SEIP Africa-Phillipine Kambula and Daisy Mafubelu's experience

Phillipine Kambula and Daisy Mafubelu participated in SEIP Africa's online incubation program 2023 as a Team behind the Elina Gibson Foundation(EGF) which is a social enterprise established to improve the accessibility, quality, safety, and sustainability of education and healthcare in disadvantaged and rural communities in South Africa.

At the heart of their mission lies a visionary goal - to empower African communities through the establishment of smart villages, with a focus on providing computer and coding development training. They have devised an innovative approach using mobile computer science labs that will journey to different underprivileged areas. By offering their services, mentorship, and coaching, they aim to uplift unemployed youth, women, and persons with disabilities, equipping them with valuable employable skills and nurturing their entrepreneurial spirit. Through this initiative, they aspire to create an enabling environment where small, micro, and medium enterprises can flourish, driving positive change one village at a time.

Here is their perspective on being part of the online incubation program.

We founded EGF with the mission to enhance the accessibility, quality, safety, and sustainability of education and healthcare services in disadvantaged and rural communities. Upon joining the program, we had a specific problem statement and a project idea in mind. However, through the design thinking method introduced by the program, we quickly realized that our solution lacked thorough research and didn't fully address the needs of our users. Thanks to the guidance and support of our mentors and the online courses, we learned to think more broadly and critically about our approach.

The program also provided valuable insights on how to make our organization profitable and sustainable, enabling us to have a lasting positive impact in our community. The online courses were well-structured, easy to follow, and efficiently covered each topic without overwhelming us with excessive time demands. We are grateful to SEIP Africa's Incubation for providing us with an exceptional program, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to our mentors, Evina and Jennifer, for their invaluable guidance and support throughout this transformative journey. ~Phillipine and Daisy