Mentorship program
Our Why
Africa carries the world’s largest burden of disease, despite facing the most severe shortage of healthcare workers.
The need for increasingly rapid and context-specific responses to diseases in Africa is growing and digital health provides many of the solutions that are needed. Digital healthcare start-ups, many led by women, are emerging across the continent. We support these start-ups and advocate for women’s involvement in digital health policy.
However, women face challenges accessing finance, receiving less than 7% of venture capital. Many lack financial guarantees and are excluded from key networks and associations.
Our mentorship program aims to address this by enhancing business skills and building a supportive community. It helps women grow their start-ups, expand networks, improve pitching, and develop leadership and communication skills, fostering their growth in the digital health space.
Our mentors have significant experience in investing, running or advising tech start-ups and African governments in this space. Mentors help our mentees to further their career and make informed business decisions.
How the Mentorship program works
Working to increase representation and leadership of African women is a pivotal part of creating opportunities for women working in digital health. Our mentorship program is designed to do just that – to support our mentees to strengthen their business knowledge and leadership skills. The program is designed to provide personalized support for our mentees, at the same time creating a community for women to provide support, create networks and to collaborate. The mentorship program will support mentees to grow their start-up, expand their professional networks, learn how to pitch, build on their already existing skills, build self-confidence and improve their communication and leadership skills.
Benefits of the program:
- Learning how to grow a startup from experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders
- Expanding professional network
- Developing pitching skills
- Building self-confidence
- Improving communication and leadership skills
The AWiDH Bootcamp
Hosted from 23–25 October 2025 in Dakar, Senegal, the three-day AWiDH Mentorship Bootcamp brought together the winning AWiDH mentees with their carefully selected mentors, marking the launch of Cohort 2 of the AWiDH Mentorship Program (2025–2026). The program aims to strengthen women’s leadership in digital health and bridge the gender gap in Africa’s digital transformation of health systems.
During the bootcamp, participants engaged in interactive workshops, leadership sessions, and mentorship alignment dialogues. These activities enabled mentees to explore strategies to scale digital health innovations, navigate regulatory environments, and amplify women’s voices in both policy and product development.
Mentees worked closely with their mentors in one-on-one and group sessions, fostering valuable relationships that emphasize peer learning, collaboration, and professional growth. The program also incorporated reflective moments to strengthen participants’ well-being and encourage a balanced approach to leadership.
The bootcamp concluded with a certification ceremony recognizing the achievements of the mentees and mentors, celebrating their commitment to advancing digital health solutions for sustainable development across Africa. The program directly addresses the underrepresentation of women leaders in digital health, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to drive meaningful impact across the continent.
