Ashoka
Leading social entrepreneurs moving barriers and contributing to 'Everyone A Changemaker' world.
About Ashoka East Africa
Founded in 2001, Ashoka East Africa is the youngest Africa program serving Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. With 87 Fellows, we are also one of the smallest Fellowships. But we are growing rapidly. Ashoka East Africa strives to shape a regional, entrepreneurial, and competitive citizen sector, one that allows entrepreneurs to thrive and enables the region's citizens to think and act as Changemakers since 2000. For the past years, we have grown considerably both in terms of numbers of leading social entrepreneurs (Ashoka Fellows) elected and supported and in our greater efforts to build a more conducive environment for change.
CONTRIBUTING TO THE SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
We have contributed to a collaborative ecosystem to search leading social entrepreneurs in the region and nominated them as Ashoka Fellows thus supporting the growth and development of the sector together with partners from other sectors since 2001. We have directly invested resources in fellowship engagements with these Fellows.
The Four Ashoka East Africa Pillars
Implementing Global Programs
Programs we have implemented in East Africa include:
- Globalizer
- Youth Venture
- Changemaker Schools
- Changemaker Bootcamps (AmEx Leadership and Mastercard Foundation’s Future Forward)
- Making More Health Accelerator Program
- Changemaker Exchange.
Diversifying the Fellowship Network of Changemakers
The Ashoka East Africa Fellows are drawn from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. We also have fellows from across the globe who have their work in the East African region.
Building a Diverse Ecosystem of Changemakers
The Ashoka East Africa Community is made up of:
- 87 Fellows
- 15 Changemaker Schools
- 50 Youth-Serving Organizations supporting young people to grow self-identifying as changemakers
- 4000 young changemakers
- 20 youth champions
Building a Team of Teams
Ashoka East Africa operates as a constellation of teams that come together to work towards set goals. At the center of this constellation is a coordinating executive team, but the composition of each project team shifts as needed over time.
The team comprises staff, fellows, change Leaders from schools and youth-serving organizations, young changemakers, interns, volunteers, youth champions, partners among other allies and friends.
Ashoka East Africa Team
Vincent Otieno Odhiambo
Regional Director, Ashoka East Africa
Ruth Soi
Visionary Program Coordinator and Fellow Engagement Lead
Bryan Chesoli
Making More Health Accelerator, Project Associate
Bryan Chesoli
Making More Health Accelerator, Project Associate
Experienced and driven Project Manager with a proven track record of supporting institutions in the inception stage, actualization, and maintenance of youth impact-driven projects and networks. With over nine years of experience in education, entrepreneurship, and youth-focused programs, Bryan is passionate and committed to making a positive impact in Africa, especially through partnerships that benefit young people. Through different projects, Bryan has successfully led cross-functional teams on projects that drive change and help develop solutions for Africa's next generation.
Zahra Lethome
DEI Operations, Finance & Engagement Senior Associate
Arnold Otieno
Monitoring & Evaluation Expert
Jedidah Muthui
Communications Manager - Changemaker Companies and Changemakers
Chris Rasugu
Finance Lead
Louisa Konchellah
Challenge Operations Associate - Changemakers
Santiago Del Giudice
Globalizer Program Associate
Julie Mailu
Operations, HR & Team Management Senior Associate - Integrated Technology Initiative & Changemaker Companies
Festus Ochilo
Finance Manager-Changemakers Companies
Our partners
Frey Charitable Foundation
Swiss Foundation supporting education and youth leadership
American Express
American Express’s vision is to bring to life the American Express value of good corporate citizenship by supporting diverse communities in ways that enhance the company's reputation with employees, customers, merchants, business partners and other stakeholders.
Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) and Ashoka have partnered together in promoting innovative solutions to challenging health problems since 2010. By exploring the intersection of social entrepreneurship, employee talent development, and healthcare networks the teams have co-designed "win-win" solutions to global healthcare challenges. Solutions have come through increasing individuals’ access to healthcare and community health issues, especially underserved populations. Over 5 years, the team has supported 75 Making More Health fellows in 47 countries, launched 3 global open-source competitions finding 800+ health innovations worldwide, and engage 10% of BI's global workforce of 45,000.
Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) and Ashoka have partnered together in promoting innovative solutions to challenging health problems since 2010. By exploring the intersection of social entrepreneurship, employee talent development, and healthcare networks the teams have co-designed "win-win" solutions to global healthcare challenges. Solutions have come through increasing individuals’ access to healthcare and community health issues, especially underserved populations. Over 5 years, the team has supported 75 Making More Health fellows in 47 countries, launched 3 global open-source competitions finding 800+ health innovations worldwide, and engage 10% of BI's global workforce of 45,000.
Nestlé
Nestlé is the world’s largest food and beverage company, with 2000 brands and are present in 190 countries worldwide. Their purpose is to enhance the quality of life and contribute to a healthier future, inspiring people to live healthier lives.
British Council
British Council is a international british orgaization for education and cultural relations with the purpose to strengthen the relations between United Kingdom and the countries where it's present. The British Council supports Ashoka in the Brasilian Summit ASN program, and Ashoka's Fellowship program in South Africa.
British Council
British Council is a international british orgaization for education and cultural relations with the purpose to strengthen the relations between United Kingdom and the countries where it's present. The British Council supports Ashoka in the Brasilian Summit ASN program, and Ashoka's Fellowship program in South Africa.
The Philips Foundation
The Philips Foundation seeks to be different from the traditional grant-making foundation. Together with its partners, the Philips Foundation seeks to identify global challenges where the innovation capabilities of Philips and expertise of partners, visionaries and innovators, can be combined to create lasting impact. Both Philips Foundation and Ashoka believe in the power of collaboration and its ability to mobilize expertise, innovation and impact. In 2016, Philips Foundation and Ashoka collaborated to run a 6 months accelerator program: The Globalizer on Health and Lighting, which helped 12 leading social entrepreneurs scale their innovations.
The Philips Foundation
The Philips Foundation seeks to be different from the traditional grant-making foundation. Together with its partners, the Philips Foundation seeks to identify global challenges where the innovation capabilities of Philips and expertise of partners, visionaries and innovators, can be combined to create lasting impact. Both Philips Foundation and Ashoka believe in the power of collaboration and its ability to mobilize expertise, innovation and impact. In 2016, Philips Foundation and Ashoka collaborated to run a 6 months accelerator program: The Globalizer on Health and Lighting, which helped 12 leading social entrepreneurs scale their innovations.
Red Social Innovation
This is a resource platform for the Spanish and French Red Cross. The purpose of the partnership is to leverage networks from both organizations to identify and share good practices in social innovation. We will spotlight the work of Ashoka fellows in the region on their website from October/November 2024.
Red Social Innovation
This is a resource platform for the Spanish and French Red Cross. The purpose of the partnership is to leverage networks from both organizations to identify and share good practices in social innovation. We will spotlight the work of Ashoka fellows in the region on their website from October/November 2024.
Contact
Ashoka East Africa
Email:
[email protected]
Address:
Ashoka East Africa
101590
Daykio Plaza,Ngong Road.
Nairobi
00101
Kenya