Orange reveals the winners of the 10th edition of the Orange Africa and Middle East Social Entrepreneur Prize

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In 2020, the Orange (http://www.Orange.com) Africa and Middle East Social Entrepreneur Prize (POESAM) celebrates its tenth birthday! In addition to the International Grand Prix that has historically rewarded three prize winners with prizes ranging from €10,000 (3^rd place) to €25,000 (1^st place), Orange has added two new prizes for this edition:

• The International Women's Prize with a value of €20,000, supported by the Orange Group Diversity and Inclusion unit
• And the Special 10^th Anniversary Prize with a value of €10,000.

In addition, a project was also awarded the special, "Jury's Favourite" prize.

So, a total of six prizes were awarded by the POESAM International Grand Prix jury.

After a round of domestic competitions in the 17 African Orange subsidiaries during which 41 winners were identified and supported, 18 finalists were selected to enter the international competition which took place at the AfricaTech Festival, the biggest technology fair in Africa. At the end of the presentations, the jury, comprising experts on social entrepreneurship in Africa, met to decide on the winners of the 10^th edition of POESAM.

The big winners of the international competition

The e-ceremony took place during the AfricaTech Festival, which took place online from 9 to 12 November 2020. It was chaired by Ms Elizabeth Tchoungui, Orange Group Director of CSR, Diversity and Solidarity and Deputy Chair of the Orange Foundation, and Mr Alioune Ndiaye, CEO of Orange Middle East & Africa, who announced the winners.

For the International Grand Prix, the 3 winners were:

• 1^st prize: Ahkili (Tunisia) (https://oran.ge/3kb3mNB), an innovative psychological assistance telephone hotline covering the whole of North Africa, available seven days a week to facilitate contact with qualified psychologists without having to make an appointment.
• 2^nd prize: Teliman (Mali) (https://oran.ge/32vaH4S) the first Malian on-demand motorbike taxi service in Bamako.
• 3^rd prize: Weeglo (Liberia) (https://oran.ge/3eGvkzH) a project offering an online learning solution specific to the Liberian education system.

For the International Women's Prize, the winning project was:

• Ahmini (Tunisia) (https://oran.ge/2GO7CFq), a digital platform to facilitate access for rural women to the Tunisian welfare and healthcare system.

For the Special 10^th Anniversary Prize, the winner was:

• Toto Riibô (Burkina Faso) (https://oran.ge/3leSIqH), a Burkinabé service for ordering and delivery of meals cooked by women stallholders in the streets of Ouagadougou.

This year, one particular project caught the eye of the international jury, who decided to award it the Jury's Favourite Prize. The winner was:

• SOBATIC (Burkina Faso) (https://oran.ge/3khBrf4), an organisation that provides training and also designs IT tools for people with impaired vision.

Ten years of identifying, accompanying and supporting responsible innovation in Africa

Since 2011, the prizes awarded have been in recognition of innovative projects and start-ups associated with the use of mobile phones that have an impact on society, by improving the quality of life of people in Africa and the Middle East in the fields of education, healthcare, agriculture, or mobile payment, e-commerce or even sustainable development.

The outcome has been very positive: since its creation, more than 30 international prizewinners have shared a total of €500,000 and 75 people have benefited from 6 months of coaching and mentoring offered by Orange and its partners.

The impact of social and technological entrepreneurship is now undeniable. It has been responsible for so much progress in the fields of education, healthcare, financial inclusion and environmental protection. Through POESAM and the new prizes, Orange has restated its commitment to entrepreneurs who have a positive impact on Africa and the Middle East. This approach is further evidence of Orange's commitment. Its responsibility is to provide positive support for the social, societal and environmental traditions created by its historic position as a multi-services operator.

To relive the prize giving ceremony: https://bit.ly/3msJ57S
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Orange.Media Contacts:
+33 1 44 44 93 93
Nathalie Chevrier;
nathalie.chevrier@orange.com

Tom Wright;
tom.wright@orange.com

About Orange:
Orange (http://www.Orange.com) is one of the world’s leading telecommunications carriers with a turnover of €42 billion in 2019 and 143,000 employees as at 30 September 2020, of which 83,000 are in France. The Group has a total customer base of 257 million customers worldwide at 30 September 2020, including 212 million mobile customers and 21 million fixed broadband customers. The Group is present in 26 countries. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services. In December 2019, the Group presented its new "Engage 2025" strategic plan, which, guided by social and environmental accountability, aims to reinvent its operator model. While accelerating in growth areas and placing data and AI at the heart of its innovation model, the Group will be an attractive and responsible employer, adapted to emerging professions.

Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN).

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