Leila Janah, an American businesswoman, activist and explorer, died on Jan. 24, 2020, from epithelioid sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Leila Janah founded and led two companies, her first company, Sama, is a nonprofit aiming to offer digital jobs that provide a living wage to thousands in Africa and India. Sama’s mission centers on providing employment instead of aid, reflecting Janah’s belief in work as a sustainable way to eradicate global poverty. Following Janah’s passing, the Leila Janah Foundation continues its legacy by developing life-changing entrepreneurship programs across East Africa.

History of the Foundation

Founded in 2008, Sama operates on the design model by Leila Janah. A nonprofit organization that employs people from low-income backgrounds in Kenya and Uganda, Sama focuses on providing artificial intelligence (AI) training to enhance living standards. In an interview with Glamour in 2017, Janah stated, “It struck me as a crime that so much human talent goes to waste in developing countries.” She believed that simply providing more opportunities would prove hugely beneficial. By 2018, Sama had employed 50,000 people. Subsequently, the annual Give Work Challenge was launched.

In an interview with Marie Forleo in 2018, Janah stated, “The best way to ensure that that person has a meal is to increase his or her family income so that he or she can buy his own food from the local market,” arguing how this model was much more sustainable than other models of charity and provided a much more long-term solution to global poverty. In 2019, Janah split the company and the nonprofit entity focused on growing the Give Work Challenge. After Janah’s passing in 2020, the nonprofit entity was renamed the Leila Janah Foundation to honor Janah’s legacy, and since then the nonprofit has expanded and helped an ever-increasing number of people.

The Give Work Challenge

The Leila Janah Foundation runs the Give Work Challenge, a business plan competition for low-income entrepreneurs in Kenya and Uganda. This Challenge runs throughout the year in different editions, and focuses on supporting existing businesses looking to grow and new businesses needing support to launch.

Furthermore, a new competition was launched in 2022 for past winners whose businesses demonstrate the potential for expansion and have shown incredible growth. Each Give Work challenge consists of a three-round competition, where the entrepreneurs submit their business plans and information to Sama volunteers. Entrepreneurs who make it to the final round pitch their plans and ideas live to a regional judge panel.

In preparation for this pitch, the team works with a professional mentor who aims to improve their business models and create a foundation for long-term success. The Leila Janah Foundation supports these entrepreneurs through professional mentorship, community support, as well as by providing grants.

Program Director Liliosa Mbirimi states, “Through the Give Work Challenge grant and mentorship, each of our winners will have a larger impact on their communities that will ripple out and positively impact many more individuals.”

Give Work Challenge: Recent Winners

In August of 2023, the Leila Janah Foundation announced the existing business edition winners of its annual Give Work Challenge. It announced four companies, two from Kenya and two from Uganda to receive one year of mentorship from an expert mentor who will help them work on their business plan and introduce the next phase of growth. Additionally, each team won a grant of $6,000 to continue to grow their business.

Among the four recent winners is Mvuvi Enterprises. This Kenyan-based business founded by Christine Bonareri and Arnold Adero produces high-quality processed fish for human consumption. Mvuvi Enterprises additionally uses innovative and sustainable technologies that convert the waste from the fish into useful products including fertilizer, animal feed and energy. Concerning receiving the grant, Arnold Adero states, “Winning the fund fills us with immense gratitude and excitement, as it fuels our commitment to creating a lasting impact and driving positive change in the fisheries and aquaculture community.”

Another 2023 winner, Mawejje Creations, founded by Dimma Mawejje aims to solve the issue of banana biomass and landfill fashion waste. The business uses plant-based substances and textile waste to revolutionize the fashion industry, minimizing the impact of fast fashion and increasing the effectiveness of the ethical fashion supply chain. 

The Impact

Since its inception in 2018, the Give Work Challenge has awarded $138,000, funding 33 teams and creating 245 jobs. This initiative provides grants and mentorship to winners, significantly impacting their communities by enhancing lives beyond the immediate beneficiaries. Tassilo Festetics, co-founder of the Give Work Challenge states, “If each one of them creates a company that basically will employ maybe two, three, five, fifteen people that will obviously increase the number of jobs and people that will be able to live dignified lives,” explaining the ripple effect that the challenge has and the large number of people it can benefit.

Liliosa Mbirimi, Program Director at the Leila Janah Foundation stated, “We are proud to continue the mission of our namesake, Leila Janah, to alleviate global poverty by giving work, not handouts.” The Give Work Challenge extends beyond merely assisting individuals; it also enhances the societal and community benefits these businesses aim to deliver.

– Arabella Wood-Collins

Arabella is based in Newcastle, UK

Photo: Unsplash