1st August 2018
Mayor’s Pitch Night Special
With a focus on managing waste in Freetown, the “Mayor’s Pitch Night Special” held on 1st August 2018 was an outstanding example of how Freetown’s business community can generate solutions to some of our most pressing problems. The event was opened by the Chairman of GEN Sierra Leone, Mr. Sheka Forna. He reiterated why Freetown Pitch Night decided to hold the “Mayor Special Pitch Night”.
With a focus on managing waste in Freetown, the “Mayor’s Pitch Night Special” held on 1st August 2018 was an outstanding example of how Freetown’s business community can generate solutions to some of our most pressing problems. The event was opened by the Chairman of GEN Sierra Leone, Mr. Sheka Forna. He reiterated why Freetown Pitch Night decided to hold the “Mayor Special Pitch Night”.
Under the right conditions, entrepreneurs can have incredible power. They can help regions prosper economically and, as they help engineer innovative solutions to problems and challenges, they can also serve society. Yvonne Aki-Sawyer OBE, Freetown’s new Mayor, won a comprehensive mandate from the voters of Freetown. This mandate includes job creation for the city’s young people and better waste management. As new and growing businesses represent the principal sources of job creation and innovative activity in an economy, two factors that generally help raise standards of living for all, municipal authorities across the world are turning to entrepreneurs for ideas to help them address the challenges they face.
Recognizing the role that entrepreneurship can play in helping address Freetown’s challenges Mayor Aki-Sawyer, with Freetown Pitch Night, is inviting entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas for waste recycling businesses to include a significant youth employment component. Freetown requires a comprehensive waste management solution which must be delivered citywide and will require consolidation and significant resources.
In her opening remarks, Her Worship Yvonne Aki- Sawyer, the Mayor of Freetown, thanked the organizers Freetown Pitch Night, GEN Sierra Leone and Innovation SL for having her and holding such an innovative event. She explained how Freetown City Council is tackling problems of poor sanitation, housing crisis, rapid urbanization and deforestation by prioritizing four main areas: environmental management, urban planning, revenue mobilization and human development.
The evening’s six pitches were notable by innovative approaches to Freetown’s waste management problem that create employment, generate revenue and emphasize the potential of recycling.
Showcasing their products were upcyclers - Tinap Green. Tinap Green pitched their business in December 2017. Sierra Leone Brewery/ Heineken, the main sponsor of Freetown Pitch Night, has since offered Tinap Green contracts to under work for them. Tinap Green takes unwanted materials and transforms them in new products of better quality. Wood, tyres, fabric, and chairs have been transformed from waste to creative products. The creative director presented the Mayor with a specially designed chair.
Closing Remarks The MD of GEN Sierra Leone, Mr. Francis Stevens George thanked the pitchers and the audience. He pointed out that the selection of the pitchers covered the whole value chain of waste management- Waste collection, Waste Recovery, Sorting, Composting, Recycling, Production and Final disposal. Mr. George also thanked the Mayor and the expert panel. He presented them with specially design T-shirts and Umbrella from Mützig (Sierra Leone Brewery/Heineken) the main sponsors of Freetown Pitch Night.
After the event, The Mayor is in the process of inviting the pitchers to her office. As this report is published Her Worship has met with 3 of the 6. The purpose is to delve deep into their ideas to see whether the Freetown City Council is interested in going forward. The Mayor has indicated that that a number of the ideas/concepts will require feasibility studies to confirm their viability and to attract funding.
Written by
Francis Stevens George, Managing Director GEN SL, CEO Innovation SL Ltd
Memuna Forna, Editor in Chief, Insight Magazine
Davephine Tholley
For more information,: +23278354957/ 232 77 05 18 21,
www.freetownpitchnight.com, www.genglobal.org/sierra-leone www.innosl.com, www.startupsierraleone.com
📸✨ From Pitch Night to Product Creation:
Our Collaborations! ✨📸
At the Freetown Pitch Night event, we had the pleasure of meeting some incredible partners who shared our passion for creativity and innovation. We're thrilled to announce that these partnerships have resulted in the creation of some amazing up-cycled products
