March, 2010

HARAMBE-CAMEROON
Presents

THE FIRST SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

COMPETITION IN CAMEROON

Transforming Our Problems into Opportunities!

In Collaboration with:
The United States of America Embassy in Cameroon

N° 001829/ADR/JO6/APPA
On Friday, March 5TH 2010 Harambe Cameroon hosted the First Social Entrepreneurship
competition in Cameroon. The event took place at Mt Febe Hotel and mobilized about 120 people.
The event was structured in 2 parts – The presentation of Harambe Cameroon (origins, goals,
missions) and the Elevator Pitch Contest (EPC).

The Harambe-
Harambe-Cameroon Endeavor
Harambe Cameroon is a private, apolitical and legally Cameroonian organization led by the
bright minds of Cameroon in the Diaspora and in the country. The endeavor was officially
launched on November 12th, 2009 at Royal-Co Bastos, Yaounde.

Harambe-Cameroon is an independent branch of a

much larger international alliance called the
Harambe Endeavor. Harambe Endeavor is an
alliance of African students studying at leading
colleges and universities in the United States,
Canada and the United Kingdom.

Harambe Endeavor’s mission is to capture, inform

and engage Africa’s global intellectual capital
towards a sustained, strategic and concerted
development of the African continent.
Established in September 2007 as a non-profit
enterprise, Harambe Endeavor has quickly grown in its outreach with 18 African Countries
currently being represented, 85 official signatories, and hundreds of affiliates. This is arguably the
most powerful network of the next generation of African professionals anywhere in the world.

As part of this international endeavor, Harambe Cameroon is spearheading the first Social
Entrepreneurship Program in the nation. The program seeks to change the paradigm of competition
and entrepreneurship amongst Cameroonian students. Harambe-Cameroon’s mission is to inspire a
new generation of young leaders and entrepreneurs who see problems as opportunities in need
of solutions and have the poise and wherewithal to engage others to create long-lasting social
impact.

The Elevator Pitch Contest

CONCEPT
An elevator pitch is a brief overview of an idea for a product, service, or project. The pitch is so
called because it can be delivered in the time span of an elevator ride. The term is typically used in
the context of an entrepreneur pitching an idea to a venture capitalist to receive funding. (From
Wikipedia).
FORMAT
• Candidates are called in a random order to pitch 90second of a project idea they have.
• After each 90seconds presentation, the candidate faces a jury. Each juror gives their feedback
on the candidate’s performance based on the Judging criteria (listed below).
• The total average of the jury’s score is the score of the candidate. The Winners are the
candidates with the highest note.
OBJECTIVE
• To tap into the idealism and creativity of Cameroon’s youth.
• To showcase potential feasible and lucrative social enterprises.
• To stimulate a generation of problem-solvers who see problems as opportunities in need of
solutions.

Harambe-Cameroon – Transforming our problems into opportunities! Page 2

 The Candidates
Out of 30 candidates selected, 20 confirmed their presence,
and 18 were present. The Candidates were students from
Universities and Institutions in Yaoundé (for the pilot project).
Students ranged from first year, to Masters, and BAC+5.
7 Universities and Institutions in Yaoundé Represented:
Universities of Yaoundé I (Ngoa-Ekele) and II (Soa), L’Ecole
Nationale Supérieure Polytechnique (ENSP), SUPDECO,
CIFADDEG, Ndi-Samba Supérieure, Ecole Normale Supérieure
(ENS).
Domains of Studies of Candidates: Management, Mechanical
Engineering, Human Resources, Electronics, Sociology,
Computer Engineering, Civil Engineering.

The Guests
Harambe-Cameroon once more brought together Cameroon’s key actors from various walks
of life and from distinct socio-political and economic sectors of the nation. They came from
various paths of life to support Cameroon’s Youth.

Businesses and Corporations Universities and Institutions

• Secretary General, Group BLAZ DESIGN • Director, CIFADDEG
• Director, Authentic Developpers Corporation (ADC) • Engineer, TECHNIPOLE ENSP
• Project Manager/ Finance Expert, XIA • Economics Professor, University of
ASSOCIATES (LTD) Yaounde II
• Assistant Director, CAMDEV Students
• Expert Consultant, HTR
• Financial Analyst, Cameroon Exchange (CAMEX) University of Yaounde I (UYI) and UYII,
• Director, SIJEL Services ENS (Teachers’ Training), ENSP
(Polytechnic), SupDeCo (Business School),
• Civil Engineer, RAZEL CIFADDEG (International Affairs and
• Finance Manager , PCP Cameroun Developpement), IRIC (International
Relations School), INSTPI, Institut Siantou
• Administrative Director, Mont Fébé Hotel Supérieure
Civil Society/NGOs Government Agencies
• President, Program D’Appui au Sociétés Civiles • Head of Section, Ministry of Research
(PASOC) and Scientific Innovation
• Executvie Secretary, Welcome Cameroon • Secretary, CCAA
• Secretary General (SG), Solutions Aux Migrations • Chemical Engineer, CSPH (Hydrocarbon
Clandestines (SMIC) Regulation Agency)
• Teacher, American School of YDE (ASOY) • National Employment Fund (NEF)
• Peer Education Program (PEP) Cameroon Media
• President, Environment For Life • Journalist, Africanews.com
• Coordinator, Actions Vitales pour le Développement • Journalist, Radio environnement/
Durable (AVD) Newspaper AFRIC-ENVIRONMENT

Harambe-Cameroon – Transforming our problems into opportunities! Page 3

 The Jury
1. Mr Edouard Kotto – Section Chief of Project Creation and
Evaluation at the National Employment Fund (NEF).
2. Mr Nfinyo Mabu – Jurist/Entrepreneur, Co-founder of the
inner city and intercity transportation company LeBus/LeCar,
and VP of both companies. Current General Manager of a
Civil Engineering Company; and consultant of Business
Development and Facilitation of Foreign Investments.
3. Dr Michael Ananga – US trained corporate attorney (New
York State Bar certified). From University of Yaoundé II, he
went to Harvard Law School, 2004 Alum. Interned at World
Bank for a year, and presently at Caisse de Stabilisation des
Prix des Hydrocarbures(CSPH), in the Petroleum sector in Cameroon .
4. Ms Olivia Mukam – President of Harambe-Cameroon, and promoter of the Elevator Pitch Contest in
Cameroon

Judging Criteria
(Modeled after the MIT100K)

1. Presentation (5pts) 3. Solution (5pts)

o Body Language/ Charisma/ Clarity/
Articulation/ Passion/Enthusiasm
2. Opportunity (5pts)
o Problem identification / Pertinence/
Target customer identification
o Value proposition / Strategy
o (Financial) viability/ Profitability
4. The Big Question - Do you want another
meeting? (Are you interested and
convinced by the presentation?)(5pts)

Some memorable and constructive comments by the Jury:

Mr Edouard Kotto: “This is a great exercise to get students to express themselves
in public!”/ “when you make a pitch you have to know your facts accurately,
because there might be some experts in the room.”/ “Don’t confuse being dynamic
with being agitated!”

Mr Nfinyo Mabu: “Failing to Plan is Planning to fail” /

Helen Keller once said the worst thing for someone to have
is “sight with no vision” (and she is blind)/ “Your allure,
eloquence and charisma played in your favor.”

Dr Michael Ananga: “We want to feel the drive and energy

in your voice” / “spend 10% of your pitch telling us about the problem, and the
remaining time you tell us what your solution is”/ “This is not a speech, it’s pitch!”

Ms Olivia Mukam: “You identified the problem very

accurately, however the solution was very vague.”/ “You
awakened our conscience to the problem of disabled people in our community, we
understood the impact your solution would have on the community.” / To the Big
Question – “Do you want another meeting?” I say “YES!”

Harambe-Cameroon – Transforming our problems into opportunities! Page 4

 The Project Ideas
A range of project ideas were presented, including solutions to
waste management, magazines targeted to teenagers,
infrastructure and employment for disabled people, safe
playgrounds for children in neighborhoods, intensive agriculture
in urban areas. The judges and audience found the ideas varied
and interesting. Some dwelled too long on identifying the problem,
and didn’t have enough time to propose a solution. Others proposed a
solution but didn’t propose any strategies. Some made the audience
laugh with their way of speaking; others made the audience
sympathize with their timidity. In the end, it was a very entertaining,
skill-revealing, and impactful event.

The 4 WINNERS
The First Prize– Mr Abdou Yianinyi Njoya, BAC+5,
Development Management – CIFADDEG.
Project: FUN RUBBISH.
As the title suggests, this project will incite people to have Fun
with Rubbish. He proposes a system of recycling inspired by
the Cameroonian Flag: Green – For organic material, Red –
For Plastic, and Yellow – For Glass.
Mr Njoya will make his project sustainable by selling each type
of rubbish to interested parties. The organic will be sold to
famers, as manure and fertilizers. The plastics will be sold to local manufacturers that recycle plastic. The
glass will be sold to the Brasseries du Cameroon (Brewery Company).
With the leverage of Harambe-Cameroon, Mr Njoya will be able to tap into the network of business man
and corporations Harambe gathers, to support and fund his project.

The Second – Mr Frank Betote, Masters in Management, UYII.

Project: Methods to address the scarcity of tomatoes.
Problem Identified? The scarcity of tomatoes in the Cameroon market. Why is it a problem? It’s an
indispensable cooking element in the average Cameroonian’s kitchen/ Tomatoes have multiple virtues for
good health. Proposed solution? Increase the production and variety of tomatoes/ Strategies? Propose
new varieties of tomatoes on the market/Identify propitious zones for the harvesting of tomatoes/
Motivation? A customers’ market with a high demand for tomatoes.

There was a tie for the third place. The audience voted for the best of the two with a show of hands. The
crowd favourite took the third place, and the other was automatically 4th.

The 3rd Prize: Mr Jules Edang, BAC+4 , Development expert, CIFADEGG:

Project: A Fried Plantains&Eggs Fast food on college campuses that will employ students.
This Fast food will be a practical and feasible solution to the problem of unemployment of university
students. It necessitates minimum seed funding to start of the business.

The 4th Prize: Mr Yvanne Ndeko, Second year, Human Resources, Ndi-Samba Supérieure.
Project: Vulgarization of solar panels.
In order to remedy the electricity shortage of the National Electricity Company, why not promote the
increased use solar panels in various homes?

Harambe-Cameroon – Transforming our problems into opportunities! Page 5

The 4 winners received their Award Certificates, with the following prizes, sponsored by the US
embassy: 1st =150.000FCFA ($300), 2nd = 100.000 ($200), 3rd =75000 ($150), 4th = 50000($100).

Top Row - Harambe-Cameroon Team. Bottom Row – The Four Winners

Comments/Feedback

The audience appreciated this innovative way of

competing in Cameroon. The 90 seconds-to-convince,
kept the audience alert, entertained and captivated by the
process of finding solutions to pending problems in our
community.

Many appreciated the opportunity it gave students to

express themselves in public. Many admired the
dynamism and creativity they discovered in the youth. At
the end of the event, students wanted another opportunity to
express themselves; parents wanted to have another event
that will promote their children’s skills; and the institutions and companies present expressed their
interest in collaborating with Harambe-Cameroon, to perpetuate this creative, entertaining
entrepreneurial competition.

Lowlight – Media coverage was low. Out of 20 Press organs

invited, 2 were present – Africanews.com and Radio Environment.
However, we were able to capture the event on video. We are also
confident that as the buzz around Harambe-Cameroon grows, we
will be able to attract more press coverage.

Harambe-Cameroon – Transforming our problems into opportunities! Page 6

 Resolutions/Way Forward
Based on the success of the First Elevator Pitch Contest (EPC), Harambe-Cameroon will specialize
in hosting Elevator Pitch Contests for One year. The Plan of Action will be as follows:

The“Elevator Pitch Contest” will be renamed “The Problem-Solvers – 90seconds to convince”

1. There will be 4 competitions in a year, hosted every trimester - March, June, September,
December. This will allow 3 months of planning:

1 month of media and university campaign, 1 month to pre-select and select the top-20
contestants, and 1 month orientation and training session to prepare them for the competition.

2. Each Problem-Solver Competition will be Theme-specific. The theme for the upcoming contest
in June is on the Environment – Solutions to environmental problems,
ranging from waste management, climate adaptation, promoting healthy
habits, hygiene and sanitation, urbanization, green technologies,
agriculture innovation, renewable energy, and more.

During the first EPC, we realized many students dwelled too long
on identifying the problem, and had little time to propose
solutions. Henceforth, we will tailor the competition towards
finding solutions.

3. The Event will have 3 components:

i. Presentation of the topic at hand.
 A guest speaker will present an overview of the theme,
including the challenges and opportunities in the specific sector.
ii. Showcase Success Stories.
 Cameroon’s Youth has few role models to look up to. This
section is our opportunity to highlight movers-and-shakers in out
society. For the upcoming event in June, one of our Success
Story will be Mr Francis Sumegne – Architect of the world-
renown Douala Monument.
iii. The Problem-Solvers’ competition.
 The competition provides an opportunity zone for students to
express their project ideas.

4. Building Effective Synergies:

Harambe-Cameroon will highlight Cameroon’s latent potential, and in partnership with
organizations and government agencies, collaborate to implement students’ projects, by
providing funds, business coaching, and follow-up.

Various entities have shown interest in partnering with Harambe-Cameroon to train the
students, and help implement their projects. Notably: Technipol, The Ministry of
Employment, The Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises, The National Employment
Fund.

5. Create a Harambe-Cameroon Youth Fund

a. This Fund will ensure seed funding for Harambe-Cameroon candidates, with promising
and viable projects
b. This Fund will sustain Harambe-Cameroon’s operations, both in the short-run and the
long-run.

Harambe-Cameroon – Transforming our problems into opportunities! Page 7

 Special Thanks to our sponsors
Your financial support contributed to the success of this event. On behalf of
Cameroon’s youth, we say THANK YOU.

The US Embassy in Cameroon

Mt Fé
Fébé Hotel
Individual sponsors:

Mrs Aline Djoumessi – CREATIVE, Douala

Mr Simplice Suffo – CAMEX, Douala
Mrs Jeanette Mukam – Sijel Services,Yaoundé
Mr Emmanuel Mukam – CACOCO-BTP, Africa

Contacts
Adrien Tchuidjang Olivia Mukam
Vice-President President
Email: adrien.tchuidjang@gmail.com o.mukam@hendeavor.org
Tel: +237 7562 0000 Tel: +237 7013 5705

www.hendeavor.org /harambecameroun.blogspot.com

Harambe-Cameroon – Transforming our problems into opportunities! Page 8