Dear Friends,

The word “Anzisha” comes from the Swahili word for “initiative”. In 2010, African Leadership Academy and The MasterCard Foundation announced the Anzisha Prize, and together embarked on a journey to identify entrepreneurial youth in Africa who are transforming their communities and the continent. What an amazing two years it has been. 

In 2011, eight inspiring Anzisha Fellows were selected from a pool of 180 young entrepreneurs in 23 African countries. This year, we are thrilled to welcome 13 exceptional Fellows into the Anzisha network of young African innovators. These trailblazers, selected from over 270 entrepreneurs in 23 countries, have launched enterprises ranging from agriculture and consumer products to energy and technology initiatives. Collectively, the 2012 Anzisha Fellows have impacted thousands of lives across Africa.

One exciting addition to the Anzisha Prize program was this year’s ‘Anzisha Prize Tour’, which sought to build on the momentum from the Prize. We met over 3,000 young people in nine countries, and encouraged them to view challenges in their communities as opportunities to lead change. They crafted and shared extraordinary ideas on how, as young entrepreneurs, they would address issues such as unemployment, corruption, environmental sustainability, education and healthcare. We hope this “Anzisha effect” will continue in the months and years to come.

We are at the beginning of an exciting journey. All around us, young people are eager and poised to make a difference in their communities. The Anzisha Prize celebrates their initiative and innovation. It underscores their ability to shape the future of Africa, and identifies exceptional young entrepreneurs who are leading by example.

We are proud to present the 2012 Anzisha Prize Fellows. Thank you for joining us for the second annual awards. 
 

Yours sincerely,
 
Chris Bradford – Founder and Dean of African Leadership Academy

Reeta Roy – President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation