ESA Foundation Awards Multi-sector Grants to Nigerians

The Edwin and Stella Ajaere (ESA) Foundation has completed its 2021 round of grant making to Nigerians within its target sectors for intervention. The grants were drawn from the ESA Foundation Endowment Fund.

This round of grants were made to qualified beneficiaries through ESA Foundation’s Health, Empowerment and Education (H.E.E) Grant 2021 programme announced March 17, 2021.

Altogether, 19 beneficiaries spanning the grant’s three target categories received support. Students, entrepreneurs and medically-needy recipients made up the list.

Specifically, 12 businesses, six students and a cancer patient received support.

Information provided by ESA Foundation listed “need, impact, sustainability and innovation” as key criteria for awarding grants.

Speaking about the foundation’s mission, the President, Chantelle Ajaere, said: “ESA Foundation was created in honour of late Edwin and Stella Ajaere, who were so passionate about entrepreneurship, education and human progress via the use of technology, greatly evidenced by their feats in business and their far-reaching impact in charitable projects.

“Together with Chairman of The GIG Group, Chidi Ajaere, and the rest of the family, we believe their lives can be best immortalised by perpetuating their best ideals through a potent vehicle of service that is both sustainable and impactful.

“Their legacy serves as the bedrock for this social intervention which focuses on improving value creation primarily in business, health and education through strategic targeted empowerment.

“We believe, as they did, that the growth of society rests not only upon the shoulders of government, but also upon civil society. Our mission is to change the lives of millions of people in a substantial and sustainable way.”

On the process for selecting and awarding beneficiaries, she said: “Excellence, transparency and fairness are defining values in our approach. We have instituted the best evaluation, verification and awarding standards, ensuring that every beneficiary is deserving of the grants based on pre-established criteria.

“Our goal is to ensure that those most in need of our intervention receive the support they need in a timely manner through the most transparent and fair of processes.”

The ESA president also spoke on the foundation’s strategic growth plan, noting that a phased transition from focus on Nigeria, to focus on Africa, and eventually the world, was actively and carefully being followed to realise a global vision of impact.

“We have a clear roadmap for global impact. This plan carefully follows a sequence of Nigeria first, Africa next, and the world eventually. Our programmes, anchored on sustainability, are designed to change the lives of millions of people across the globe. We are committed to this broad vision and will not relent,” she said.

ESA Foundation released a list of its 2021 beneficiaries, congratulating them and urging them to make the most of the grants.

The list, as released, has beneficiaries grouped into the two categories of Education and Entrepreneur as seen below:

Winners in the Entrepreneur category are: Peter Ayeni of Agbaye.com, Oluwamayowa Solu of Brickify, Siyaka Mustapha of Spiff Leatherworks, Ime Joseph Bassey of Aqua Osuk Enterprises, Adetunji Tobi of COB, Victoria Orleans of Colorfood1, Iwunze Ngozi Blessing of GemMaurice Farms, Oriasotie Ehimare Emmanuel of Clouddust, Ani Sunday Collins of Suncollins productions, Ewean Okungbowa Sylvester of Chopwell, Michael Blaise of CampusHelp, Emmanuel Bala Musa of Digihealth

Listed in the Education Category are: Akpelu Florence (Alpha Academy), Ogbu Sylvia (Nekan Secondary School), Miracle Chikwendu (Jacobs Model College), Adeyemo Collins Ademola (Joint Hiers International School), Ejimogu Uche (Nekan International School), and Etunne JohnMary (SS Simon and Jude Seminary School).