This archive report was first published on 15 August 2019.
On October 30, 2019, in Cape Town, South Africa, the winners of the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) Awards will be announced at a gala dinner.
Among the finalists are two Kenyan women entrepreneurs, Mary Inzofu, founder of Njia Empowerment Organization, and Charlot Magayi, creator of Mukuru Clean Stoves. They are vying for the Empowerment Award Category against Nambula Kachumi of WeCreate Zambia.
Njia Empowerment Organization was born out of Mary Inzofu's childhood experiences and societal discrimination she faced. The organization empowers visually impaired women and girls through education, livelihood improvement, and advocacy.
Mukuru Clean Stoves is a social enterprise that designs, produces, and distributes improved, reliable, and affordable cookstoves for low-income households. The cookstoves are made from locally sourced recycled waste metal, a response to the founder's experience with a traditional stove that burned her two-year-old daughter.
AWIEF is celebrating its five-year anniversary and recognizes the importance of women-owned businesses in Africa's economy. The organization's founder, Irene Ochem, stated, 'Women-owned businesses are a vital part of our African economy and the women of Africa are our most valuable, untapped resource.'
AWIEF received 22 applications from different African countries across 8 categories, with the finalists being rigorously assessed for sustainability, community development impact, and economic impact.
