A student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has won the 2018-2019  Total Startupper of the Year Challenge.

Eunice Kloe’s Bidigreen Project emerged the top choice of the jury of local experts who selected the winners from the 16 competitive contestants whiles Naomi Boachie-Yiadom’s WESHEA Growth project placed 2nd and Alice Amoako’s Autism Aid App came 3rd. 

The Bidigreen project solves the problem of deforestation in rural urban communities. It is charcoal produced from crop waste. It burns two to three times longer, it is smokeless and is produced in  two hours as against  two weeks for the other methods.

Naomi Boachie-Yiadom of WESHEA Growth, a project that plants ingredients in their own farm to ensure quality, develop a natural makeup collection and launch a marketing campaign that will make WESHEA the world’s most prestigious African cosmetic brand.

Alice Amoako’s Autism Aid App is an android app that enhances social inclusion for children with Autism through promoting Autism awareness, providing a communication learning tool for the children and serve as a helpline system that provides healthcare for the kids.

Eunice Kloe picked up GhC 90,000 for the first prize to develop her project whiles Naomi Boachie-Yiadom sent home GHC 56,000 cedis and Alice Amoako grabbed GHC 36,000 cedis as 2nd runner-up. The finalists will also receive personalized support and coaching from local business leaders, and a communications campaign to publicize their project.

Eunice Kloe also won the Top Entrepreneur award to become the first female winner of the Total Startupper project.

The Startupper of the Year by Total Challenge, is held simultaneously in 55 countries1 — 37 of which are in Africa, 11 in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East region, 4 in the Americas, and 3 in Europe — reaffirms Total’s commitment to social and economic development in host countries worldwide. By helping innovative young entrepreneurs to realize their projects, the Challenge strengthens the local social fabric.

The second Startupper of the Year by Total Challenge received nearly 50,000 entries, of which more than 15,000 were fully completed. In all, 825 finalists presented their projects to a jury of experts, with 165 winning prizes.

The first prize winner in each country will see their project presented to the international grand juries that will pick the six Grand Winners from all 55 countries.