Millicom International Cellular S.A. (“Millicom”) (Stockholmsbörsen: MIC) (http://www.millicom.com),
operating under the Tigo brand, and non-profit organization Reach for
Change are joining forces to improve the lives of children in Africa
through social entrepreneurship. Throughout 2012, a joint program to
identify and support social entrepreneurs with innovative solutions for
children is being launched in Chad, DRC, Rwanda, Senegal and Tanzania.
The program has already been piloted in Ghana, reaching more than
140,000 children in the first year.
In
the program, Tigo and Reach for Change invite people in all of the
African countries where Tigo operates to present innovative ideas for
improving the lives of children. The most entrepreneurial candidates
with the strongest and most promising ideas will be invited to join a
three year incubator program where they will work on transforming their
ideas into sustainable ventures. The entrepreneurs chosen to join the
incubator will receive salary funding as well as mentoring and
professional advice from senior employees of Tigo.
“We
are thrilled to have this opportunity to improve the lives of children
in Africa on a large scale together with Tigo. We believe that the best
way to create social change is to give the right tools to people who are
passionate about their task and who have the entrepreneurial driving
force to make a change”, says Sara Damber, CEO, Reach for Change.
Mikael
Grahne, CEO of Millicom commented “there is hardly a better way to take
part in building the long term success of the countries in which we
operate than investing in children and local entrepreneurship. The
program with Reach for Change helps us to understand burning social
issues affecting the lives of children and gives us a unique opportunity
to work hands-on, together with local talent, to address them.”
The
program has been piloted in Ghana, where, in 2011, Tigo and Reach for
Change chose five social entrepreneurs for the incubator whose
respective ventures are now improving the lives of over 140,000
children.
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