#wcw

Salma Seetaroo went to Côte d’Ivoire to advise a struggling cashew factory. Instead of walking away, she stayed and built Cashew Coast — a business processing West African cashews at origin and connecting farmers to European markets.

Dr. Alice Muhuhu is using AI-powered MoyoECG to expand access to cardiac screening in rural Kenya and build health technology for Africa.

What happens when a child who watched tomatoes spoil decides to change the future of farming? Meet Shifra Ainomugisha, the Ugandan entrepreneur behind Solafam, whose solar-powered and AI-driven solutions are helping smallholder farmers reduce post-harvest losses, increase incomes and build climate resilience. Her work has earned her the 2026 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year award.

At 13, Mary-Esther Anele wrote a book inspired by her desire to challenge harmful widowhood practices. Years later, she has been called to the Nigerian Bar, founded InclusivelyRemote and continues to create opportunities for professionals across Africa. Here’s how one childhood dream became a lifelong mission.

She escaped a forced marriage, became one of the world’s top supermodels, then used her voice to confront one of the world’s most hidden human rights issues. Discover how Waris Dirie turned personal trauma into a movement that has changed millions of lives.

What if artificial intelligence could do more than automate tasks? Ethiopian computer scientist Rediet Abebe has dedicated her career to ensuring AI creates opportunity instead of widening inequality. From Addis Ababa to Harvard, Cornell, and UC Berkeley, she is helping reshape how technology serves society while breaking barriers for women and Africans in computer science.

Raheema Auwal-Panti founded PantiPads in 2025 after realising that conventional pads contain up to 90% plastic and take hundreds of years to decompose, while her region’s cassava processing industry generates exactly the kind of biomass waste that could replace them. Her project has now been shortlisted among 35 global teams for the 2026 Earth Prize.

Victoria Esinam Attipoe’s story is one of the clearest examples of what consistent, patient, and deliberate career-building actually looks like across a lifetime of work. From starting out as a hotel receptionist to becoming Division Head at Universal Merchant Bank, Ghana, Victoria Esinam Attipoe’s story is one worth telling.

From Rwanda to international acclaim, Sherrie Silver has transformed African dance into a global language. Discover how the award-winning choreographer is using creativity, culture, and community impact to inspire a new generation

From exposing fake football agents trafficking young Nigerian players to building one of Africa’s most influential media networks for women, Yemisi Akinbobola has spent years changing who gets heard in African media. Her journey blends journalism, advocacy, academia, and leadership into a story that continues to shape conversations across the continent.