The awards ceremony for the Top25 of the 2021/22 round of the startsocial programme – including Africademics – took place in Berlin last week. Africademics was represented by one of our two startsocial coaches, Michael Perscheid, who attended the awards ceremony on our behalf.
The ceremony was also attended by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the competition’s patron, who awarded a special prize in addition to the seven regular awards. In his speech, Chancellor Scholz expressed his recognition and appreciation for the numerous social initiatives and projects which continue to make a difference in the lives of millions of people across the country, including in times of crisis:
Times are changing, and so are the challenges we are facing. But what we continue to rely on is that there will always be individuals who want to make a difference, and who do everything in their power to ensure that our society remains united. This is what makes all of you, the participants of the startsocial programme, so special. You recognize a challenge, and instead of giving up you find new ways and solutions. You care about our future and how our society develops. In this way, you make many things happen that money would not be able to buy.
Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
We would like to congratulate the seven main winners of the 2021/22 round of the startsocial competition, and thank the sponsors and supporters of the programme. These include Allianz SE, Deutsche Bank AG, SAP SE, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE und McKinsey & Company. A special thank you goes to the coaches who supported the 100 participating initiatives this year, including Elena Butz and Michael Perscheid, who provided guidance and mentorship to Africademics.
