Dr. Hage Geingob Award for Women and Youth Entrepreneurs

United States African Development Foundation (USADF) is an independent government agency established in 1980 in Washington, DC, USA that invests in a variety of enterprises that contribute to the development of low-income communities in the Sahel, the Great Lakes, and the Horn of Africa.

USADF supports development in various ways – through a community-led development approach and a pan-African network of local partners. USADF offers grants of up to $250 000 and capacity-building assistance to help African enterprises to improve their impact on livelihoods by addressing challenges and solving issues related to certain sectors such as agriculture & food security, energy, and unemployment. The supported community includes youth, women, minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, pastorals, etc. Its main mission is to create and expand markets that, as a result, will positively affect the lives of millions of Africans. USADF is committed to decreasing unemployment and reducing poverty across the continent and the countries it serves include Botswana, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Somalia. In 2016 alone, USADF provided $30 million to 20 countries (about 500 enterprises) that benefited over 1 million livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa.

USADF is specialized in Humanitarian Aid & Emergency, Socio-Economic Development, Poverty Reduction, Grants, Market Expansion, Programme Management, Agriculture & Food Security, Energy, Unemployment, Youth, Women & Children, etc.