At Self Help Africa, enterprise development is at the core of our work – a hand up, not a hand out.

We’re supporting many young businesspeople and entrepreneurs across sub-Saharan Africa, including Elizabeth Gikebe, whose  company, Mhogo Foods in Kenya is successfully producing and selling processed cassava flour.

Elizabeth recently attended the prestigious annual Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Forum in Lagos, Nigeria, the largest global gathering of pan-African entrepreneurs.

The event brought business owners together from across the continent, and enabled them to network, establish market contacts, and importantly, provide them help in using their businesses to effective positive change in their communities back home.

“I made lasting connections with potential investors and business people, and learned a lot”, said Elizabeth. “The most valuable lesson was to recognise that Africa’s problems won’t be fixed by governments, donors and philanthropists alone. The private sector will also need to be involved in the business of development,” she added.