30 Most Notable Africans of 2014: Part 3

04 Mar 2015

7. Solomon Jagwe, Uganda

Move over Pixar Studios, Solomon Jagwe is giving you a run for your money. This native Ugandan artist, environmentalist and animator is no stranger to high end animation. After working in the U.S. military for 12 years creating military simulations and scenario-based training, he decided to become an independent filmmaker and animator to focus on projects that he was passionate about. In 2011, he created the first animated film about mountain gorillas entitled Galiwango. The mission of this incredibly realistic film was to sensitize the public about the plight of endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC. The movie continues to make an impact and inspire the next generation to become more involved in environmental causes. But Jagwe hasn’t stopped there.

Why he’s inspiring: Not long after  successfully launching Galiwango to an international audience, he introduced us to Nkoza and Nankya. Nkoza and Nankya is an animated children’s television series that teaches youth the value of Ugandan culture, language, history and geography. It also addresses social issues such as poverty, health, wildlife conservation and the value of dreaming big and pursuing one’s vision and passion. The production quality of all of Jagwe’s work is no less than stellar, as his characters very believably come to life on screen and engage adults and youth alike in stories that will have a positive impact for years to come.

Follow Solomon on Twitter. Photo from the artist’s web site.

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8. Johanna Mukoki, South Africa

Growing up in the Soweto township in a modest home with three siblings, Johanna Mukoki knew that in order to have a better life, she had to work hard. Her father loved to read and, like most African parents, stressed the importance of education. However, this young woman proved to be extremely self-motivated as she decided to be the best at whatever it was she chose to do—an attitude that landed her a well-paying job out of university at KPMG, one of the big four global accounting firms. Being an outgoing person, though, she was aware that her career with her employer wouldn’t last forever—she wasn’t meant to sit behind a desk quietly crunching numbers the rest of her life.

Why she’s inspiring: As her reputation grew, so did demand for her services. She realized then that she had what it took to build a successful business doing what she loved. With that knowledge, she decided to strike out on her own, bringing along two partners and a dream of creating a world class travel agency—Travel With Flair (TWF). Since her start in 1997, Mukoki and her partners have grown TWF to 17 locations, more than 750+ employees and garnered numerous awards. Mukoki made history by becoming the first person from the African continent to have a seat on the Global Tourism Board of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives. She believes in giving back and mentoring as a way to help young women become successful in their careers. In fact, she created a television program called Women on the Move which showcases outstanding South African businesswomen. Mukoki has built an extraordinary career as a global mover and shaker by living by this quote:

“To find a career to which you are adapted to by nature, and then to work hard at it is as about a near formula for success and happiness as the world provides.”

Powerful words from a powerful woman.

Follow Travel With Flair on Twitter. Photo from http://johannamukoki.com.

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9. Tom Osborn, Kenya

At only 18, Tom Osborn knew his career path led straight to entrepreneurship. As a nonconformist and someone who wanted to do something to make a positive impact on society, he decided to forego law school and, instead, start a business right out of high school. But it wouldn’t be just any business, it would be one that helped solve a serious health and environmental problem. GreenChar—a for-profit social enterprise that provides affordable, efficient and environmentally friendly energy solutions designed to transform cooking practices in Kenya—was born from Tom’s realization that  smoke from wood charcoal and firewood cookstoves killed more people than AIDS, malaria and TB combined. That meant that his mother, who had spent much of her time cooking on that very same type of cookstove, was putting her health in danger every time she cooked his family a meal. So instead of running from the problem, Osborn created the solution for it.

Why he’s inspiring: He created eco-friendly charcoal briquettes from agricultural waste from crops such as sugar cane, maize and coffee. The waste goes through environmentally-friendly chemical processing to turn it into charcoal briquettes which have been proven to have 90% less harmful smoke emissions and 60% more energy than their wood counterparts. In addition, because the briquettes do not use any wood, they are also aiding in the fight against deforestation. In 2014, Tom’s tenacity and hard work paid off as he became the youngest person to be selected as an Echoing Green Fellow in the organization’s 27-year history; an award which means his company will receive $80,000 of funding and business development support over two years. His advice to young people across Africa is to “dare to be different….dare to grow past your comfort zone.” Great advice for anyone, regardless of your age.

Follow GreenChar on Twitter. Photo from company web site.

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10. Clarisse Iribagiza, Rwanda

The fact that more than 62% of Rwandans use mobile phones as their main form of communication spelled opportunity for Clarisse Iribagiza. How could she take advantage of the high percentage of mobile users while providing solutions to common problems they experienced? While studying computer engineering and information technology at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology, she set out to come up with an answer. In 2010 she founded HeHe Limited with several of her classmates while still in school. HeHe, which means “where” in Kinyarwanda (the country’s most widely spoken language), is based in Rwanda’s bustling capital of Kigali. The mobile technology firm has a vision of transforming Africa into an information society by increasing access to relevant information.

Why she’s inspiring: Realizing that vision hasn’t been easy. After losing a major contract when their first big client (Rwandatel) went under, Clarisse’s team was discouraged—but didn’t give up. Instead, Clarisse decided to enter the 13-week Inspire Africa reality TV competition along with 23 other contestants. She gave such a strong performance that she took the top prize of $50,000. Since then, the company has grown to service the Rwanda government, Nike, and several other major clients. It is also looking for funding to create a campus where the founders can teach hands-on technology skills to 25 high school students to help them excel in school or in business. This year, Forbes named Clarisse one of 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs In Africa 2015. In this CNN interview, she stated:

“We want to serve our continent and build solutions from Africa by Africans for Africans.”

Although she still faces many challenges, including having to prove that the applications her company builds are just as robust as those from anywhere else in the world, she stays focused on her vision and says about her team and her work, “Waking up every morning and feeling like nothing is impossible…that’s just priceless for us.”

Follow Clarisse on Twitter. Photo from Twitter.
 

We hope you enjoyed this series! What has inspired you most about these changemakers and global influencers?

 

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