Tigo Tanzania and Reach For Change, a Tanzanian NGO have announced the two winners of the Tigo Digital Changemakers competition.
The winners Neema Shosho and Bihaga Edward bring to nine the total number of social entrepreneurs that have received funding from Tigo Tanzania through digital program in the past four years. The Tigo Digital Changemakers Competition is a social entrepreneurship programme aimed at identifying and empowering young Tanzanians with innovative digital solutions that can help to solve some of the country’s most pressing community needs. Each winner receives US $ 20,000 to implement their project idea and a business management mentorship from Tigo to enable them achieve their dreams of putting their innovative solutions and technology into practice as change agents for the under-privileged in the society.
Tigo has been investing heavily in corporate social responsibility initiatives, the Digital Changemakers program being of them. The telecom, which has over 10 million subscribers, also supports programs in the health sector, education and sports.
“Our support for community development projects demonstrates our commitment to drive digital transformation not just for our customers but to the larger Tanzanian community as well. We are proud that by helping these social entrepreneurs, our organization is helping to solve some of the community’s challenges through digital solutions,” said Shavkat Berdiev Tigo Tanzania Chief Commercial Officer.
Tigo Tanzania social investment is happening in parallel with the company’s investment on its infrastructure. In 2015, according to Berdiev, the telecom has invested US$ 120 million on its network expansion and improvement which include scaling up its 3G sites and fibre network as well as launching Tanzania’s biggest and fastest Tigo 4G LTE network.
