The 5th graduation ceremony of the Acumen East Africa Fellows Program that saw fellows from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya graduate took place at the Southern Mayfair Hotel, following a one-year leadership training that was aimed to drive social change within the East African region.

“We are excited to be here today. This event is another great milestone for the Acumen community. We have yet another class of fellows equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge that will enable them to catalyze sustainable social initiatives within their communities,” said Founder and CEO Acumen, Jacqueline Novogratz.

The Acumen East Africa Fellows Program is a one-year program tailor-made for emerging leaders who are driving social change within their region. This program, through a rigorous selection process, takes the best and the brightest from across all walks of the East African society that have a shared sense of values, and the commitment to make significant positive change in East African society through entrepreneurial approaches to solving problems for low-income populations.

The Acumen Fellowship, which focuses on the Energy, Agriculture, Technology, Literacy, Arts, Gender, Health, Justice, Education, Child Empowerment and Disable person’s rights sectors, has partnered with the largest asset based commercial Bank in East Africa, KCB and the largest telecommunication company in East and Central Africa, Safaricom to enrich the programme.

“We are keen to see the new breed of African leaders develop with a wholesome outlook on all sectors that impact the African economy. It is time for us to see homegrown solutions taking effect to enrich the region’s economic stability and advancement,” said CEO Safaricom, Bob Collymore.

“Supporting this fellowship is critical to KCB Bank. We believe in empowering enterprisers whose agenda is to promote and support the societies they operate in. With such initiatives, we will see the East Africa region develop economically and socially aiding in eradicating issues that face the East Africa region such as poverty and hunger,” said KCB Group CEO and MD  Joshua Oigara.

Earlier this year, KCB Group embarked on a mission through the 2Jiajiri initiative that seeks to help local youth to materialize their micro-entrepreneurship projects and transform them into small and medium scale employers. Through the 2jiajiri program, KCB Group is targeting to create 2.5 million jobs in the next five years.

“This year, the Acumen Fellowship programme had a cross regional seminar in September and cross-regional sessions each day to promote diversity with a focus on foundations of leadership, moral imaginations and operational skills,” concluded Jacqueline Novogratz.

Twenty social entrepreneurs from across East Africa have already been nominated to join the prestigious Acumen East Africa Fellows Program for the period 2016/2017.