“Ms Mbone Enie continues to pass on her legacy of courage, openness, and Pan-African solidarity to a new generation…”
Rosemary Olive Mbone Enie, affectionately known as “Mama Africa”, is a Pan-African geologist, environmentalist, renewable energy consultant, eco-community builder, global peace ambassador and gender/childhood ambassador. Over the last three decades, she has integrated earth sciences, environmental leadership with grassroots social development, championing water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and sustainable climate action across the continent of Africa.
Born in Bota – South West Region of Cameroon, Ms Mbone Enie’s path to becoming a respected Pan-African leader—and a celebrated 2026 “Miracle Child” of the continent—began with her geological studies at Cameroon College of Arts and Science (CCAS) Kumba-1986, and at the University of Calabar-Calabar Nigeria-1991.
Rather than sticking purely to traditional resource extraction, she pivoted to applied environmentalism. Since 1991, her focus has shifted toward rural and vulnerable communities, recognizing that the African continent’s natural resources must benefit the people at the grassroots, especially women, youths and children.
Known across the continent for her dynamic presence and transformative initiatives, Rosemary has founded, directed, or advised a multitude of regional organizations.
She is the Founder/ CEO of both the Society for Women Empowerment and Training (SWEET) Africa Foundation, and Salama Heritage Ecovillage (SHE) Africa- a Social Environmental Enterprise (SEE), headquartered in Kigali, Rwanda. She currently serves as the CEO for BizLinkage SME Global.
Through her leadership in organizations like AfriShiners, she has empowered local communities with solar energy solutions, clean cookstoves, and sustainable waste management.
A lifelong advocate for women’s voices in high-level decision making, Olive has been a major figure in the Women’s Environment and Climate Action Network (WECAN) Africa Initiative and ambassador for the Gender and Water Alliance (GWA). Her work regularly bridges the gap between grassroots realities and international climate policy; she has been a vocal participant in numerous UN Climate Summits. Her efforts in the realm of environmental justice and leadership even led to her nomination by the European Union (EU) under the ACP (Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific) as an exceptional woman representing Africa in March 2014. In 2024, she was nominated into the Class of 2024 by the Explorer Club 50 as an alchemist.
Ms Mbone Enie’s vision of sustainable living is perhaps best encapsulated by the Salama Heritage Ecovillage (SHE) Africa. Designed as a model for holistic living, the Ecovillage integrates renewable energy, organic agriculture, and traditional African ecological knowledge into a community environment. There, Ms Enie—affectionately given the moniker “Mama Africa” by the communities she serves across East, Central and West Africa—fosters spaces where rural communities, and particularly marginalized adolescent girls, can learn skills in agriculture, natural resource management, and business.
Her dedication extends to a multitude of other initiatives across Central, West and East Africa, including the First Ladies Action on Climate Change (FLACC) Africa Initiative, the Pan African Climate Education (PACE) Centre in Ghana, and the Green Schools Campaign in Tanzania.
In every project, Ms Enie relies on her core philosophy: grassroots education and empowerment will ultimately “make the world a better place”. She frequently emphasizes that true African development cannot happen without the active inclusion of women in climate and environmental policymaking.
Reflecting on her years of experience in regions spanning from Cameroon to Tanzania, Nigeria to Rwanda, Ghana to Kenya, Ms Mbone Enie’s story is one of breaking barriers.
As a female geologist in a male-dominated field, she has used her expertise to map out not just mineral wealth, but human potential. Whether she is leading a climate workshop or teaching a local cooperative how to build a solar cooker, she consistently bridges the gap between hard science and human development.
As she continues to expand her work with SHE Africa and BizLinkage SME Global, the impact of “Mama Africa” remains deeply rooted in the empowerment of women and the Most Vulnerable Groups (MVGs). She believes that when women are empowered, educated and financially independent, they become the primary stewards of sustainability and catalysts for generational change.
Her life’s work stands as a testament to the fact that ecological sustainability and human rights go hand in hand. Through her networks, conferences, and on-the-ground training sessions, Ms Mbone Enie continues to pass on her legacy of courage, openness, and Pan-African solidarity to a new generation of social and environmental entrepreneurs.
