It’s a big win for Sam Mwaniki and Wala Amakove who emerged winners in the 2021 Facebook accelerator program. This year’s Facebook accelerator program competition had over 13,000 applicants but only 13 made it to the top.
The other winners in the program are from Nigeria and South Africa. The 13 winners are expected to receive training, mentorship and up to $50,000 funds to invest in an initiative that extends their community’s positive impact.
Facebook accelerator program is part of the organization’s community leadership program that invests in people building communities. Mwaniki Sam runs the group, ‘Teachers’ Notice Board Kenya’ a group that’s geared towards national cohesion and integration. Its main aim is to bring teachers, trainees and tutors from all Teacher Training Colleges in Kenya together to build relationships, share job vacancies and promote businesses.
Wala Amakove on the other hand runs the ‘Wanderlust Diaries Ltd’. Wala founded this group in April 2020 when the world was at the peak of Covid-19 pandemic. It’s a group that brings together a community of travellers to share stories with the aim of promoting eco-tourism in Kenya and other African countries.
Kiran Yoliswa who is the Partner Management Lead, Middle East and Africa Community Partnerships at Facebook was at the forefront in congratulating the winners. He had this to say, “We are excited to announce the 13 Facebook community leaders in Africa who have been helping to resolve social challenges, empowering their audiences with knowledge while connecting with others that share their interests or passion for a cause. At Facebook we are committed to helping people realize their full potential through initiatives like this. We want these community leaders to use the Facebook platform to drive change and provide support and encouragement for thousands of people. We are impressed with the outcome of this year’s Community Accelerator and we look forward to helping our 2021 community accelerator winners amplify their influence for greater work.”