It was 55 years ago that a human first landed on the moon as part of the Apollo program piloted by the US space agency NASA. The mission was a success, thanks to the electronic system developed by Margaret Hamilton. Decades later, the “Les Margaret” prize pays tribute to this American scientist by encouraging women’s initiatives focused on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Europe, Africa and Canada.
For the twelfth edition, the six finalists from the African continent have just been announced. In the “Entrepreneur” category, they are Damilola Aminat Adeyemi, the co-founder of start-up D-Olivette, whose biogas solutions contribute to clean cooking in Lagos, Nigeria, and Kenyan Mumbe Mwangangi, who in 2019 developed the “Nyansapo AI” e-learning platform to boost access to education for children in Kitui County (SDG4).
In 2024, “Les Margaret” will also feature women who have developed innovations in partnership with their employers. Bukunola Bolajoko, from “1101 Technologies” based in the Nigerian city of Ibadan, will have to convince the jury with her carbon capture and storage techniques against Aissatou Ami Touré, who is defending an inclusive finance approach within her company Yassir, very active in urban mobility and food deliveries in Dakar, Senegal.
Focus on ODD5
The final category of this award, focusing on the empowerment and valorization of women (ODD5), is entitled “Juniors Africa”. It concerns teenage girls who put their talents at the service of local communities. Young Abigail Ifoma from Cameroon was chosen for her MIA (My Intelligent Assistant) project, which focuses on the care and monitoring of patients in medical deserts in Douala, and Seynabou Kane, who uses visual recognition (artificial intelligence) to facilitate the sorting of household waste in the Senegalese capital.
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Among the members of the jury chaired by Delphine Remy-Boutang, the CEO of investment company Arver, Cameroon’s Nelly Chatué-Diop (2023 winner) and Camélia Ntoutoume-Leclercq, Gabon’s Minister of National Education and Civic Training. “The three winners announced on March 7, 2024 will benefit for one year from the Journée des Femmes Digitales (JFD) growth acceleration program, valued at 1 million euros, which includes strategic coaching, fundraising support, business networking and public speaking engagements at major international events,” say the organizers.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi