Three companies founded by women were among the six winners of the 2008 Legatum Pioneers of Prosperity Africa Awards, presented Wednesday in Kigali, Rwanda.

The awards program recognizes and rewards business leaders in Africa who serve as role models to the continent's aspiring entrepreneurs.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame presented the grand prize, $100,000, to Superflux International Ltd., which provides secure print and outsourced mailing services to financial institutions, corporations and government agencies in Nigeria. Superflux is led by President and CEO Tokunbo Talabi. Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki was also present.

The women's firms that won $50,000 apiece are:

AAR Health. AAR Health is the largest private health care company in East Africa. It was founded by Kenyan Maryjka Beckmann in 1984 to evacuate medical and accident casualties by road and by air. Today, it operates 18 health centers in three countries, providing preventative and curative health care to clients in all income brackets. It continues to offer rescue and evacuation services to members anywhere in the world.

Safi Cleaning Services Unlimited. Sapphira Nyabunwa of Uganda was looking for ways to fund a university education when she started Safi Cleaning Services Unlimited in 2000. Today, the company offers a range of sanitation and cleaning services, consisting of janitorial services, lawn maintenance, fumigation/pest control, garbage collection and disposal, dry cleaning and laundry services.

Gahaya Links. Gahaya works with more than 3,400 rural Rwandan weavers and exports their handcrafted products to the United States. Founder Janet Nkubana learned basket weaving from her mother. A refugee for a time herself, when she returned to Rwanda after the 1994 genocide, she organized rural women--both Hutus and Tutsis--into basket-weaving cooperatives. Gahaya's "peace baskets" have been sold through Macy's "Shop for a Better World" campaign.

The two remaining winners are Africa Polysack Industries, manufacturer of woven polypropylene bags and polypropylene rope in Uganda, and Inter8 Group, which provides IT services to leading corporations across Africa.

Investment group Legatum presents the awards in collaboration with OTF Group and the S.E.V.E.N. Fund (Social Equity Venture Fund).