• About Us
  • Who We Are
  • Mission Statement
  • Our Vision & Scope
  • Our Approach
  • Letter from the Founder and Chairman
• Our Clients
  • What We Look For
  • The Selection Process
  • Services We Offer
• Programs
  • MBA Internships
  • MPP/MPA and PhD Internships
  • Corporate Mentoring
  • Technical Advising
  • Management Training
  • Professional Networking
• Entrepreneurial Toolkit
  • Starting a Business
  • Networking
  • NGO's
  • Foundations and Grant Writing
  • Venture Capital
  • Other Useful Tools
• Did You Know?
  • Africa's Milestones
  • Economic Facts
  • Cultural Interests
• Get Involved
  • Entrepreneur Nomination
  • Internship Application
  • Corporate Sponsorships
  • Corporate Mentors and Volunteers
  • Technical Advising
  • Financial Contributions
  • Calendar of Events
  • Contact Us

Letter from the Founder and Chairman

Good Morning Africa!

The idea for this organization was refined little-by-little, over many years and with the help of dozens of highly committed and respected individuals across the corporate, non-profit, governmental, and academic spectrums. Currently, we have over 20 people on our advisory board and steering committee who have contributed to our vision of helping Africa's entrepreneurs. They have donated a generous amount of their time to building this organization and have graciously pledged their commitment to support GMA's entrepreneurs. Their backgrounds range from the US State Department and the United Nations to Wall Street consultants and web designers.

Some people have asked me why I chose the name "Good Morning Africa" for this organization. And I have told them that I truly believe Africa is at a turning point. Anyone who has spent a considerable amount of time in Africa really understands that there's SO MUCH MORE to Africa than the tiny tidbits the media has relayed about the genocidal acts in Darfur, the poverty in places like Ethiopia, and the spread of AIDS that's plaguing large swaths of the southern parts of the continent.

For this reason, this organization and website is directed towards all audiences, not just our clients and partners. We hope to broaden the knowledge base of everyone who thinks they know Africa and those who know very little about the continent. This site is equally produced for Africans (on the continent and abroad), for non-Africans, for Africa-enthusiasts and Africa-cynics, business owners and investors, politicians and bureaucrats, students and scholars, housewives, historians, activists, celebrities, the elderly, and the average person who dares to see the Africa that you never get to see!

Africa, specifically sub-Saharan Africa, is composed of a tremendous array of rich cultures, friendly people, important historical destinations, beautiful beaches, great food, and most importantly many thriving business climates and democracies. When the average non-African thinks about Africa, images of poverty, war, and disease often come to mind. Few people have experienced how truly exquisite the food in Namibia is! Few people have heard of the marvelous, bi-annual FESPACO film festival in Burkina Faso or know that Africa recently elected its first female head of state in Liberia.

There's no doubt about it. Africans, on average, are poorer and worse off today in many ways than the average non-African. After colonialism, Africa was saturated with dictatorships, warlords, kleptocrats, nationalistic fervor, geopolitical Cold War jockeying, national disasters, and a brain drain that saw the migration of Africa's most talented people to more developed countries.

In the past 15 years after the cold war, however, a quiet and relatively unnoticed revolution has occurred in many parts of Africa. Many of the former, dismal trends have either reversed themselves or are on the way to being reversed. There has been success in implementing fair multiparty elections and executive changes in government in countries like Ghana and Benin. The respect for constitutional term limits and checks on power have solidified in Nigeria and Uganda. Telecommunication and clothing production sectors have taken off in places such as the DR Congo and Lesotho. And even a few countries, such as Botswana, have reached middle-income status and have successfully made the transition from being borrowers of World Bank loans to being lenders of those loans.

And for the first time, we are beginning to see some trend reversals in expatriates coming back to help rebuild and invest in the future of their former homelands. We are also witnessing more Nobel Peace Prize winners coming out of Africa. In the past 15 years, 4 Africans have received the award with the last one going to the Kenyan environmental activist Ms. Wangari Maathai.

At GMA, we do not want to use a large brush to paint an unrealistically rosy picture of Africa. There are pitfalls and dismal components to the African landscape for sure, just as every country and continent contains varying degrees of poverty and conflict. But to ignore the myriad of positive changes that have gone on is a travesty in and of itself.

In conclusion, it is truly a new day on the ground in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. We therefore wish all those who continue to believe in Africa's renaissance a very "Good Morning Africa!" And with our efforts, we hope to contribute to the day when Africa's poverty levels become more than just manageable. We hope to implement the growth that will create more than just another India or China. We envision a day when African countries can take their final plunge in eliminating endemic poverty from the land. Until that day comes, we will not rest!

William M. Guyster
Chairman and CEO
Good Morning Africa, Inc.
Washington, DC