/ 15 September 2008

Pan-African education awards launched

A lucrative competition has been launched to reward entrepreneurial education programmes across the African continent.

The EDUCATING AFRICA Pan-African Awards for Entrepreneurship in Education 2008 seek to identify the very best organizations rising to the challenges of supporting education across Africa, to highlight their models, and to reward their achievements.

UK-based charity organisation Teach A Man To Fish is offering a top prize of just over R80 000, with 50 prizes of R8000 up for grabs for the most innovative education programmes on the continent.

“If the huge demand for education that exists across Africa is to be met, it will require new and entrepreneurial models which can be replicated and taken to scale,” says Nik Kafka, Managing Director of Teach A Man To Fish.

“Education programs which are innovative, sustainable and create real impact already exist in Africa. All too often, however, they never receive the true recognition they deserve, and remain isolated efforts.

“The EDUCATING AFRICA Pan-African Awards for Entrepreneurship in Education 2008 represent a small step forward in terms of drawing international attention to their achievements, and rewarding their commitment.”

Winners will be selected by a panel of international judges, and the top three awardees sponsored to travel to South Africa to receive their prizes at Education That Pays For Itself 2008, an international conference on Sustainable Education taking place 18 -20 November 2008.

Entries will be assessed against three criteria of entrepreneurship, sustainability, and impact. The competition closes on 20 October.

Organizations wishing to take part should visit the competition website at www.teachamantofish.org.uk/competition.