Microsoft's second Africa Fellowship sparks genuine excitement for the future

I year ago, at its first-always NexTech Africa briefing, Microsoft announced the launch of its Windows #Insiders4Good East Africa Fellowship. A few months later, in June 2022, the Fellows began their journey together, starting with an intensive week-long "boot campsite" led by Windows Insider Program master Dona Sarkar.

Today, in an emotional anniversary, followed past a lively political party, the Fellows graduated from the program. For the Fellows, their graduation marks the end of an important affiliate in each of their stories – but the programme has too had a much broader touch on Microsoft, resulting in significant changes to the way it develops products.

Related: How Microsoft's Africa Fellowships shape the style information technology develops Windows 10

What is the #Insiders4Good Fellowship?

Launched every bit part of the global Windows Insider Program, the Fellowship programme began in Nigeria in 2022. Microsoft established the Nigerian Fellowship to help information technology "listen and learn" – a recurring theme in the visitor's African efforts – from those wanting to build businesses in parts of the world where engineering science is often used in very unlike means compared with developed nations.

Each of the Fellows had a business organization idea that was born from the desire to solve a specific problem in their communities, and across. But every bit Nigerian Fellowship graduate Olayinka Olanrewaju pointed out at NexTech, "the idea is the smallest part of the business" – and many of the Fellows lacked the skills and business organisation acumen to successfully bring their concepts to market place.

Microsoft offered the Fellows a unique opportunity to help them do so: "a premier suite of Windows hardware and software, and a half dozen-month mentorship program", including "tailored technical and strategic mentorship from local and international leaders." And equally it guided them through the process of developing their ideas into sustainable businesses, Microsoft listened and learned from the Fellows, gaining deep insights into the technological landscape in Africa, and the unique challenges that companies and customers face across the continent.

Who are the Fellows?

The 18 people graduating this week were selected by Microsoft from among hundreds of applicants from the East African nations of Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, or Uganda. Some of them had begun to build their businesses before fifty-fifty applying to the program, but others had little more a vague plan to develop solutions to a diverse range of problems that they had identified.

Irving Amukasa, for example, developed "Sophie Bot" – a "digital assistant for sexual health." Because sexual wellness is a taboo topic in many African nations, many people accept little knowledge on the subject. By providing access to articulate and accurate information confidentially through Sophie Bot, Irving hopes to empower people to accept better care of their sexual wellness. Kenya has one of the world's most astringent epidemics of HIV and AIDS, clearly highlighting the need for such a valuable resources.

Caleb Ndaka, also from Kenya, launched the "Kids Comp Army camp" before applying for the Fellowship. Past helping children and their parents in rural areas to acquire how to lawmaking at depression price, Caleb hopes they will proceeds opportunities for employment and advancement that they would not otherwise have had. Only as he openly best-selling, without the guidance and support he received from Microsoft, he would likely have fabricated ill-informed decisions almost how to manage and calibration his business concern, which might well have led to its eventual failure.

Rosine Mwiseneza, from Uganda, is developing ultra-affordable "smart farming" tools, aimed at farmers in drought-stricken areas. Her system will enable them to automatically monitor soil and weather condition weather to manage their irrigation more finer. This volition enable them to manage watering systems automatically, and past targeting their resources at the most favorable crops, and only irrigating when absolutely necessary, information technology will greatly reduce their costs and improve their productivity.

Yous tin find out more nigh each of the Fellows and their businesses on the Windows Insiders4Good East Africa Fellowship site.

What's next for Microsoft's Fellows?

Each of the Fellows I spoke to this calendar week told me the same thing: without the guidance, noesis, and back up they've gained from the program since last year, they would accept been ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of building and developing sustainable and successful businesses.

From how to speak with potential investors, to targeting customers, identifying growth opportunities, and understanding how to manage their fiscal resource effectively, all of the Fellows told me that they've gained a vast wealth of knowledge from the program. At present, following their graduation, information technology will be upwardly to them to utilize what they've learned, although Microsoft volition still exist staying "in constant contact" with them. And the Fellows are supporting each other likewise; three of them are already working together to assist ane some other's businesses grow.

Will there be another similar Fellowship in the future? Sarkar isn't ready to respond that just yet – only she's confident that this isn't the stop of the road for the program. She's also hugely optimistic about Microsoft's hereafter in Africa, with some exciting plans being worked on, including another NexTech briefing.

Why the Fellowship matters to all Microsoft users

By any measure, the Fellowship programs are extremely modest, peculiarly for a company as massive as Microsoft. But the affect of these programs goes far across simply helping a handful of enthusiastic people develop successful businesses from noble and worthy ideas.

In fact, the experiences of Dona Sarkar and her Microsoft colleagues during both Fellowships, and the insights that they've gained from their new friends in Africa, have already led the company to rethink many aspects of how it serves its two billion customers effectually the world. As Sarkar told Windows Cardinal this week, Microsoft is transforming the way information technology builds major products such as Windows 10 equally a direct result of what it's learned from the Fellowship programs.

It seems clear that even programs and initiatives as modest as these can ultimately have a global bear on.