entrepreneurial ventures. The consistent growth of small tech-focused businesses in Cape Town and the accessibility of educational institutions continue to create fertile grounds for entrepreneurial activity within the region.

It is believed that the Western Cape provincial government and the City of Cape Town have invested over R150m in the city’s broadband infrastructure project. Another R500 million (about 5 million USD) is due to be pumped in, in 2014, to take the technology sector to greater heights.

(RLabs) is a global movement and registered Social Enterprise that provides innovative solutions to address various complex problems.

The RLabs “main hub” is in Athlone, Cape Town

Applause Africa’s Quarterly PROMOTION AND ADVERTISEMENT

Chevron Increases Support for Niger Delta Partnership Initiative

C

hevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) announced on June 10, 2014 that it is increasing its support to the Niger Delta Partnership Initiative (NDPI) Foundation.

Chevron is committing an additional $40 million over five years to expand a portfolio of programs and partnerships that have successfully promoted economic development, improved the capacity of civil society institutions, and helped reduced conflict

in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region since 2010. The additional funding brings the total social investment in NDPI to $90 million, the single largest in the corporation’s history.

Established in-part through a five-year, $50 million endowment by Chevron in 2010, NDPI is a special purpose foundation designed to work in partnership with other donors from the public and private sector, creating dynamic, multi-stakeholder partnerships to collaboratively support a range of projects designed to help reduce poverty and conflict in the Niger Delta region.

“Chevron recognizes that our business is fundamentally linked to economic prosperity, sustainable development and peaceful co-existence in regions where we operate,” said Rhonda Zygocki, executive vice president of Policy and Planning for Chevron Corporation. “The NDPI partnership exemplifies Chevron’s approach to social investment and further underscores the role the private sector can play in helping build stronger, stable communities around the world.”

New five-year, $40 million grant brings Chevron support of economic development and regional stability programs to $90 million since 2010

This new financial commitment

by Chevron, to be complemented by funding from other donors and partners, will allow NDPI to continue building upon its initial efforts to address the root causes of poverty and conflict in the Niger Delta Region by expanding and scaling-up effective partnerships and programs.

Since 2010, NDPI has directly benefited more than 10,000 people in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region, by creating more than 600 jobs and supporting nearly 100 local businesses. The initiative has also trained more than 5,500 local community members and development practitioners and engaged 172 local partner organizations in the development and implementation of its projects.

“I am extremely proud of what NDPI has accomplished since 2010,” said Ali Moshiri, president of Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production Company and chairman of the board of directors of the NDPI Foundation. “There is, however, more work to do. This funding will boost already successful efforts as the public and private sector continue to work together to improve quality of life and create greater prosperity in the region.”

“Partnering is at the core of what NDPI is all about,” said Dennis Flemming, executive director of the NDPI Foundation. “Our goal is to continue to engage partners from both the public and private sector donor community to leverage this $40 million and enhance our projects in ways that will create further substantive regional impact.”

Chevron is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide.

The company’s success is driven by the ingenuity and commitment of its employees and their application of the most innovative technologies in the world. Chevron is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. The company explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and other energy products; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels.

Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

ideas. problems. breakthroughs.

A SNIPPET OF HUBS IN AFRICA Youth across Africa are getting connected and creating opportunities for themselves.

Whether it’s safely inside Africa’s hubs or along the bullet-pocked street of Mogadishu, they are finding ways to use technology to innovate, create employment and improve the societies in which they live.

Northern

Western

Eastern

Southern

WikiStartup.tn Flat6Labs.com PlugAndPlayEgypt.com Tahrir2.com

JokkoLabs.net iLabLiberia.org MobileWebGhana.org mFriday.org CCHubNigeria.com WennovationHub.com ActivSpaces.com

IceAddis.com iHub.co.ke NaiLab.co.ke HiveColab.org TheHubKampala.com kLab.rw Teknohama.or.tz

mLab.co.za Google.co.za/Umbono BongoHive.com i-Hub.mg

Africa’s growing youth population comes with high energy, creativity, and talents which are key to future prosperity

The Rise of opportunity Innovation hubs in Africa CREATE More opportunities to innovate and create

90+ Number of hubs, labs, incubators and accelerators covering more than 2o african countries

70% More than 70% of youth in republic of congo, Ethiopia, ghana, malawi, mali, rwanda, senegal and uganda are either self employed or contributing to family work

$10B Konza technology city in kanya is expected to cost $10 billion and create more than 200,000 jobs when completed by 2030. in 2012, ibm set up its first african research lab in nairobi, joining renowned american companies like google, microsoft and intel.

YOUNG AFRICAN WOMEN ARE MOVING UP AND COMING ON STRONG

A

ROBERT R. BERNSTEIN

CHANGE AGENTS

Be the change. Be Inspired. Be you.

s the world’s attention is again brought to bear on Africa, this time to understand the tragedy of the young women of Chibok in Nigeria, it is important to realize that the Continent has a very young population. Many of this new generation are well educated and they see the future of Africa as well as its image as being bright. They are undertaking innovative projects with the aim to improve life both at home and abroad. In their mind, they look to a continent that is thriving and growing, not fodder for the international media’s appetite for health epidemics, natural disasters and political upheaval. The following are notable members of this generation making a break with the past.

DENISE WILLIAMS

When Denise Williams arrived in the USA at the age of 10, it was her mother’s goal to provide better opportunities for Denise and her siblings.

Settling in Los Angeles, California, they were raised with their mother’s very goal-oriented and strict philosophy. Coming to the country as a single parent, Williams’ mother had been Personal Assistant to the Deputy Governor of Lagos State.

Ms. Williams relates that her sister, Lilian Ajayi, became a personal mentor because Lilian demonstrated two qualities essential for success: focus and determination. When Lilian was accepted to Harvard University, Denise remembers that she too wanted to do better and “step her game up.”

While working in the health care field in a variety of roles, she realized that she had the entrepreneurial spirit. As a result, she has developed a series of books for young readers based on a hero from Africa named The Hunter.

Eventually, she envisions the books becoming the basis for a television series.

In addition, Ms. Williams has other projects lined up, including a clothing line for girls that is influenced by the styles of the American1950’s. As she stated recently when talking about women’s manner and mode of dress: “A lady should be a lady.” Her mother has returned to Nigeria to work with the government, but that distance has not weakened the ties with her children here in the States. She is so immensely proud of her family, that she would interrupt a meeting with an important politician to speak to her children. While not ruling out a return to Nigeria in the future, Denise still has goals to accomplish here and wants to cement her success in business for her family here and on the Continent before moving back.

22 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

KARIMATA BAH

Growing up with an aunt, Karimata Bah and her brother lived in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Her parents had immigrated to the USA and were living in Philadelphia, with her father working as a tailor and her mother in health care as a nursing assistant.

She and her brother were guided by their parents’ principle that education was the key to advancement. However, as a female with Guinean and Sierra Leonean roots, tradition dictated that she receive her education close to home.

Therefore, Karimata’s options were Temple or Drexel University, two of Philadelphia’s best universities.

After entering Temple University, she had some confusion as to her course of study. Through discussions with the staff at Temple she began to see that for the betterment of large populations, effective public health programs are essential.

Ms. Bah sees maternal health as one of the great public health issues facing Sierra Leone and is dedicated to seeking solutions to improve the lives of women who are in their child bearing years.

Her vision for the future includes educating birth attendants; and providing delivery kits and sanitary pads. Her hope is to increase the level of prenatal care and empower women for the future.

Applause Africa continues our commitment to spotlight the young people changing the game in Africa.

Look for future installments in upcoming issues.

ELIZABETH PATTERSON

In spite of their solid middle class life back home in Ghana, Elizabeth Patterson’s parents saw the USA as an opportunity for their children to advance academically and succeed professionally. As a result, they entered the 1995 US Visa Lottery and achieved legal status to enter and settle in the USA. Elizabeth attended the Westtown School in Caldwell, New Jersey; she then entered Hunter College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Business Management. From there she went on to the Wagner School at New York University where she received her Masters in Public Administration with a specialization in nonprofit organizations.

With her goal to take her nonprofit organization Girls Education Initiative for Ghana back to Accra and get moving with her ideas and visions, Patterson is the example of a true change agent. She hopes to provide academic and financial support for girls in the greater Accra area to ensure that they continue to study through high school with the long term goal of entering university. It is a tall order to change the mindset regarding female education in Ghana but if anyone can accomplish it, Elizabeth Patterson’s can.

As she said recently: “If we all could unite and harness our energies and resources we can better the country.” It is her fervent hope that this initiative will not only educate but also provide a greater opportunity to reduce poverty in rural Ghana.

African exchange

On May 23rd, the Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations marked Africa Day –an annual celebration commemorating the 1963 founding of the Organization of African Unity, now known as the African Union (AU). This year’s theme was on agriculture and food security. Activities started at the New York UN headquarters, with a panel discussion and were concluded with a gala at the Hammerstein Ballroom, Manhattan Center, which was hosted

by Mpule Kwelagobe, the first black Miss Universe.

In his speech, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the world must do more to unleash Africa’s full potential in agriculture while also urging the continent’s leaders and development partners to combat growing social and economic inequalities. “Greater equity presents a common challenge to the continent as a whole and can help foster peace and stability,” said the Secretary-General.

IBM Accelerating Africa’s revival AFRICA, THE NEXT GROWTH FRONTIER

,

magine riding in a Matatu (the name used for a mini bus in Kenya) and suddenly an advertisement of your local product suddenly pops up on small screen either by text, video or voice. It might seem a far fetched thought but actually this is happening. It is what innovators call geo targeted advertising, where advertising is based on your geographical location. So if you are driving on a certain road you get advertising that pertains to that roadway.

Initiatives like this are springing up across the African continent where local people are coming up with ground breaking ideas.

This innovation by a start-up company in Kenya called Flashcast has helped businesses to advertise their products for free, these are small-medium business people who for the longest time have been shut out of the traditional market that relied on costly t.v, radio and print mediums to advertise. Currently the mobile advertising project runs successfully on two main highways in Nairobi and on selected Matatu’s. But business has not always been this glorious for Flashcast. When it started out the owners lacked the know how skill of running a successful business, they lacked mentorship and did not have much financial backing. It is thanks to companies like IBM that they were able to stay open. IBM came along at a time when this venture was on the verge of shutting down and they brought the much needed assistance that has resulted in what the company is today.

“Their business model was just not working and they were not making any revenue. Along came IBM and said, ‘have you heard about Big Data? Open up your technology and allow people to advertise either by video streaming, text or voice.’ They hadn’t thought about that because they only wanted to do text, so we worked with them to open this avenue to multiple channels,” says Dr Osamuya Stewart,Chief Scientist at IBM Africa Research Lab.

I

24 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

IBM has been in existence for about 100 years and has had involvement in Africa for many years, but for the first time in 2012, IBM set up a research laboratory in Kenya. The company has evolved from its days producing computers to what they now call an initiative to build a smarter planet. IBM works with startups, NGOs and universities across Africa to support and develop innovative ideas and giving young people training. ”We want to drive innovation that results in commercial viability that impact people’s lives,” adds Dr. Stewart. Indeed, in recent years there has been a massive sea of innovation in Africa. Yet there has been something crucially missing: commercially viable innovations. If an individual builds an app and the app does not translate to commercial viability or commercial success, what that person is essentially doing as an application developer is a waste of time.

“We need to create an eco-system in which innovation is impacting the lives of our people, either commercially by the institutions that we build that change the way things functions or institutions that we build that enhance the way things function. Ultimately it is about translating all these innovations into commercial projects that is what we are about,” the IBM Chief Scientist emphasized.

One such commercially viable project has been, MoDe, short for Mobile Decisioning.

MoDe is a technology company that provides value added services to mobile network operators in emerging nations. The company launched in 2010 and two years later was announced as the winner of the IBM Global Entrepreneur of the year Award. MoDe’s main product is Airtime Credit Service (ACS) which provides emergency airtime credit to prepaid mobile subscribers. The credit is paid back at the subscriber’s next reload.

“We need to create an eco system where innovation is impacting the lives of our people, either commercially WITH the institutions that we build that change the way things function; or institutions that we build that enhance the way things function. ultimately it is about translating all these innovations into commercial projects that is what we are about.” -Dr Osamuya Stewart, Chief Scientist at IBM Africa Research Lab. “The aim was to help in financial inclusion in what we call the under privileged we were trying to find people that have that kind of history and build a profile around that because they are always cut out of financial inclusion. It is actually 85 per cent of the population that owns mobile phones, while only 6 percent have access to bank loans. We wanted to use the mobile platform to help achieve financial inclusion,” says Julian Kyula, CEO of MoDe. IBM has been very key for MoDe. Initially the company’s focus was in Africa, but now their partnership with IBM has given them the credibility that allows them to venture out into the International market. Currently they operate in 18 countries and have about 100 million customers already this year.

The company has already made half a billion worth of small transactions and hopes to close on a billion by year’s end.There is an amazing pool of innovation across the continent. The problem is that execution is weak and getting the right people globally to help has advanced such companies and allowed them to put together universally acceptable innovations. “It is actually a great plus for our continent what we are seeing from large organizations like IBM in helping organizations like ours in getting into the world where no one had interest in innovation from the continent. Now we are able to implement our own innovations and coming up with solutions to not just our problems but solutions that are universal,” says Kyula.

The success of all of this rides on how much development is done at the grassroots level though.

IBM has already implemented its Innovation Center in Nairobi where they have established relationships with local universities and they are in partnership with them to not only help them with overall skills development but also to focus in on innovation.

“We have the smart camp program that is part of IBM’s global entrepreneur program, hosted in East Africa. We had an event in July and we wanted to spotlight two local student entrepreneurs and startups. Something that they too can participate in and know that there is a future for them in that area,” says Gloria Powell, Manager, IBM East Africa Client and Innovation Center. It is the belief of IBM that innovation with universities is critical in building the smarter planet concept that can be shared in making the world a better place for all to live in.

“This is not something IBM can do alone, the idea of a smarter planet is not just us, it is not just start-ups it is not just enterprises, it is for everyone.”

GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT IBM opened the doors of its 12th global research lab and first in Africa in Nairobi, Kenya. The new laboratory employs some of the biggest brains to develop solutions to Africa’s grand challenges and to drive innovation in Africa, for Africa and for the world. To celebrate the launch and to recognize the talent and ideas of people across Africa, IBM teamed with iHub, A24Media and independent photographer Mutua Matheka to organize “The World is Our Lab.” a photo competition.

Aimed at photographers of all abilities, the contest invited people from across Africa to capture stories of grand challenges, city systems and innovation.

1 IBM Research – Africa ‘Digital Migration’ by Lawrence ‘Shabu’ Mwangi, Kenya

Innovation - Winning Image: “I took the winning image outside our workshop in the Mukuru slum in Nairobi. These kids had found the plastic frame of an old TV and were playing at presenting a TV show. I took the picture because I wanted to show the world the innovative way that kids from the slums play – using the material around them to express themselves in a creative way” - Lawrence ‘Shabu’ Mwangi.

2 ‘Free Primary Education’ by Jack Owuor, Kenya

Despite huge efforts by governments, families and NGOs, approximately half of African children will reach their adult years unable to read, write or perform basic numeracy tasks.

3 IBM Research – Africa ‘Transportable Knowledge’ - by Jo-Anne Rogers, South Africa Library buses are a useful means of taking education to rural areas in many parts of Africa.

STARTUPSUCCESS WHAT IT IS

Founded in Lagos, Nigeria, Fora.co provides working professionals in Nigeria with quality online continuing education. As the first consumer platform of its kind in Nigeria, professionals have access to online educational programs that are geared towards helping them either double or triple their income. Fora.co also provides classroom style meet up locations where professionals can pursue advancement and development by receiving help from educators or their peers. The cost of the online courses range from $150 to $1,000 USD. Fora.co offers financial aid in the form of loans to help professionals afford their courses.

inspired. passionate. elevate.

Education

ADEOLA ADEJOBI

Craftsman

An online market place connects Nigerian’s with continuing education

HOW IT STARTED

Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Founder and CEO of Fora.co, developed the idea over time after noticing demand from Nigerians for online education with first company, Bookneto.

Bookneto, is an online platform that works with professors seeking to teach outside of the university construct. Aboyeji noticed that several Nigerian students were enrolling in Bookneto’s courses. After moving back to Nigeria, he saw that ex-patriates and re-patriates were moving back into the country to work. He realized then that local professionals were having trouble keeping and competing for jobs. He created Fora.co, as a solution to keep Nigerian professionals competitive in the ever-evolving job market.

WHY IT’S TAKING OFF

Fora.co, provides access to quality continuing education to working professionals without the burden of leaving their families and moving abroad to advance their skill set.

Currently, students have access to classes within the University of California system.

Professional certifications are their bestselling classes due to the short length of the courses. Fora.co’s most popular courses are in the areas of banking, finance, oil and gas and business. What makes their program unique is the access to education financing.

Most professionals in Nigeria do not have access to the financing that will help afford professional advancement courses.

WHAT’S NEXT

Fora.co is preparing to advance into predegree programs and invest in local content.

The company is currently working on a deal with one of Nigeria’s top graduate schools to make that dream a reality. Fora.co is also working to help students have access to courses from the best schools in the United States such as Columbia University, Howard University, New York University (NYU), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

It is the company’s goal to provide financial aid for professionals in Nigeria to take these courses.

Fora.co is also working on Forapod, an offline server that allows students to access curated online educational courses that are

downloaded for their use. This is a solution dependent on expensive bandwidth and internet access, a common problem for remote schools in Nigeria. In September 2014, Fora.co plans to partner with larger organizations to launch their teachertraining initiative. An initiative which the business believes will create a multiplying effect of continuing and current education across Nigeria by training teachers through technology.

MOVING BACK

As a Nigerian, Aboyeji’s biggest consideration was where he could make his next big company. He states that: “There are more opportunities for growth and impact for Fora.co in Nigeria.”

LEADERSHIP Alexander CummingS on Coca-Cola’s Mission to Africa SOPHIA EGBELO

When Alexander Cummings took to the podium as keynote speaker at the fifth annual FACE Africa Wash Gala, his remarks resonated CocaCola’s philanthropic mission to Africa. “Providing safe water, sanitation and wellbeing to communities,” were some of the efforts Mr. Cummings noted that Coca-Cola is developing in some of the continent’s impoverished regions. But it was his advice to youth and adults in the audience that gained him memorable applause.

“Causes such as education and water are some areas that we should pay attention to. I also encourage US in the diaspora not to keep starting too many things from scratch. We tend to start little things from scratch that have no impact. Rather we should identify with organizations that are addressing the needs and have impact on the particular causes we are interested in.”

Alexander Cummings is Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at the CocaCola Company. As COO of the African group, he is “responsible for the Company’s operations in Africa, encompassing a total of 56 countries and territories across the continent.” With such an impressive career it was only befitting that Cummings pinpoint social and environmental causes that we, as Africans, ought to join.

While highlighting the efforts of FACE Africa, Cummings stated: “Water is critical to the survival and to the success of Africa. We at Coca-Cola use a lot of water; we are committed to making sure communities have safe drinking water. FACE Africa is doing a wonderful job finding solutions for safe drinking water in Africa. It is important as Africans that we find a cause that we have a passion for and support this cause. Water happens to be a cause that is important to our company, Coca-Cola. But there are other causes that I encourage us Africans to find and engage in.”

Beyond his keynote, Cummings expressed to this author that the legacy of Coca-Cola is more than a world renowned beverage brand. “Coca-Cola’s mission everywhere around the world is to be a good corporate citizen, to refresh the world, mind, body and soul. But we also realize that in doing so we have to be part of the communities where we live and work. It is not just about us producing and selling our products. Our mission in Africa is to ensure that communities thrive,” he emphasized. With the brand’s focus areas being “water, well-being and women,” Cummings noted that in select regions of the Continent, there are projects underway providing assistance and support to local communities.

Speaking on the need for individuals to engage in social causes, Mr. Cummings advised that passionate individuals seeking to contribute actively must first join in advocating ongoing missions fighting worthy causes rather than starting our own projects. He said, “Causes such as education and water are some areas that we should pay attention to. I also encourage us in the diaspora not to keep starting too many things from scratch. We tend to start little things from scratch that have no impact. Rather we should identify with organizations that are addressing the needs and have impact on the particular causes we are interested in.”

In answer to our question on why the world should look to invest in African economies, Cummings stated: “The continent is growing, hence a reason to invest. Likewise governance in Africa is getting better. In addition, Africans tend to be the most optimistic people in the world, highly energetic and smart industrious people. These are some of the reasons we believe Africa is the continent of the future.” Mr. Cummings also added, “Africa is the last frontier, and so now is the time to believe in Africa, to invest in Africa as well as to build your brand, whether as a corporation or as an individual.”

STARTUPSUCCESS inspire. create. achieve.

new generation of inventors, thinkers and entrepreneurs that are emerging Meet the entrepreneurs transforming their continent

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Meck a dream Khalfan affirmed ROBERT R. BERNSTEIN

Parents are considered by many to be the best teachers. In the case of Meck Khalfan they were certainly the best examples and motivators. As members of the Chagga of Tanzania, Khalfan explains that they were great business people. His father was a mechanic while his mother ran a clothing business. As he grew, he observed both his parents and their respective approaches to work.

His dad was reliable and did his work thoroughly without cutting corners, while his mother used a variety of sources to stock her clothing business.

When opportunity presented itself, Khalfan entered a high school for topperforming boys in Arusha, Tanzania. At the all male academy, he studied the hard sciences such as chemistry and physics as well as mathematics under the tutelage of what he describes as excellent instructors.

Another opportunity presented itself in the form of an exchange student program in 1998. Upon his return from Connecticut he entered the University of Dar Es Salaam. He selected computer science as his course of study but his time in the USA had taught him the value of a first rate education and he felt that he would not learn sufficiently at Dar-Es-Salaam. There were not enough up to date units in the computer science department. He then applied and was accepted to University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Mathematics.

Upon graduation, Khalfan was in an excellent position career-wise. Amherst and Boston were part of a sizeable technology corridor in Massachusetts.

He began to work for upscale clients as a software engineer. His parents always remained in his mind as he took on complex jobs. They were his motivators.

In 2009 he moved to New York City because his wife, an investment banker,

was joining a new firm. As he says, life is a team effort and his wife has been his greatest supporter. When he arrived, Khalfan moved in another direction as an investor in real estate and a bank in Tanzania. Unfortunately, he realized two things: real estate investments require extended time in country and 2009 was not a wonderful year for banks on the continent.

He then tried working on applications for cell phones which led him back to his training as a software engineer. This however did not spark him or motivate him. It was then that an act of nature opened a new avenue for his creative energies. When Hurricane Sandy struck New York City in 2012, Meck and his family were living on the 11th floor of a residence the Madison Square area of Manhattan. His building lost power as well as heat and hot water. Many residents decamped to hotels or the residences of friends but the Khalfan family simply made do by walking up and down the eleven floors and heading to a Starbucks store on 36th Street and Fifth Avenue where they could re-group and re-charge their cell phones. As the phones were their only means of communications, they were being used heavily and they was no reliable way to charge them once they left the coffee lounge.

As with most tech devices, one day nothing exists and the next day the new item has flooded the market. This was the story with portable chargers. When Sandy struck, these chargers were not well known and they were certainly needed. Within a short period time a plethora of the portable stick chargers were available in in a variety of designs and colors. The problem was that many were of dubious quality.

This then was Khalfan’s new project: developing a charger that could truly be relied on. He put together a design and production team. The name puku was

chosen for the new product. A puku is an antelope native to the grasslands of Tanzania. The name was selected for its simplicity as well as its unique quality. In addition to the name, a unique curved shape as well as distinctive colors were chosen to help make the product stand out. The charger works well with Apple products as well as other electronics.

What makes this product successful is the vision of its designer. Khalfan has said that there are three main qualities that guide him in the process of bringing a product to market:

IMAGINATION

The product must be visualized in the mind as a successful market item.

IMPROVEMENT

Current products can always be improved and nothing is indispensable.

EXECUTION

You must put together the best team to realize an excellent product; you are not an expert in every aspect of the project and members of your team are specialists, therefore assemble the best production team.

The Puku Charger is currently available by mail order from the United States only. It is being selectively marketed at events like New York Fashion Week and has been ordered by customers worldwide. The next step for the device is to place it in specific stores such as the Apple Store, Best Buy and Target.

Meck Khalfan does not know what the future holds. What he is sure of is that whatever he tackles next he will always follow those business principles he observed long ago as a young child in Tanzania.

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Rahama Wright

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on a course to becoming africa’s largest shea butter production Rahama Wright is the founder of Shea Yeleen a social enterprise that sells highquality unrefined shea butter products.

With a mission to get people to think about where shea butter comes from and the people behind its production, Wright has developed a business model that empowers and trains women-owned shea butter cooperatives. Applause Africa spoke with Wright about building her company, developing a socially conscious business model that empowers women and how she thinks Africans in the Diaspora can support businesses like hers.

Would you consider Shea Yeleen a startup?

No, I have been doing this since 2005 and so I’m going into my 9th year. We have also grown tremendously over the last two years. I launched it in 2005 as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and created an LLC profit arm in 2012. Part of the reason to do that was so we could diversify our sources of income and get income from impact investment.

Moving to that model was actually a great decision because two really amazing things happened in 2013. We were picked up by Whole Foods in the North Atlantic region. So you can find us in Connecticut, Maine, New York, the New England region, Pennsylvania and basically along the East Coast. We also got investment funding from a fund based in New York that is supported by Richard Parsons and Ron Lauder.

Was it hard to make the decision to move from just being a 501 (c)(3) to creating an LLC profit arm?

It really was. The non-profit still exists. We consider our model a social enterprise model.

For me the difficulty was making sure that whatever path we were taking with our structure would ensure that we will be able to accomplish our mission. As the founder I am very much concerned with being able to accomplish the mission of why I started Shea Yeleen. I started it because of the women in sub-Saharan Africa who are the traditional shea processors. Our entire vision and model is geared towards helping these women bring high quality products to markets as a way to support economic development. I wanted to help women move from making less than $30 a month to a 100 and more - giving them the ability to send their kids to school, buy food and medicine.

Has this move been beneficial?

It has. And the reason is that when I started Shea Yeleen I was 23 years old, I had no idea what I was doing, I self funded for the majority of the last nine years and creating a new structure gave me the ability to attract the right investment and funding that we really needed to sustain the organization.

One of the things that we do that is very different from other brands is that we actually bring women to the U.S. We sponsor them to do speaking tours, to leave their communities, come to the U.S., meet with Whole Foods buyers, meet with customers and meet with consumers. We are not trying to just sell

shea butter - that isn’t really why I created Shea Yeleen. It’s about giving these women a voice and visibility in a marketplace that for generations has kept them out, not only kept them out in the sense that we don’t see them but also in the sense that they are not financially benefiting from their labor. There is absolutely no shea product anywhere in this world that is on a shelf and is being sold that didn’t have an African woman as part of the supply chain and the reason is because the raw material comes from sub-Saharan Africa.

You can’t find the shea tree anywhere else in the world. The fact that this product is so closely connected to the lives of these women to me means that they deserve to have the benefit of not only being an active part in the industry but financially benefit from it.

Why did you decide to sell your products outside of Africa?

I felt the U.S. consumer base is the biggest in the world and I felt that it was very wrong that so many people were buying these products and had no connection to the lives of the women in sub-Saharan Africa who were producing it. I really want to give these women the opportunity to benefit from a consumer base that already exists. And that was what my vision was. So now as we are becoming more ‘business-like’ and less ‘nonprofit-like’ we have realized that some of the top emerging economies are in Africa so to not look into them will be foolish. Its definitely something we are considering.

Do you do your production from start to finish in sub-Saharan Africa?

We work with locally organized, independent cooperatives so its not like they are our workers. We support them with training, resources and capital to create shea butter.

They make the shea butter at processing centers. These processing centers ensure that they are following a very strict quality control process and that they are making the shea butter in a central location just to ensure that everything is done properly.

What has been your biggest success story so far?

There are two things. Of course, having the women come to the U.S. - oh my gosh, amazing. Imagine being all the way from the North of Ghana and you haven’t even been to Accra and now you are in Washington, D.C. and then you are in Boston, and then New York, come on, can it get better than that? No, it can’t [laughs]. For me, it’s also about wanting the women I work with to understand the entire process and to feel like they are part of it. It’s not just telling them about where the products end up but to feel like they are part of a model that is really set up for them.

It’s about giving these women a voice and visibility in a marketplace that for generations has kept them out. There is absolutely no shea product anywhere in this world that is on a shelf and is being sold that didn’t have an African woman as part of the supply chain and the reason is because the raw material comes from sub-Saharan Africa.

Getting funding from the private equity fund has been good. Ron Lauder of Estee lauder, one of the biggest beauty brands in the world gave me money to do what I love? Sometimes, I’m just pinching myself [laughs]. We got funding from Richard Parsons who is a premiere African American businessman, run Time Warner and Citigroup and is someone who is really behind the work we are doing. I mean those are heavy hitters and for them to want to support the work we are doing and seeing the importance of women who for generations have not been given the opportunity to make money is awesome. We are talking about women who have a challenge with making just one cedi in one day. Now to be able to get them to a point where they say, I’m saving money - that’s why I get up and when its hard and not easy, I’m like, I have it easy because when I think about what they are going through, my life is good.

What 3 lessons have you learned so far from building Shea Yeleen?

For me they are follow your heart and really do what you believe is right, because when I started Shea Yeleen a lot of people thought I was too young and very idealistic. There were a lot of people that did not encourage me and so for me I really had to move forward without getting a lot of support and kind of being on my own. I think that just do what you believe in and have a passion for.

Another thing is, be persistent. It took me nine years to get to this point and we are still at the tip of the iceberg. And so you just have to be persistent. If I had decided in 2007 to give up, all of the achievements of 2012 and 2013 will never have come to pass because I would have given up in 2007 I think that that persistence despite

the challenges, some of the painful moments of writing a grant proposal and getting rejected, or getting a meeting with someone and they not returning your call and just the levels of rejection.

Finally, take care of yourself. Sometimes when you are running a mission driven organization, it takes over your life. I think that if you burn out, the mission can’t go on without you until you build the right team who can continue it. So I think that for anyone who wants to pursue their own business idea, they should make sure that they balance work and life.

What challenges have you faced?

I don’t want to be negative but I have to say that there are business structures that are have been in place for decades and the mere fact that they are in place is to ensure that the communities that we are working with never advance. People have been using shea butter for decades. Why are the women who produce it poor? That question clearly says someone is taking advantage so we are not fighting against it. We are educating people and telling them that ‘hey this is not just shea butter, this is a woman’s ability to send her kids to school, this is a woman’s ability to buy medicine.’

One major challenge is really teaching people to rethink what they know about shea butter and where it comes from.

We are competing in a very competitive marketplace where humongous brands that are worth billions who have a legal division and marketing division and can write a check for a million dollars and their products sell, sell sell. We are a small baby brand trying to get awareness around this and getting people to look at the product differently.

How do you think Africans in the Diaspora can support you?

Solidarity. We have to stick together. I think that one way we can stick together is consuming products that are being led by diaspora leaders and products that we know are supporting on the ground communities where we all originate from.

Also, talking and telling people our stories. One of the things that is frustrating to me, is that I feel like a lot of the times other people tell our stories and we are not telling our stories. That’s why I think media like Applause Africa and Face2Face Africa are really taking back our power and telling our stories.

Also, just representing each other well is really important. We just need to continue to build solidarity.

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Nene Marks

ROBERT R. BERNSTEIN

Redefining Beauty by Promoting healthy AND growing hair When Nene Marks came to the United States, she did not imagine that she would eventually be the coowner of a beauty firm bearing her name.

Leaving Liberia at the age of 17, she could only imagine what life would have in store for her when she arrived in the USA. After surviving the initial culture shock, she began to model at the suggestion of her friend. Her efforts paid off because she worked with some of the hottest pop and Hip Hop stars, including Jay –Z. During her career as model, she featured in commercials for Revlon and it was there that she met Brian Marks, an executive in charge of Revlon’s Black and brown beauty market. Marks, an entrepreneur in his own right, had specialized in products for the African American market and had used his knowledge and experience to develop his own product lines including the “Dr. Miracle” brand.

Ms. Marks had some previous background in hair care and beauty products because both her mother and grandmother had produced such products back home in Liberia. The introduction of her new line of items took place in 2013. The line was called Nene’s Secret. These new care products are based on her family’s compounds back in Africa and contain natural ingredients such as Shea Butter, argan oil and baobab oil.

The couple behind the Nene’s Secret beauty company have also been very active in improving the lives of women and newborns through the charity The Birthing Project. This program, which is focused in Malawi, works to ensure that women giving birth have a safe and hygienic kit available for those women that assist in the delivery of the baby. The kits are supplied to rural areas where safe birthing options are not always available. This is a very important program to Nene. “Growing up in Liberia, I saw many with problems in their pregnancies,” Marks noted, “I believe it is important to help out others.”

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EDEM TORKORNOO

Jacqueline Muna changing the way Africa powers its future

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Jacqueline Muna Musiitwa, Esq. is Legal Counsel and Assistant to the President and CEO of the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (PTA Bank). She is also the founder and serves as Managing Partner of Hoja Law Group, a boutique law firm in New York and Kigali, Rwanda, advising on commercial, political, and intellectual property law for companies doing business in Africa as well as African governments. She is also a Young Global Leader 2011 (World Economic Forum), an Archbishop Desmond Tutu fellow 2011 (African Leadership Institute), and a 2012 Mo Ibrahim Foundation Leadership fellow.

At the inaugural African Spotlight event, Musiitwa presented on her career and experience working with African leaders and business people. African Spotlight is a program aimed at highlighting the achievements of African youth leaders and serves as an inspiration for others in Washington, DC. Musiitwa spoke with us about her work at PTA Bank, doing business in Africa and why people should invest in Africa right now.

Please give a brief description of your work at the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (PTA Bank)?

I work in the President’s office at PTA Bank. There I’m Legal Counsel and Assistant to the President and CEO. In that capacity I not only advise on legal matters, but I also focus on resource mobilization, strategy, corporate affairs and any other functions that require my expertise.

Why should people invest in African countries right now?

Why shouldn’t people invest in Africa? There are great margins to be made. Certain African countries--like many parts of the world--have risks. Risk mitigation is essential for all investments.

Many economies have improved their legal and regulatory frameworks and their general business environment so it is easier to do business.

Do you think there are any over-saturated industries in African economies? Are there industries that you think

people should be looking to invest in and are not paying attention to?

I think all sectors are open to investment. I think it is important to invest in sectors that help diversify economies. Every country is different and so it is necessary to do research and if necessary partner with reliable and knowledgeable local partners. Energy is much needed for the development of other industries so priority should be emphasized there. Within energy, it is important to focus on sources of renewable energy.

Otherwise, services, agriculture and manufacturing have great potential.

What would you say is the role of Africans in the Diaspora in the economic development of African countries? That is, if there is a role?

Everyone can play a role in Africa’s development, the Diaspora no less. The Diaspora is well placed to contribute to Africa’s development in many ways. For example, impacting

US policy in Congress through lobbying, sending remittances and investing in local businesses; bringing know-how and expertise back either by moving back or through various forms of skills training.

Do you have any advice for young professionals in the Diaspora who are seriously thinking about moving back home?

Look at all of Africa as your home. There are great opportunities all over the continent and people shouldn’t limit themselves. After all, you are a global African. So use your broad-based expertise for the greatest good.

Do the necessary research about opportunities in your field, contact the relevant people, apply, visit the country.

Talk to other people from the Diaspora who’ve moved back and listen to their experiences, keeping in mind that everyone’s experience is different.

A lot of people think about

starting their own businesses and moving into the private sector when they think about starting a project in their home countries. Can you make a case for why more of us should go into the public sector, the government?

Everyone has a role to play, whether in the private or public sector. The private sector has managed to attract strong talent because of better pay among other perks, but the public sector can be equally fulfilling. Within the public sector, member of the Diaspora have the opportunity to share their experience from more developed systems and try to improve African systems and institutions, which have typically been weak, ineffective and have slowed progress. The move to the public sector is not only bold, but necessary. For instance, many countries have archaic legal systems, so for corporate lawyers from London or NYC to join Ministries of Justice, they could help modernize laws in line with current global best practices.

The same applies to contract negotiation and teaching law.

Hussainatu and Hassanatu Blak OBSESSED WITH CROSSCULTURAL PEER EDUCATION In 2010, Cameroonian-American twin sisters Hussainatu and Hassanatu Blake embarked on a quest to provide a global experience to underserved youth.

With the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to have a cross-cultural experience regardless of their financial situation, the Blakes created Focal Point Global (FPG).

FPG is focused on connecting youth, primarily from the US and African countries, using low cost technology to discuss social issues impacting their communities. Since the launch of its pilot initiative, the HIV/AIDS Education Initiative, FPG has reached nearly 100 students in rural and urban areas in the US, Namibia, Cameroon and The Gambia. Through cross-cultural peer education, youth learn about HIV/AIDS, child trafficking, and youth unemployment on a global

level. The students take what they learn and partner with local organizations to create solutions for their communities. AA sat down with FPG Co-Founder, Hussainatu Blake, to get her perspective on starting a global organization.

What is the key to success whether running a business, foundation, public or private entity?

My twin sister and I have had just a few successes in our 31 years.

However, with every accomplishment came 100 failures. We have learned that PERSISTENCE is the key to success. Persistence trumps natural talent because it motivates you when it is easy to give up. Persistence encourages changing your approach, so that you can find success.

What moment during your journey with Focal Point Global were you most challenged?

FPG has expanded in the last 4 years to 4 countries. With growth, we are challenged with finding new funders, measuring our impact, and evaluating whether we are in too many countries given our limited resources and manpower. We have struggled with not losing sight of our mission to empower youth globally through cross-cultural peer education, while trying to quantify our initiatives’ impact in communities where we work.

How did you rise above your hedge in this time of trial?

Well, this is a constant challenge.

However, it is motivation to ensure we stay true to our mission. The way FPG has addressed it thus far, is to make sure we get feedback from the audience we serve, the youth

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participants. They keep us in tuned to what they want and need. They inform us of what impact our initiatives have on their communities. Our impact is seen in the youth projects and discussions; and in the youth who are becoming leaders in their schools and communities.

What transformational lesson did you learn from this instance? Impact is hard to quantify.

Impact means different things for each organization or business. What has worked for us is that we continue to believe in our vision and mission.

We listen to the needs of the youth we serve and adjust our initiatives accordingly, to be more effective.

To learn more about Focal Point Global and ways to support their global education initiatives, please visit www.focalpointglobal.org.

One of the most popular annual events is the soccer tournament that is presented in the spring. This year’s edition was eagerly anticipated for many reasons: excellent efforts by sides of local players representing their home countries, opportunities to re- energize friendships as well as develop new ones at the weekly fixtures at the pitch next to Yankee Stadium and non-stop action that leads to celebrations for all the participating nations.

The 2014 tournament began on April 19th with the first few weeks providing a full slate of group action that that permitted the fans the opportunity to determine which teams were ready to move on to the “knockout” phase. After nearly a month of action on the pitch, the team representing Guinea was crowned champion on the same day that the AAC commemorated the cause of the kidnapped girls from Chibok, Nigeria.

BRONX AFRICAN ADVISORY COUNCIL SOCCER TOURNAMENT The Bronx African Advisory Council was established by borough president to provide an organized voice to for African residents of the county.

34 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

One new addition this year was a practice and subsequent exhibition game between two teams consisting of African women who reside in the Bronx.

This game and the practices were very popular. As a result the teams will periodically hold practices to permit the women to condition themselves as well to prepare for what is expected to become a consistent part of the tournament.

The tournament is always looking to improve and expand to so hopefully next year’s edition has the ability to surpass this year’s event. Until it is underway we have to sit back and enjoy the tales of the 2014 edition.

Unconventional, daring, different. Moi founder, GhanaianAmerican Rebecca Tweneboah says her clothing startup is about “being your own person, with the understanding that we are all a part of each other.” Incorporating the cultural aspects of others into our daily lives creates a connection and understanding with each other...and that never goes out of style. Our own Alexis Miller sat down with Rebecca, a former attorney, to discuss the direction of her highly anticipated African clothing line.

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Moi working on

building inventory

Moi by Yaa (MY) is currently setting up the infrastructure of the company so there are procedures in place for every situation, from acquiring fabric in Ghana to ensuring each MY garment meets quality control guidelines. MY is also building inventory, so it can quickly meet the demands of the market.

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‘MY’ special

Target audience

MY brings a fresh perspective to its target audience, which is currently women from the ages of 18 to 35.

One that isn’t concerned with what’s ‘hot’ this season, but what will make you look and feel great on any day for years to come…Because trends come and go, but being you, well, that never goes out of style.

Reginald Mbawuike the future of diagnosis and prescription in africa.

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Alexis Miller

Making technological strides in digital healthcare, Reginald Mbawuike, an Information Technology Fellow at Harvard University has built a mobile app, GIVE mHealth, which aims to help address the issues of infant mortality, maternal mortality, cervical cancer and HIV in remote areas of African countries.

What makes GIVE mHealth a unique breakthrough in mobile healthcare technology?

The Ankara fabric. It’s bold and it’s African.

But any woman of any background can wear a MY garment into an office, a dinner, a cocktail party, or whatever she so chooses, and people won’t initially say “what a nice ‘ethnic’ look,” they’ll say “what an awesome outfit!” MY embraces the paradox that what makes us different can also bring us together. It takes from one culture and adds to others so seamlessly, that in the end all you see is something beautiful.

GIVE Inc has produced mobile health products that allow doctors to connect to patients in remote areas through their mobile phones and tablets--like iPads. There are currently no other mobile applications providing voice and video transmission of medical information between patients, their doctors, and their medical institutions with the ability to accept, record, save, send and assist in diagnosis through a single mobile platform. GIVE mHealth makes that happen.

I know you recently started working with MIT to help grow this mobile app. Who was part of the team that made GIVE mHealth a reality?

While at MIT, I was able to build a solid technical team. The product was produced with the medical

future growth

MY is currently working on bringing some new looks into the fold, including a shorts, jumpers and tops that will add variety to the brand and keep in line with its ‘sexy chic’ vibe. An official launch party for MY is also in the works for this Summer or Fall.

assessment of a group of doctors around the country from Cedars-Sinai Hospital, the New York Department of Health, Good Samaritan Hospital, OB/GYN Group and Harvard Medical School.

What are your growth objectives for this venture in the near future?

By conducting the research at Harvard to expand the possibilities of how this app enables broader diagnosis, exchange of information, prescription of appropriate remedies and diagnosis of various conditions, I believe GIVE mHealth, will fill a significant demand for healthcare and education solutions. Especially through the integrated rapid development on digital and mobile technology. GIVE, Inc will provide further innovative solutions that will serve as a lasting example of social enterprise and its overall merits.

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8 KuNLE AYODELE A safer way to chat with film and music fans Coming from Lagos with a background in technology, Adekenle Ayodele spent some time in England to add to his impressive academic credentials before coming to the USA and settling in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon arrival, he began to work for a series of tech innovators including Cisco Systems, Verizon and Comcast in the areas of information systems management and architecture.

With his experience in digital media, Ayodele launched Data Box Technologies in July 2012. Data Box provides IT consulting as well as innovative solutions to developing digital media in companies and organizations. “MeetOrbit.Com,” launched by Ayodele in January 2014, is a new type of social media site bringing young people together with some of their favorite Nigerian film and music stars, as well as providing a safer environment in which to chat and meet. It includes a new security feature: a short profile video, which is required for membership.

Adekenle sees a bright future for digital media in African countries. He sees 4G LTE in Lagos, Nigeria, with excellent live streaming available as technology innovations become localized. For now though, all technical work has to be adapted to bandwidth limitations on the Continent. All things considered, Adekenle sees a better environment and life for those who embrace this technological world.

36 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

AMADOU DAFFE

The hope of Silicon Savannah

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9 In the vision that Amadou Daffe promotes, every one of us will code in the near future. Just as we learn a new language, studying and using coding languages will permit us to be more effective problem solvers in the modern world.

When he began his studies, Daffe saw himself working as an electrical engineer, developing solar power stations across the Sahara. However, it was when he took a class on coding that he realized coding could build something out of essentially nothing. It also provided gratification through the clear solution to a problem solved.

Coding can build something rapidly; and at the start, the language involved is simple. As the job requirements become more detailed, the language becomes more complex. It is at this point that a team of skilled and experienced coders is required.

Currently, large businesses outsource much of their coding requirements to Indian companies, but this can often present issues due to time, culture and language differences. Daffe’s goal is to train and develop teams of coders from A frican countries. He believes the time is right for Africa’s “Silicon Savannah” to move into that market. In the future he sees coders from tech savvy places on the Continent, such as Nairobi, Johannesburg and Kigali, taking their rightful place in the market to provide comprehensive solutions for complex needs. At that point, he believes, one African coder may come forth and change the world for the better.

NO

Chinedu Enekwe

EDEM TORKORNOO

Tiphub Offers many paths to success

10

Chinedu Enekwe is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of tiphub a start-up accelerator and business consultancy in Washington, DC. Tiphub provides seed funding, strategic mentorship, entrepreneurship-focused business training; and directly supports the start-ups it works with. Tiphub was a community partner at the inaugural African Spotlight - a program aimed at highlighting the achievement of African youth leaders and serve as inspiration for others in Washington, DC. What is the difference between what Tiphub does and what VC4Africa does?

They come across as very similar.

Thank you for asking that question. The real difference is, VC4Africa is a virtual incubation network. They plan events that have a physical opportunity, they offer mentorship, they offer everything virtually. We offer in-person mentorship and training. We offer a locus, like a real place if you are in the diaspora where you can be involved and be a part of a community. So as opposed to a virtual world with meet ups of people in the area from time to time, we are a place - a physical location. We are housed in Impact Hub DC. We are in partnership in with them.

We’re also making sure we take advantage of a local community as opposed to VC4Africa. We’re in DC so we have the advantage of the international development community, the African private equity network that is here. Not just those organizations but the people who have been through those experiences and can support the organization and the impact investor network. We have the community of people that we can tap into - the knowledge base and the African diaspora community.

What we do is galvanize this community to support entrepreneurs that are targeting the African market.

It’s a little nuanced. It can be someone who has a business plan that ships shea butter from Ghana but in a way that is impactful - we screen all the companies we work with for their impact, that’s also different. We believe that there is the dual focus of impact investors and also there’s African diaspora investors.

We’re trying to catalyze African diaspora investors with impact investors to bring them into the fold and help companies or entrepreneurs to figure out ways in which they can talk to communities and build their stakeholder base up. We work in phases. Over the summer we’re doing the African Access Academy.

We’re also doing an incubation program. After the incubation program, we will invest in the companies.

The process is to identify companies we want to work with and help them develop their business model and plan, after that we identify companies we want to co-invest in and then we help them get traction, reference and customers. After they get traction then we will invest.

What would you say is missing in the tech funding space and what would Tiphub be doing to curb it?

In relation to funding, this is what I always say: the problem is rational investors. A person in a local ecosystem of Africa is going to be rational. If they can invest in a start-up that can perhaps generate them 30 to 40 percent returns, they are going to look at 1) what are the options for generating such returns with lower risks, 2) what are the exit options for that investment so once they make that investment, how can they off load it? This is a rational investor, not someone thinking that they want to get rich quick.

Also, there is no natural offtaker for technology, start-up enterprise. The market isn’t there. So our role is bringing investors that have a lower return requirement. Of course we want to encourage local investment and local opportunities. We believe in that. Which is why we are trying to catalyze the African Diaspora community to invest in local opportunities. We believe that they have the same kind of focus so what we’re trying to do is encourage investors with lower return profiles and requirements. This will help out the start-up ecosystem but also help the start-ups understand what those stakeholders want in terms of monitoring and evaluation, in terms of how to present your business profile to them and then, how to develop a business so that it meets their investment criteria.

What we also see is the flow of remittances.

Everyone always wonders how they can galvanize the remittances whether it is the Rockefeller Foundation, The Aspen Institute or Ford Foundation.

We think one of the ways to do this is to present entrepreneurial opportunities to those investors but we believe that investment decisions are personal.

People don’t invest in businesses they don’t know.

We want to create opportunities in places where people are - there is a large African diaspora community in DC. We will also try to bring people to DC for special events when we do a demo day or a mass presentation to investors. So you get investors who are in America to meet entrepreneurs that are African. They get to meet them, know them and develop a relationship. So when the African returns, the connection already exists. We believe that this will happen with impact investors and African Diaspora investors if people are given the chance to get to know those opportunities.

You look for opportunities, and not just opportunities that will get you the same results that you would next door. You look where there is a capacity for high growth so investing in Africa is not for everybody.

Not everybody wants high growth opportunities.

Why should anyone invest in Africa?

It’s a funny question [laughs]. I’m laughing because it’s something I’ve presented on before. When I was an investment banker in New York, there was a mining transaction opportunity in Ghana that came across my desk and I talked to my managing director about it and asked what he thought about it. He said “why do you think someone in America, is going to take their $8 or $10 million, go 2000 miles away to Ghana and invest? When they wake up the day is nearly over there. They can barely check on their investment. I sat down and thought about it for a while because it made me think about why anyone should invest in Africa just period. It got me to understand why people invest in foreign markets in general. What I realize is that you look for opportunities and not just opportunities that will get you the same results that you would next door.

You look where there is a capacity for high growth so investing in Africa is not for everybody. Not everybody wants high growth opportunities.

It’s for that subset for people who are adventurous.

Americans are adventurous. There are a good number of people that look far for adventures to change their circumstances. For those investors, the reason why you have to invest in Africa is because what you are reading or seeing is not all of it. There are a lot more opportunities than you can imagine.

It’s figuring out which people you want to work with to make those opportunities real to take advantage of them.

The obscurity makes for opportunity. There aren’t too many places that have so much obscurity.

What do you mean by obscurity?

The lack of information, the amount of misinformation, the obscurity of knowing who are the people to deal with or which opportunities are right for you to take hold off. That uncertainty creates opportunity and there aren’t many places where there’s so much uncertainty.

Now all y ou need t o look fresh are touches. A few final T as the ne hink of these w tweaks for 2014 that w ill make your war drobe sum mer into fall.

how to finish strong

A EDITEDND STYLING: MODEL : ENOCH KOL GUGU LETHU O : EMEK A DANI EL

38 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

ap p l a u seafr ic a.c o m

fashion

be a u t y

n0

style

01 Wrinkles look good on a man

The cool new breed of suits are darker, dressier, and easier to wear. Don’t be afraid of a few wrinkles-they ‘re what gives its appeal.

Despite its casual rep, a suit can stand up to dressy accessories. finish it off with a pocket square and a formal watch.

Let Your Tie Bloom

This isn’t about pink and teal madras novelty neckwear that grabs attention. This is about a new generation of plaid ties that will add a refreshing hint of vibrant color to the suits you wear to the office, week in week out. The secret? Deeper, richer, darker colors.

try a sock that will make your shoes shine

Go for a muted pastel like yellow or purple that will attract just enough attention to your feet without stealing any thunder from your shoes.

g ro o ming

essential

p i c ks

t re n d s

Let Your feet show you’re not all business n0

02

Go sockless. Loafers are the perfect shoes to wear in the summer time-it’s that hint of playfulness. No one can see it until you sit down and flash some ankle and rolled up pants. This should look like an afterthought not something you labored over.

Give yourself a kick in the pant

You’re not wearing jeans exclusively anymore, right? Good. Now it’s time to add some colored chinos to your collection of khakis.

score a hat trick with a dress shirt that dominates the pant

You’ve already got the swagger of your grandfather. Now try dressing down your ultra-modern look with a fishing hat. Finally, add plaid shirts you can wear beyond the office. Designers have dressed them down for sports bars with fine cotton and spread collars.

40 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

Clicks

FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE

Revolutions and Devolutions

may 3rd /11th, 2014 #bringbackourgirls On Saturday May 3, Applause Africa in alliance with Rock A Crown, organized a the rally at Union Square, New York City in support of the speedy release of the 300 abducted Nigerian school girls. Also on Sunday May 11, The Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, Eric Adams in partnership with Applause Africa assembled for a candle light vigil which took place at the steps of the Brooklyn Borough Hall steps and in attendance where leaders of many faiths, educators, officials, members of the press, and hundreds of Brooklyn residents.

June 21st, 2014 | Chude Jideonwo

Applause Africa hosted Chude Jideonwo in New York City where he discussed his new book “Are We The Turning Point Generation�. His book reading promoted passion for leadership, good governance, advocacy and stimulate intellectual conversation. Applause Africa inspires readers and the Africans in the Diaspora to think beyond traditional boundaries, lead conversations and create the future for a better Africa.

DAVID ADJAYE Debo Folorunsho Oluwaseye Olusa

42 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

A futurist is intrigued

As an internationally acclaimed architect and innovator, how has visiting 52 African capital cities helped inspire creativity within your work?

The project opened me up to the realization that in dealing with the community, I was incorporating the notions of history, place and patterns. Returning to Africa, I realized that is how I think of geography: it is more than just a school text book; it is really the phenomenon of place, or the way in which it conditions communities, cities, and societies that in turn form a place. When you move around a lot, you start to realize how explicitly those geographies inform the ways of cities and places. There is a very primary geography in Africa and it was surprising that the diverse cultures of the Continent don’t always recognize this. It is very clear in Africa, how neighboring cultures are so different from one another. These things –history, place and patterns—are a very important part of the matrix.

My father very consciously wanted to be a diplomat so that his family could travel and see the world – the modern world. The relationship between modern and ancient is consequently very present in my work, as is the negotiation between different social and cultural contexts. That is intrinsic to my approach toward design, which always seeks to be highly sensitive to the cultural framework of different peoples. Most of my work has always been in cosmopolitan, metropolitan cities or places where differences are being negotiated all of the time.

How do you see the future of urban development and infrastructure growth in African cities?

I think we need to eschew the idea of the nation-state, and instead discuss the development of urbanism in Africa with reference to regional specificity. Ultimately, it is models and examples that define how a place looks.

If you could start to create specific models for each region – you would begin a chain reaction and there would be the foundations for a new, regionally specific vernacular.

When did you realize your passion and knack for form and architect?

I was always interested in drawing and using my imagination as a kid, and I was encouraged by a teacher to do an art foundation course. It was during that time that my preoccupation with space came to the fore and I realised that I wanted to study architecture.

You were born in Tanzania to Ghanaian parents. How has this influenced your identity?

My upbringing certainly shaped my appreciation of space. I am of West African heritage and yet was born in East Africa – so already there is a dual cultural influence. Very early on, I came into contact with different ways of living in space and a highly eclectic spatial appreciation. As a child, you move seamlessly through all of this and it wasn’t until I came to London that I appreciated how privileged I had been to be able to sample so many spatial conditions.

You have also made a huge impact in Great Britain.

What did receiving the OBE award from the Queen in 2007 for services in British architecture mean to you?

It is a huge honour – of course I was incredibly grateful to have my work recognized in this way.

How did you connect with A-list clients like Alexander McQueen, Brad Pitt and Ewan McGregor? What made you relevant to these in-demand clients?

I do not draw a distinction between the world of art and architecture. For me, design has to work practically but also emotionally and intellectually. I have always sought to cross creative platforms, collaborating with artists and designers from different disciplines and focusing on the creative discourse surrounding the act of making things. It is the dialogue – the cultural intersection - which excites me. Perhaps it is this instinct that has been recognised by the art world, and which makes collaborating with artists and curators so engaging.

How did your firm gain a competitive edge in winning the $500 million contract for the building of the National Museum of African American History in DC? I think perhaps it was the fact that I have always understood this project to be about people of one culture understanding the experience of people from a different culture. It is a specific story with a universal application. It is about African American history within the context of the American and global narrative. It is an important story for everyone – this has always been central to the design concept for the building.

What do you forecast will be the trends over the next decades in urbanization and urban planning in cities like New York?

New York is dense and multi-layered, with a strong sense of history that somehow combines with a bold forward momentum and a sense of ‘can do.’ I think recent decades offer extremely good models of reinvention – the High Line is a great example. The next decades will surely continue this recent trajectory of using the existing resources, infrastructure and materials to offer a contemporary experience that has meaning and articulates a highly specific sense of place and history.

What’s your definition and philosophy of urbanism for humanity?

I think any urban plan or vision should be an attempt to capture a collective consciousness and to offer a civic experience that is about difference – or specifics - rather than universality.

44 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

design has to work practically but also emotionally and intellectually. I have always sought to cross creative platforms, collaborating with artists and designers from different disciplines and focusing on the creative discourse surrounding the act of making things. It is the dialogue – the cultural intersection - which excites me. Perhaps it is this instinct that has been recognised by the art world, and which makes collaborating with artists and curators so engaging.

Talk about your latest project for affordable housing in Harlem’s up and coming neighborhood, Sugar Hill.

Sugar Hill is my first civic project in New York, it is a new typology of affordable housing, combined with a children’s museum and early education center. The client, Broadway Housing Communities, has a longstanding commitment to a wider urban and cultural responsibility – which has resonated with my own interests, so the collaboration has been very exciting. It is a thirteen-story, 124-apartment complex on W. 155th Street at St. Nicholas Avenue.

We worked closely with the local community to ensure the design is tied to its history, practical and aesthetic requirements, through a series of workshops and planning meetings. The cladding, for example, is achieved with rose embossed graphite tinted pre-cast panels, which create an ornamental effect, paying tribute to the rich culture and history of Harlem. Abstractly referencing the intricate masonry ornament and the articulation of the row-house bays of the neighboring buildings, the cladding

also resonates with the fact that the site falls within the “heritage rose” district. The roses on the building façade are set to varying sizes and depths to enhance the play of light across the surface.

What are some of the exciting global projects in the works at Adjaye firm, particularly on the African continent?

We are lucky to be working on a diverse range of projects – so I’ll mention just a few. In the US, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is still on site, we are working with the University of Colgate on a new arts centre and the Four Seasons on the reinvention of the West Heating plant in Washington DC. In London, we have designed a fashion hub in Hackney and a large residential project in Piccadilly is at the early design stages. In Lagos, we have the Alara Concept store which is due to open in the next few months. In Ghana, we are working on a masterplan, a school campus and residential projects. We are creating a new headquarters building for the IFC in Dakar, Senegal and residential developments in Johannesburg.

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3

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1. A rendering of the final design for the National Museum of African American History and Culture, designed by Freelon Adjaye Bond / SmithGroup. 1. Rivington Place, the five-storey building was designed by David Adjaye and opened to the public on 5 October 2007. It cost ÂŁ8 million to complete and was the first publicly funded new-build international art gallery in London since The Hayward Gallery opened more than 40 years earlier. 3. A rendering of the development, to be built in the Sugar Hill section of Harlem, on 155th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue. New York.

THE GOOD DOER

Adewale Tinubu: Pioneer in Nigeria’s Energy Industry I can’t see you getting 20 percent better by being in the United States.

In Africa you’ll be something special because you’ve had a first class education, you have the experiences and you’ve lived the first world life.

Adewale Tinubu is the Group Chief Executive of Oando Plc, the largest indigenous private oil company in Nigeria. Tinubu who has described himself as someone who does not give up, initially trained as a lawyer, before moving into the energy sector.

Services. It has more than 500 petrol stations in Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Republic of Benin and Sierra Leone and is the first Nigerian company to be listed on both the Nigerian and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges.

“I have learned something the hard way which is to never confuse a clear line of sight with a straight line of execution,” Tinubu said in his fireside chat with Forbes Africa’s Farai Gundan at Columbia University this spring. It is no wonder that he has been able to establish himself as a dealmaker and pacesetter in the energy sector in Nigeria. He led the largest-ever acquisition of a quoted Nigerian company, when he spearheaded the acquisition of Agip Nigeria Plc by Unipetrol.

Tinubu was named a global young leader at the World Economic Forum in 2007. He has also won various business leadership awards - Africa’s “Business Leader of the Year” award by the African Business Magazine and the Commonwealth Business Council in 2010 and Africa Investor’s “African Business Leader of the Year.” He got his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Liverpool in 1988 and Masters of Law (LLM) from the London School of Economics, in 1989 where he specialised in International Finance and Shipping.

Tinubu became the Group Chief Executive of Oando Plc in January 2005 when all Oando’s affiliate and subsidiary companies were consolidated into an integrated energy group - Oando Group. Prior to this, he was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Oando Plc. He also served as the company’s Executive Director, Finance and Administration in the past.

In 2003, Oando Plc became the largest downstream petroleum marketing company in Nigeria. Today, Oando is involved in every aspect of the energy value chain - petroleum marketing, exploration and production, refining and power generation.

Oando also has six subsidiaries; Oando Production and Development Company; Oando Refinery; Oando Trading Company; Oando Marketing; Oando Power Company; and Oando Energy 46 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

When asked his thoughts on young Africans living and studying abroad, Tinubu advised they return home. “If you ask me, I can’t see you getting 20 percent better by being in the United States,” he said. “In my opinion, we want more competent executives among millions. In Africa you’ll be something special because you’ve had a first class education, you have the experiences and you’ve lived the first world life. Often times in our company it was always interesting to find that we wanted people who were intellectually superior, but also people who have lived or aspired to understand how things are done in the first world. We need a first world mentality. It really helps you in the process of being able to implement things,” he added. In this way he says one will be able to compete with the existing services on the Continent.

HALF OF A YELLOW Half of a Yellow Sun was a torturous film to watch.

A beautiful torture that needs to be experienced again and again and again.

Against the enchanting backdrop of a newly-independent Nigeria, Biyi Bandele— award winning playwright, poet, novelist and director—tells the story of the Biafran War through the experiences of Olanna (Thandie Newton) and Odenigbo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a young Biafran couple. The film is based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s award-winning book of the same name.

Newton and Ejiofor, both BAFTA award winners—the BAFTA is the British equivalent of Hollywood’s Academy Award—give us a raw, intense and honest portrayal of Olanna and Odenigbo. Over several agonizing decisions and tests, we see the lengths to which they go to preserve their love, and their lives, through the brutal three-year war.

The dimensions of Olanna came naturally to Newton, who gave a performance more deeply stirring than that of her Christine Thayer in Crash. Ejiofor’s Odenigbo is strong and unrelenting in ways reminiscent of his Solomon Northrup in 12 Years a Slave.

The story also centers on Olanna’s relationship with her twin sister, Kainene (Anika Noni Rose), after their return to Nigeria from Britain: their contrasting personalities, and the quiet conflicts that threaten to break their bond forever. In rare form, the screen adaptation stays true to the spirit of the book, Adichie herself stating that she was happy with the film.

Bandele, whose brother was killed in the very war this debut film depicts, shows us the sudden disintegration of the country into its most brutal chapter yet. The Nigerian Civil War cost up to three million lives, mostly Igbo2, and gruesomely prevented the secession of the Igbo region of Nigeria.

This is a story that every Nigerian needs to experience, not just to appreciate the Igbo-Nigerian’s story, but to feel the finality of ruthless state-sponsored warfare. That with the startling brutality of Bandele’s depiction of the Biafran War, we would experience an inch of what millions of our countrymen experienced then and what hundreds experience every day before they meet their maker—at the hands of those tossed aside by the government’s lack of prudence. That we would feel it, and we would weep such a weeping that ends only with the building of a nation in which these kinds of wars simply cannot happen.

But this is not just a film about Nigeria. This is a film about love, this is a film about terror, this is a film about the beauty and resilience of the human spirit. We rarely see an African love story depicted with such passion and beauty.

The central characters were authentically complex, yet equally endearing. The acting was impeccable. The suspense was captivating.

From writing, wardrobe and set, to the finer details of visual production, Half of a Yellow Sun is a first-rate film for any viewer.

As we are learning in the wake of the kidnapping of the 300-plus innocent girls, the problems of Nigeria are largely universal to post-colonial states and deeply interwoven with the economies of the world. If you’ve ever eaten a chocolate bar, put gas in your car, or purchased tires, you’ve likely interacted with Nigeria’s economy and therefore, supported our often-ignoble leadership.

Lolade Siyonbola

Africa is More Complex than This

In keeping with their style, the Nigerian government is afraid to face the skeletons that Sun pushes out of the closet—halting its release in Nigeria. However, a government committed to sustainable progress for its people must embrace history and allow it to teach us the permanent lessons that preclude the possibility of repeated failed histories; while also providing the kind of governance that supports progress in the lives of its populace.

In his introduction to the film at the African Film Festival, Biyi Bandele noted that Sun was funded primarily by Nigerians and made in Nigeria by an international crew. This is the first time we see a cast consisting of a balance of African Diaspora and Nigerian talent telling a painful historic story with grandeur and with dignity. This world-class filmmaking is what properly equipped Nigerian directors are capable of and this is the Nollywood that our government should throw resources at.

If you, being international, consider yourself to be a Nigerian Diaspora leader worth your salt, and Half of a Yellow Sun has not shown in your local theatres, you owe it to posterity to organize theatre showings. You must then galvanize a significant portion of your population to go and see this film in the same ways in which we went to see Malcolm X, Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, For Colored Girls. This is one of the most important Black films that will ever be made.

1.“Africa is so much more complex than this” is a quote given by Biyi Bandele during an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald. 2.. American University ICE Case Study Ololade Siyonbola is the producer of the Nollywood Diaspora Film Series, the founder of the Yoruba Cultural Institute and author of Market of Dreams: An African’s Guide to Freedom. Learn more about Siyonbola at www.siyonbola.com

ADEMIDUN ADEJOBI

WHAT’S ON YOUR SMALL SCREEN

THE PERFORMANCE OF HISTORY IN CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S PURPLE HIBISCUS

NEW ON-DEMAND SERVICE BRINGS AFRICAN STORIES TO THE United States

Africa Magic GO is the new online home for African movies and television series Africa Magic, Africa’s largest provider of original film and television content, has just launched a service similar to Hulu, for Africans living in the U.S. Africa Magic Go (AMGO), offers viewers the opportunity to tune in to Africa’s best original productions via a PC for just eight dollars per month. The service offers hundreds of films and television programs, and no fewer than 250 original feature films have been commissioned for 2014.

Designed for African culture lovers, the latest films and series are available to stream 24/7 on computers with broadband connections. This easy-to-use service is commercial-free, and there is a one-week free trial for new subscribers.

AMGO includes live streaming, pay-per-view for special events and reality shows. Plans are underway for new mobile apps that will make AMGO available on Apple and Android devices as well as other devices such as ROKU and Smart TVs. Viewers can choose from hundreds of episodes of the most popular film and TV shows in Africa, including Nigeria’s most successful soap opera, Tinsel—a series set in the glittery world of film production, filled with intrigue, romance and deception.

Another popular option is 53 Extra, a weekly West African entertainment show named in honor of the number of countries in the African Union.

48 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

Brand-new, never-before-seen movies are also available. From Nollywood (Nigeria) comes Spinsters, a racy story about three single friends with a great reality TV concept for finding Mr. Right.

Blue Flames, another Nollywood offering, is the story of three families in a desperate quest for wealth and fulfillment—a tale of love, romance, betrayal and revenge.

For Ghallywood (Ghanaian) movie lovers there’s Moving On, the story of a woman who finds out her true love is cheating on her with her best friend, the same night she informs him she is carrying his baby.

Viewers can watch multiple episodes of the most talked about African TV shows such as Tinsel and 53 Extra in one sitting--“binge viewing”-- a global trend with most subscription video-on-demand services.

“With so many Africans living in the U.S., there is a great demand for programming for Africans

by Africans, one that is now filled by Africa Magic GO,” said Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, regional director at Africa Magic. “Africa Magic is committed to promoting African talent and creating global platforms that make content accessible to Africans, and those following African culture, across the world.”

AMGO provides African programming for online viewers who crave something fresh, different and distinctively African. To connect with the great stories coming out of Africa, sign up for Africa Magic GO at www.africamagicgo.com.

Literature brings to life the extraordinary history of our world. The power of literature marks the movement of human life, thought and aspiration. We can only make sense of our contemporary culture by comparing and analyzing against history. To never think critically about the past is to be vulnerable to the future. Post-colonial literature is a form that goes deep into the history of colonialism by revealing the effects it has on the culture, social and economic, of characters in their contemporary world. In Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus we see how British colonialism, although somewhat far removed from the time period in the book, greatly challenges and informs the life of Adichie’s title character, Kambili. At the age of fifteen, her family is encroached by British ideals in the forms of religion, language and attitude which are enforced by the actions of her militant father.

At the novel’s beginning Kambili lives her life according to her father’s values, which are stern and religious.

Her father has created rigid schedules for herself and her brother, Jaja, limiting them to their studies, prayer, and dinner. Within these three tasks there is even more structure: the children must be at the top of their class; to receive favor, prayers must be followed by a loud amen; and the family must comment on the new products from her father’s factory. The emphasis on speaking the English language is important; they do not speak Igbo in front of the white church ministers, not even to the neighbors. Her father’s view of life is informed by Britain’s, and therefore Kambili, Jaja, and their mother must comply. When they step out of the strict confinement, they find themselves faced with terrible punishments. Kambili’s life is further challenged when she and Jaja are allowed to stay with their father’s sister and their cousins. Far away from structure immersed in colonialism, Kambili finds that life, especially as a growing Igbo woman, does not have to be defined by an external culture.

It would be a disservice to go too deeply into such rich literature as this, so I recommend you pick the book up today. By bringing Adichie’s novel into conversation with Nigeria’s history as a colonized nation, the power of Adichie’s story reveals the longstanding effects of colonization in any young Nigerian’s world. It is important that in all countries the people are educated about the history of colonization and how it affects their world today.

Remember that literature performs history and great works like Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus provide a valuable context to readers.

Carnegie Hall Presents UBUNTU: Legendary Performers Friday, October 10 November 5

GO/See/Do promotions and events

The UBUNTU festival celebrates the many musical threads that together make up South Africa’s vibrant culture.

Iconic trumpeter and composer Hugh Masekela is joined by singer Vusi Mahlasela to sing freedom songs; world renowned Ladysmith Black Mambazo and friends celebrate the voice in South African music; and Grammy Award–winning singer Angélique Kidjo honors legendary singer and activist Miriam Makeba.

Annual Start Up Africa’s Africa Entrepreneurship Conference and Awards Gala Saturday, September 27th

Drawing on StartUpAfrica’s experience of engaging Diaspora Africans and friends of Africa for 11 years to make an impact in Africa through business, enterprise and community projects, the StartUpAfrica Africa Entrepreneurship Conference has emerged as one of the leading global platforms for engaging business, community and government leaders, academics, thought leaders and students and investors and those passionate about business opportunities in Africa.

The conference panels include: Key Strategies for Entrepreneurial Success in the U.S. and in Today’s Africa; Youth and Entrepreneurship: Achieving Your Dreams; How Africa’s Startups are Using Lean Startup Principles; Accessing Capital Through Non-Traditional Sources; Diaspora Entrepreneurs Success Stories: How They Did It; and, an Idea Generation Competition for youth and others to pitch their ideas for feedback from seasoned entrepreneurs and to win prize money.

For more information and registration, please visit www.startupafrica.org

The Annual “Caring for Congo” Gala Saturday September 20

The annual Caring for Congo Gala will celebrate, in grand fashion, the undeniable contributions of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation.

Dikembe’s dream started with the creation of his namesake Foundation in 1997. His dream for a new hospital in his homeland became a reality when the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital opened its doors to patients in December 2007. The hospital named in memory of his beloved late mother, has a capacity of 150 beds and has a state of the art emergency room, intensive care unit, well-stocked pharmacy and a modern radiology department. The hospital services encompass several dimensions, which make it unique in the context of health care delivery on the continent of Africa and in other underserved areas. To date, the hospital has treated over 100,000 Congolese men, women and children.

African Diaspora Awards’s starstudded, inspirational event to celebrate Africans in the diaspora November 5

The 2013 Applause Africa Magazine African Diaspora Awards honored 15 distinguished members of the Diaspora! Coming this Fall 2014, the African Diaspora Awards will bring together an extraordinary array of people including musicians, artists, actors, entrepreneurs, business leaders and other exemplary Africans of the Diaspora and their friends. This event has become the “Who’s Who” of meaningful and powerful leadership in the Diaspora. More than 500 attendees will join Applause as we celebrate and honor our champions.

Africa Fashion Week Returns to Los Angeles for Fall 2014

Holler if Ya Hear Me Saycon Sengbloh, of Liberian and American heritage stars in a new and original Broadway musical - June to August While Holler if Ya Hear Me, the new Broadway musical featuring the songs of Tupac Shakur, has strong performances by Broadway veterans Christopher Jackson, Saycon Sengbloh, Ben Thompson and John Earl Jelks, Saycon is thrilled to bring Tupac’s words to Broadway!

Africa Fashion and Art Week is scheduled to take place this fall at Papillion Art, from October 1st - 4th. Over the course of four days, the production will include an art show featuring work from Kenturah Davis, a pop-up shop, networking parties, and runway shows from world-renowned international designers.

John and Charles Agbaje

ILLUSTRATING AFRICA’S ANIMATION POsSIBILITiES

Kickstarter rock stars, and Harvard Business School grads, John and Charles Agbaje helped create the ground breaking comic series The Spider Stories. Showcasing their vibrant art work, The Spider Stories draws from African folklore and history, but exists in a totally new and robust fantasy world. Featuring deep characters, lighthearted moments and exciting action, the Spider Stories crafts a unique view on African story telling. This coming of age story will be the first African-inspired fantasy series to hit the world stage. The story follows a princess-in-rags as she transforms into a powerful queen.

The Alliance of five tribes--Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Rhino and Buffalo--once bound together under the guidance of the great SPIDER SPIRIT is thrown into turmoil when the royal Lion family is decimated by mysterious invaders. Leadership falls to the Elephants and the Iron King, who rules as a corrupt tyrant.

After several years the fearless PRINCESS ZAHARA, the last of the Lions, is brought out of hiding and taken into the Spirit World to bond with the mischievous and powerful Spider Spirit, the only being capable of restoring order to the Tribes. With the help of Spider’s herald, a goofy drummer named AYAN, Zahara begins her battle to defeat the Iron King and reclaim the throne. Stay tuned for the 11-minute pilot episode slated for release this summer.

For more information on the Agbaje’s compelling story check out: https://www. kickstarter.com/projects/1727465155/spiderstories-an-animated-film 50 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com

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APPLAUSE AFRICA 4th ANNUAL

African Diaspora Awards Nomination Deadline: Monday, September 15, 2014

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Finalists will be highlighted in our annual ChangeMaker issue

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Chinedu Echeruo

Aminat Ayinde

America’s Next Top Model and model of choice for Emilio Sosa on Project Runway

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Angelique Kidjo

Founder of HopStop.com Entrepreneur

Grammy Award–winner Singer and Activist

Yaya Alafia,

Leymah Gbowee

American Actress: The Butler, Big Words and Star of Whitney Houston Biopic.

FOR UPDATES AND MORE DETAILS VISIT:

2011 Nobel Laureate for Peac Winner

WWW.AFICANDIASPORAAWARDS.ORG OR WWW.APPLAUSEAFRICA.COM