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Ten teams of 21 African social entrepreneurs have been selected as winners of the Resolution Social Venture Challenge organised by the Mastercard Foundation, and will now receive a fellowship that includes seed funding and mentorship.

A collaboration between the Mastercard Foundation and the Resolution Project, the Resolution Social Venture Challenge aimed to provide a pathway to action for socially responsible young leaders who want to create change that matters in their communities.

Winning teams were announced at the Baobab Summit in Johannesburg, with the fellowship also including access to a network of young global changemakers to pursue impactful projects in their communities.

“Giving back to your community is an important part of the Scholars Programme, yet few young leaders have the opportunity to make an impact at a young age,” said Ashley Collier, manager of the Scholars Community.

“The Social Venture Challenge equips these young leaders with the tools, resources, mentorship and capital they need to ensure that their venture is successful, and to maximise their impact.”

The 2017 cohort of Social Venture Challenge winners includes projects based in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, and the United States (US),

The Mastercard Foundation first partnered with the Resolution Project in 2016, offering 16 scholars on five competing teams the opportunity to pursue their aspirations and increase their appetite for leadership and impact.

Winning projects address a wide range of challenges scholars observed first-hand in their communities, including food security, access to sanitation, and young women’s access to reproductive health education.

“We are fortunate to have such an outstanding partner in the Mastercard Foundation,” said George Tsiatis, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of the Resolution Project.

“The foundation saw the work that we were doing and the ideas that their scholars had – it was a perfect match, and we are thrilled to be expanding our efforts together to give these young leaders a platform from which to launch lifetimes of impact.”

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