The Awesome Foundation Lusaka — Grants for great ideas in Zambia
Got an awesome idea? Here’s a new way to get it off the ground!Have you ever had a great business idea but had absolutely no way of getting it off the ground? Finances often play a big role in bringing an idea to life and sometimes we just don’t have the funds to give our dreams a head start. Wouldn’t it be great if someone heard your idea, thought it was amazing and handed you some money to get you started, with absolutely no strings attached? It would be AWESOME! And that’s exactly what the Awesome Foundation is all about.
About the Awesome Foundation LusakaThe Awesome Foundation Lusaka is made up of a group of 12 Zambian and international trustees that put their personal money together in order to offer a grant to kick-start an exceptional idea. Every month, the group of trustees award the most outstanding submission a grant of K3, 000 with no strings attached, to help propel the idea forward.
The Awesome Foundation Lusaka was officially launched in June 2014. It aims to offer a grant every month. The foundation seeks to spur ingenuity without all the typical red tape normally associated with grant applications. The closing date for July’s submissions is July 28th and the winning submission will be announced before August 8th.
The First WinnerDuring the launch of The Awesome Foundation, the first winner was awarded with a grant of K3,000 (600USD). The winning idea that was selected by the trustees was a mobile phone application that allows anyone in Zambia to chat directly with a doctor saving them time, travel and money, all while receiving quality health information.
The Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Teledoctor mobile application, Sam Musariri who was present at the award ceremony said that the app would offer a faster and cheaper way of accessing vital health information in a country where the doctor/patient ratio is over 1:12,000 in comparison the WHO recommended ratio of 1:5,000.
How to apply for a grantEvery month interested people can submit their application through the Awesome Foundation website. The application process is rapid and non-bureaucratic: there are only three questions to answer along with the submission of an application. The deadline for applications is the last Monday of every month and the recipient is announced the following week.
Top tip: Have a succinct plan detailing exactly how you plan to spend the grant money to make your idea a reality. (Paying for your rent or even your uncle’s rent isn’t a winning idea.)
If you have an awesome idea that needs a bit of cash to get off the ground or you want to follow the ideas coming out of Lusaka, visit the Awesome Foundation website here or follow them on Twitter . To contact Awesome Foundation Lusaka, email mike@bongohive.co.zm or call +260 962 490 690.