BBHAGSIA President Siphiwe Baleka Joins Launch of the Impact Hub Candidate Bissau

Anicet Ateba of Semente Verde and Impact Hub Bissau with Siphiwe Baleka, entrepreneur and Founder, BBHAGSIA

Bissau, Guinea Bissau, April 20 - The Impact Hub Candidate Bissau in partnership and funded by the Mava Foundation and PNUD Guiné-Bissau invited the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem to attend its launch at the National School of Management (ENA). In attendance was Siphiwe Baleka, a successful entrepreneur and founder of the Balanta B’urassa History and Genealogy Society in America.

Siphiwe Baleka is known as “The Fitness Guru to the Trucking Industry” and has appeared in Men’s Health magazine, Sports Illustrated, the Huffington Post, Good Morning America, CBS Evening News, NPR, CNN, NBC Access Daily and BBC. He served as the North American Regional  Director of the African Sports Ventures Group as well as the Senior Heritage Ambassador of the United House of Ancestry, In 2020 he launched the Decade of Return Initiative of the Government of Guinea Bissau. Many of his interviews, including the Business Leadership Series: Be an Intentional Leader podcast and The Unstoppable Entrepreneur podcast are available here. Recently, Siphiwe has gained international attention for attempting to represent Guinea Bissau in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and become the oldest swimmer in Olympic History.

”I came to Guinea Bissau to help my ancestral homeland,” said Siphiwe Baleka. “The best way to do that is to invest time and energy into the young people. I am doing that through sports as the Interim President of the Guinea Bissau Swimming Federation and through the Supporting Girls Sports in Guinea Bissau campaign. Now I look forward to helping this generation’s young entrepreneurs throught the Impact Hub.”

“As a young man, I had many great coaches and mentors, both in sports and a few in business. Guidance from those who have already achieved success is invaluable. It takes a special kind of spirit and mindset to be an entrepreneur, to be a champion, and I will do my part to nurture that,” added Baleka.

Team SDGB Celebrates Birthday of Guinea Bissau Swimming Federation Interim President Siphiwe Baleka

April 2, 2022 Hala Hotel &Aqua Park, Bissau, Guinea Bissau

The Sociedade Desportiva da Guiné-Bissau (S.D.G.B) girls’ futbol team made a surprise visit to the Hala Hotel & Aqua Park where the Interim President of the Federação de Natação da Guiné-Bissau (Guinea Bissau Swimming Feseration), Siphiwe Baleka is training to compete in the African Swimming Federation Zone 2 Championships in Dakar, Senegal May 27-29.

Mr. Baleka visited the girls futbol team on January 16 to give them a motivational speech to start the new season. Last year, their first as a team, they lost the championship game in what was generally perceived to be unfair circumstances. Since Mr. Baleka’s motivational speech, he has served as the team’s patron and they have been on a winning streak. The team wanted to return the support and came to celebrate Mr. Baleka’s upcoming 51st birthday (April 14) and encourage his training.

The S.D.G.B girls team has now qualified for the next round of the championships and are waiting the results of this weekend’s games to see who they will play.

“We will most likely play in Bafata,” said Sana Nharo, the team’s coach. “We will need transportation and overnight accommodations. Without sponsorship like the big teams who are sponsored by Benéfica and others, this becomes difficult for us.”

Coach Sana explained that before receiving support from Mr. Baleka, the girls felt dehumanised. They had to show up to the games without proper uniforms and equipment. Sometimes they couldn’t pay for the transportation all the way to the playing field and they would have to walk. When the team can’t afford accommodations, they have to resort to tents. Because of the fundraising this year and the support of a lot of people in the United States, the girls have new uniforms, including socks and their morale is much better.

“They deserve to win the championship,” according to Coach Sana. “They just need the support that ‘big’ teams get.”

Siphiwe Baleka talks to Team S.D.G.B

Mr. Baleka wants to raise another $300 so that the girls can travel to the next game in a proper bus and get a good night’s sleep at a proper hotel. If you can, please donate to the GoFundMe campaign to support these girls in Guinea Bissãu.