By Angelica Adama Mansaray
Two young Sierra Leonean innovators, Abdul Karim Sesay and Monica Johnson have won this year’s Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP) Awards, with a whooping sum of Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Leones. The award ceremony took place on Friday, 9th August, 2024, at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown.
Orange Sierra Leone (OSL), as a responsible corporate and social investor, aims to contribute to the human capital development, support local social and environmental innovations, and encourage entrepreneurship in Sierra Leone.
There were eight finalists in the competition from whom the two winners eventually emerged. Abdul Karim Sesay emerged as the Grand Prize Winner followed by Monica Jackson. Certificates were issued to the six participants by Madam Danetta Young, from Orange Sierra Leone.
According to the Orange Sierra Leone Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sekou Amadou Bah, the OSVP journey started in 2019 with the aim of providing opportunities to promote partnership and the expansion of businesses.
Orange SL as a mobile telecommunications company positioned to lead the digital landscape in Sierra Leone many other countries Africa with the aim of opening space for young Africans to effectively participate in the digital transformation of the Continent.
Mr. Bah disclosed that in the area of digital inclusion OSL has provided four digital centres in Sierra Leone, to include one in the Capital City, Freetown and one each located in three of the country’s provincial headquarters.
These Digital Centers, he maintained, are meant to provide professional digital training for youths in those respective provincial areas for their investitures in digital business and ultimate transformation of the business ecosystem in Sierra Leone.
Mr. Bah disclosed that since 2019 to present, Orange Sierra Leone has trained over 3, 0000 young people with an estimated 70 per cent haven being integrated into the job market and are currently providing digital service needs of the people. He said the company has been working with the Ministry of Youth Affairs in a transparent and accountable manner to ensure the aim and objectives of the company’s programme are achieved.
He disclosed that Orange SL is leading in the digital technology drive “with passion” in its determination to ensure the use of technology to solve problems and improve people’s lives, which he pointed out, is the bane for initiating the programme.
The Orange SL Chief Executive Officer disclosed that the focus of the finalists would be on the environment to determine how technology can devise new ways of bringing impactful changes in society. “This Digital Revolution”, Mr. Bah noted, it will bring and accelerate opportunities.
He thanked their esteem partners, especially the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/ Managing Director (MD) of Innovation Sierra Leone, Francis Steven George and by extension GIZ for their cooperation. He congratulated the finalists and encouraged them to keep belief in themselves and assured that they are all winners.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Innovation Sierra Leone, Francis Stevens George, congratulated the finalists noting that the talents they have exhibited will not go in vain, and assured of future support. “Sierra Leoneans are talented people; what is needed however, is the necessary support that can kick them off,” Mr. George pointed out. He therefore maintained that with appropriate support they can delivery at national and international spaces. He thanked Orange SL for the laudable support over the years.
The Minister of Youth Affairs, Mohamed O. Bangura praised OSL for their support for the youths in Sierra Leone.
The announcement and presentation of prizes was done by Madam Danetta Young from Orange Sierra Leone.