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Wema Bank Partners SheCan to Empower Nigerian Women

Wema Bank, Nigeria’s most innovative bank has explained that its belief in the potential of the Nigerian woman is the reason it partnered with SheCan Nigeria, a non-governmental organization to hold the fourth series of the annual skills acquisition training conference themed ‘SheCan Do More 4.0.’ The bank made this position known during a chat with a cross-section of the media recently.

Funmilayo Falola, Head, Marketing Communications and Investor Relations of Wema Bank stated that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country can become better if there is a structure in place to empower more women to do much more.

“At Wema Bank, we believe that Nigerian women are as naturally endowed and can do much more if given the right support and opportunities. Therefore, we constantly seek to support and empower women so they can optimally contribute to their families, and the economy.”

She quoted a report by McKinsey that shows that Nigeria’s GDP could grow by 23 percent or USD229 billion by 2025 if women took part as much as men in the economy, explaining that its partnership with SheCan Nigeria aims at improving the lives of girls and women, by organizing skills acquisition training and workshops.

She informed that this year’s skills acquisition programme, which was held from 5 to 9 September, trained over 2,000 women in various skills including photography, 3D graphics design, mural painting, culinary class, ankara/leather works, craft (fascinator) and digital marketing.

The one-week training had several resource persons and industry leaders teach and mentor the participants. They include Tara Fela-Durotoye, entrepreneur and founder of House of Tara; Kelechi Amadi-Obi, ace photographer, and publisher of Mania Magazine; Olusegun Adeniyi, Chief Digital Officer Wema Bank; and Ezinne Ezeani, founder of SheCan Nigeria; just to mention a few.

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Opportunities

Access Bank’s ‘W’ Initiative Set to Empower 5,000 Women

Access Bank ‘W’ Initiative has concluded plans to empower over 5000 women in its third edition of its annual women’s Health Month program.

The program holds in October 2022 with an array of healthcare offerings and financing.

The month-long campaign seeks to significantly decrease the mortality rate from preventable diseases, educate women on health-related concerns and elevate the overall quality of healthcare available to women in Nigeria.

In a statement, Group Head, ‘W’ Initiative at Access Bank PLC, Ms. Abiodun Olubitan said: “In the few years we have spearheaded this initiative, the impact we have recorded has been nothing short of awe-inspiring,” commented,

“Staying true to our mantra to provide ‘More Than Banking’, our focus will be on providing thousands of women with accessible healthcare across eight pre-selected states of the Federation. One of the objectives of the ‘W’ Initiative is to change the health narrative for many Nigerian women, especially those in underserved communities, and this is what we will be striving to achieve with the forthcoming Health Month. We have seen positive results across previous editions and we will deepen the impact this year by offering free cancer checks and educational programs, open fertility clinics, amongst others, ”Olubitan added.

The bank noted that it would leverage its partnership with prominent healthcare outfits Chronicare Diabetes Management Centre, Hephzibah Eye Care, Skipper Eye Q, Evercare Hospital, Grandville Medical and Laser, and the Fibroid Care Centre at Nordica.

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Women In Tech Nigeria, VBank Upskill 1,000 Women to Bridge Gender Skills Gap

L-R: Director, Incubation, The Nest Incubation Hub, Segun Maleghemi; Programs Director, Women in Tech Nigeria, Kemi Ogunkoya; Co-Founder, The Nest Incubation Hub, Joba Oloba; Country Director, Women in Tech Nigeria, Solape Akinpelu; Events Manager, Vbank, Seun Ogunmodede and Sales Manager, Vbank, Yonodu Okeugo, during the graduation ceremony of 1,000 trainees of the Vbank sponsored Women in Tech Nigeria Makeathon in Lagos recently

In alignment with its commitment to tackling the scourge of unemployment by bridging the gender skills gap and helping more women embrace technology, no fewer than 1,000 girls and women from 28 Nigerian states have graduated from the inaugural edition of Women In Tech Nigeria’s Makeathon sponsored by leading digital financial services platform, VBank.

 

The 1,000 beneficiaries of the maiden edition of the Makeathon initiative took part in a four-months free, capacity building, digital literacy exercise which began in March 2022 and ended in June 2022. They were equipped with digital, deep tech, and soft skills including Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Data Analytics, Product Management and Software Programming to build their tech competencies and enable them to contribute to the growth of Nigeria’s tech ecosystem.

 

The Makeathon initiative goes beyond upskilling girls and women within the ages of 18 to 45 years with requisite tech skills to seeking internship opportunities for them in leading technological organisations in Nigeria and abroad. Thus far, more than 10 tech global firms have committed to offer some of the beneficiaries’ internship opportunities to put their skills to test.

 

To provide the intensive skills training for the beneficiaries, Women In Tech Nigeria partnered with Cybersafe Foundation, Girl Code Academy, and The Nest Incubation Hub.

 

Speaking during the graduation event held in Lagos on Friday, July 15, 2022, the Country Manager, Women In Tech Nigeria, and Co-Founder, HerVest, Solape Akinpelu said; “We are delighted to help girls and women who have a desire to get into tech roles build their tech competencies in such a short time. We are proud of their commitment to learning as it is a testament to their dedication and resolve. We are pleased that we are changing the narratives and have added to the growing number of women equipped with tech skills who can go on to become champions at different sectors.”

 

In his remarks, the Managing Director, VFD Microfinance Bank (VBank), Gbenga Omolokun said; “We are proud of the graduands and how far they have come to be here today. We are pleased to be associated with an initiative that is committed to bridging skills and economic gender gaps in the society. It is inspiring to have women with zero skills about tech come into the space to learn and showcase their talents. We are committed to this initiative and will continue to do this to help more women embrace tech roles.”

 

Also speaking during the graduation ceremony, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Women In Tech Global, Ayumi Moore said; “These women whom we are celebrating today have been equipped with digital skills they can deploy across sectors. We are proud to have contributed to helping 1,000 women gain employable skills they can use to drive the growth of the tech ecosystem.”

 

Expressing her fulfillment at the completion of her Cybersecurity program, Grace Emmanuel who was hacked multiple times over two years where she lost her savings said; In January 2022, I told a friend that I was going into tech, but I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted. Getting into the Makeathon program was a dream come true as I learnt so much on information security, networking, web applications, the fundamentals, and levels of cyber protection. The learning was impactful, and I am grateful for this opportunity.”

 

Another beneficiary, Okosun Elizabeth who got training on Software Programming said; “When I got the opportunity to learn Software Programming, I was super excited because programming was a course I wanted to learn but couldn’t get the opportunity. At first, I thought I wouldn’t understand the whole magic behind coding but when classes started, coding became a walk in the park. Thank you, Women In Tech Nigeria and VBank, for this wonderful opportunity.

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Ecobank Unveils Leadership Training Programme For Women-Owned Businesses in Africa

Ecobank Commercial Banking, part of the Pan-African banking Group, Ecobank, has launched its Ellevate Leadership Training Programme in partnership with the Global Business School Network (GBSN).

The Ellevate Leadership Training Programme forms part of ‘Ellevate Equip’, the brand name for all capability and training support initiatives for Ellevate by Ecobank, the bank’s gender financing programme. This Leadership Training programme is being delivered to an initial cohort of 40 top tier Ellevate customers from 10 African countries: Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Josephine Anan-Ankomah, Group Executive, Commercial Banking, Ecobank, said: “Ecobank launched Ellevate to serve and nurture the success of women-owned and women-led businesses by providing them with a comprehensive suite of financial and non-financial solutions. It aims to help them reach their full potential and increase their commercial and economic impact. ‘Ellevate Equip’ is a natural extension of these aims and has been designed by the Ecobank Academy to empower African women leaders by providing them with the right tools and skill sets to lead themselves, their businesses and support their communities effectively.”

This is a unique training programme designed and delivered by the Ecobank Academy in partnership with the Global Business School Network and supported by its members, School of Business, INSEAD Africa Initiative and INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute (EMI), Lagos Business School, MIT Sloan Global Programs, Stanford Seed, and the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.

Speaking at the launch, Dan LeClair, Chief Executive Officer, Global Business School Network said: “The Global Business School Network is excited to partner with Ecobank Academy in alignment with our mission to improve access to quality, locally-relevant management and entrepreneurship education for the developing world. We are especially excited – through our diverse membership – to bring so many world-leading academics together to present this Leadership program. As a network we see this as a mutual learning experience where we encourage the cohort to take full advantage of the teaching expertise, but also confident that the faculty will look to absorb just as much about the local contexts within which these women leaders operate.”

The selected business leaders will learn how to: Identify and work on key leadership challenges, Master leadership perspectives – reframe challenges with a growth mindset, Think strategically to advance individual and corporate objectives, and Build resilience – effectively manage stress, uncertainty, and setbacks.

Also, leverage on action learning to identify new business opportunities and improve other areas for business growth, Gain a complete view of themselves as leaders, and Effectively lead high performance teams.

Graduating participants will receive a certificate of completion from the Ecobank Group and GBSN.

Ellevate by Ecobank is a multi-award-winning solution designed for businesses owned by women, managed by women, businesses with a high percentage of female board members or employees and companies that manufacture products for women. Ellevate customers benefit from smarter cash management solutions, favorable lending rates and value-added services such as leadership training and networking opportunities designed to bridge the financing gap and scale their businesses.

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Opportunities

HerVest Trains 2,680 Women Farmers On Farming Best Practices and financial literacy

HerVest, a social enterprise dedicated to providing financial inclusion for women through a Gender Lens Investment (GLI) approach and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has launched a social initiative dedicated to the training of female farmers on agronomy and financial literacy across key Nigerian states.

The social initiative tagged Fund a Female Farmer has touched 2,680 women farmers across five key Nigerian states – Benue, Oyo, Niger, Kaduna and Kwara – in a bid to increase agricultural productivity and yield among smallholder female farmers through expert knowledge and applied best practices covering rice, maize, and soya beans production.

So far, the 2,680 smallholder women farmers who have benefited from the intensive, standardized training outreach backed by the USAID funding boost to HerVest are from Benue State (200); Oyo State (260); Niger State (250); Kaduna State (970) and Kwara State (1,000).

Out of the 2,680 smallholder women farmers who have undergone the USAID funded training, HerVest at the completion of the exercise, has provided financing to 500 smallholder women farmers, with plans underway to finance all the female farmers by end of Q2 2022.

Commenting on the development, the CEO and Co-founder, HerVest, Solape Akinpelu said; “We are pleased with the successes we have achieved in impacting more Nigerian women farmers through the boost from USAID especially as it helps put more of the smallholder women farmers through the best agronomy practices in the wake of current economic realities. The need to train and finance smallholder female farmers in Nigeria is very critical at this stage of economic recovery post-COVID-19 pandemic.”

She added that; “At the end of the first phase of the exercise, 85% of 2,680 female farmers have expressed increased knowledge on agronomy and financial literacy. This has further renewed our commitment to ensuring more of these women farmers have the right information at all times to help them make better business decisions.”

For the actualisation of this laudable target-specific training programme, HerVest has secured partnerships with state and local government agencies and private organisations such as Kwara State Government; Cofarms Limited; Farming Cooperatives; Olam; Labana rice and Chi Farms in a bid for an inclusive effort to reach more women at all levels.

HerVest is an inclusive digital platform that provides financial growth services to underserved and excluded African women through target savings, impact investing and credit financing- specifically for women farmers in Nigeria. So far, HerVest has impacted over 5,000 thousand female farmers across Borno, Plateau, Kaduna, Benue, Niger, Oyo, Kwara, and Ogun States.

HerVest has over 20,000 women community members achieving financial wellness through competitive returns on target savings, agro investments, and gender-driven financial literacy resources. HerVest is downloadable on internet-enabled devices.

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Opportunities

IWD: Unity Bank, AltSchool Africa Join Force to Empower Female Software Engineers

In commemoration of International Women’s Day, IWD 2022, Nigeria’s retail lender, Unity Bank Plc is partnering AltSchool Africa to sponsor female students towards the acquisition of specialist software skills – an empowerment initiative to boost the capacity of the female gender.

AltSchool Africa is a school for individuals looking to gain technical skills and kick start a career in Software Engineering. The school currently prides itself on the large enrolment of female students. Unity Bank Plc is providing funds to encourage enrolment of young female students into AltSchool who will pursue a career in Informational Technology.

The Bank said in a statement that the gesture has become imperative to #BreakTheBias against women in the emerging information technology industry, where a recent study by ONE Campaign and the Center for Global Development, showed that less than 30 per cent of technology companies in Nigeria are owned by women, even as the female members of the entire tech ecosystem workforce constituted less than 20 per cent.

Speaking on the partnership, Unity Bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Tomi Somefun said the initiative to extend the scholarships to the young women looking to start a career in the IT industry not only aligned with the theme of the IWD 2022, “#BreakTheBias,” but is in tandem with the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability initiative targeting education and empowerment.

She said: “The International Women’s Day is yet another opportunity to reexamine the critical role that women continue to play in building a peaceful and prosperous society. Today, more than ever before, we are confronted by the harsh realities of gender-based exclusivity, especially in the workplace.

“I agree that some progress has been made but we must not be distracted by this momentary success because, over the next decade, the share of jobs requiring medium to digital skills would have risen to more than 50 per cent. Therefore, we must remain committed to empowering women who are courageous to make a difference in careers that have hitherto excluded the women, such as the IT industry.”.

Some female staff pose for a photo at Unity Bank HQ in Lagos in commemoration of the International Women’s Day 2022 celebration.

According to Mrs. Somefun, “The advancement in technology has created a new world order that must be deliberate about inclusivity, removing biases and unlearning stereotypes. If future prosperity shall be defined by technological and requisite skills, we must not repeat the mistakes of the past by ensuring diversity, equity and inclusivity and empower our women to take an active part in creating that future.”

The International Women’s Day, IWD is a day set aside globally to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and reflect on action to accelerate gender equality. This years’ theme #BreakTheBias “imagines a gender-equal world, a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination; a world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive; a world where difference is valued and celebrated.”

                                                                                      

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CDC/BII, FirstBank Partner to Support Women With US$100 Million Credit Facility

CDC Group, the UK Government’s development finance institution, announced today a US$100 million finance facility to First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank). This new facility will direct funding to women-owned and led businesses as well as to local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria.

The deal will support FirstBank, one of Nigeria’s largest banking groups, to deliver financial solutions that help to address the challenge of limited access to capital faced by underbanked and underserved groups in the country. As part of the new facility, a minimum of US$30 million will be allocated in the form of credit lines to women entrepreneurs. The facility will also support FirstBank’s ‘FirstGem’ gender-focused services offering, which takes steps to promote gender inclusion by improving lending and support to female entrepreneurs.

The new partnership between CDC, which will be renamed British International Investment in April, and FirstBank demonstrates a shared mission to spur sustainable, productive and inclusive growth in Nigeria.

CDC’s commitment will facilitate an expanded offer by FirstBank to its clientele, which will accelerate financial inclusion and increase opportunities for marginalised groups, including an estimated 59 million unbanked Nigerians, to participate in the country’s formal economy. As such, the partnership will capitalise on the FirstBank’s expansive network of over 700 branches and 150,000+ agents, leveraging its market leading expertise to scale financial solutions to underbanked entrepreneurs and populations.

In addition, CDC/BII will support FirstBank with a technical assistance programme which will build on the Bank’s knowledge base of the women-led and women-owned businesses in its portfolio, strengthening the Bank’s technical capabilities and ability to reinforce its commitment to gender-based initiatives. This will enable the Bank to further leverage the facility to provide vital funding to scale business growth across Nigeria’s market – increasing job creation and improving livelihoods throughout the country.

The facility’s target to increase financial inclusion and opportunities for women, qualifies this facility under the 2x Challenge – a commitment by the development finance institutions (DFIs) of the G7 to mobilise capital to support increased economic empowerment for women in emerging economies. Moreover, the US$100 million commitment aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 Gender Equality and Goal 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth.

Nick O’Donohoe, Chief Executive of CDC Group, said: “Promoting financial inclusion is a key component for advancing sweeping productive and sustainable growth across both rural and urban areas in Nigeria. This facility will channel CDC’s flexible and long-term capital toward expanding the financial solutions made available to women entrepreneurs, who are often the drivers of small business ideas and services to their communities.

“Our commitment demonstrates a deepening of British partnership with Nigeria’s businesses, as we collaborate to unlock the potential for entrepreneurial success and economic growth across the country.”

 

Adesola Adeduntan, Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer, FirstBank said: “Beyond the mutual benefits this partnership offers to both organisations, this transaction offers yet, another occasion for FirstBank to contribute immensely, to the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals.

“Enabling financial inclusion for SMEs has been a strategic priority for FirstBank over the last 128 years.  Similarly, FirstBank has been at the forefront of financially empowering women-owned and women-led businesses on the continent.  This partnership with CDC/BII offers a fantastic opportunity to accelerate the momentum.

“At FirstBank, we remain ever committed to fostering financial inclusion, creating wealth for the underserved, enhancing access to quality education and health care, improving lives and empowering women.”

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Opportunities

Merck Foundation Marks International Day of Girls And Women in Science

Merck Foundation empowers African Women in the areas of Science and Technology through providing scholarships to more than 550 female doctors out of 1200 scholarships. Merck Foundation launch annually MARS Best African Woman Researchers Awards to acknowledge women in science. Merck Foundation works closely with African policy makers to empower girls in education and women in STEM.

 

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, marks ‘International Day of Girls and Women in Science 2022’ through their Merck Foundation STEM program and “Educating Linda” program.

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation, Most Influential African (2019, 2020 & 2021) emphasized, “We at Merck Foundation mark ‘International Day of Girls and Women in Science 2022’ by supporting and empowering women in the areas of Science and Technology. Under-representation of women still exists in these fields, even though women have made tremendous participation and progress in career. Every year, we conduct “Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit” in partnership with African Governments and African Union Scientific, Technical and Research Commission, MARS brings together researchers and policy makers from across Africa to prepare for the road ahead in Africa’s development as an international hub for excellence in scientific innovation and define interventions to empower women and youth through education in general and in STEM in particular.

We have also launched MARS Awards to appreciate and recognize ‘Best African Women Researchers’ and ‘Best Young African Researcher’. Our aim is to empower women and young African researchers, advance their research capacity and promote their contribution to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)”.

Merck Foundation has announced the Call for Applications for their prestigious Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit (MARS) Awards 2022. The key focus for this year will be: ‘The Role of Scientific Research in responding to Cancer and Vaccines Development – Two emerging challenges in Africa’. Through this contest, Merck Foundation aims to empower young African researchers & women researchers to strengthen the important role research plays towards contributing to public health thus improving healthcare capacity in Africa.

Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej further emphasized, “In partnership with the African First Ladies, we have been building healthcare capacity through providing training to healthcare providers in many medical specialties. More than 1200 medical graduates have benefitted from this program so far. I am very proud that out of these over 552 are female medical graduates. This is close to 50% of the total beneficiaries, which is a great milestone for us”.

Merck Foundation strongly believes that Education is one of the most critical areas of women empowerment. Through their ‘Educating Linda’ program, Merck Foundation has been supporting education of some of the unprivileged but brilliant girls by providing scholarship and grants that can cover school fees, school uniforms and other essentials including notebooks, pens and mathematical instruments, so they can reach their potential and pursue their dreams.

Merck Foundation has also released many inspiring children’s storybooks and songs on women empowerment supporting girls’ education.

1. Watch, share & subscribe to the “Girl Can” song here, sung by two famous singers, Irene and Cwezi from Liberia and Ghana respectively: https://bit.ly/3BrdQTp

2. Watch share & subscribe to “Tu Podes Sim” Portuguese song, which means “Yes, You Can” in English, here, sung by two famous singers, Blaze and Tamyris Moiane, talented singers from Mozambique: https://bit.ly/3Ly18a3

3. Read Educating Linda Storybook, here: https://bit.ly/3oOTfU6

4. Read Jackline’s Rescue Storybook, here: https://bit.ly/33oAuPS

5. Read Ride into the Future Storybook here: https://bit.ly/3uSpfub

 

Details for MARS AWARDS 2022

Abstracts are invited from final year African PhD students and young investigators involved in research related to either of the following topics: 1) Cancer (specially in women) & 2) Vaccines Development. The applicants should be primarily based at African Research Institutes and Universities, although collaboration within Africa as well as outside is encouraged.

Last Date of Submission:

Applications can be submitted till 31st July 2022

How to apply:

Applications can be submitted via email to mars@merck-foundation.com along with a CV (including Name, Gender, Country, University/Hospital Name, Email address, Mobile Number) and the abstract document as an attachment.

Other Details:

  • All Abstracts will be peer reviewed, and 15 winners will be eligible for a sponsorship to attend the MARS Summit.
  • Best three Abstracts will be eligible for Research Awards
  • Research Awards will be also dedicated for Best African Women Researchers
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Top 50 Nigerian Young Women, Others to Participate in G.L.O.W Coaching Programme| Here’s How to apply

Cantu Beauty has partnered with @wenations to host the Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) Global Cohort.  Cantu and WEN will be selecting 50 young women from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States to participate in an immersive, high-impact leadership coaching experience for women of color beginning March-May 2022.
For more information and to apply, visit @cantubeautywestafrica. Applications close January 31, 2022.
#CantuGlow #WENations
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Cohort 5: AWEC Calls For Application From African Female Entrepreneurs

Cohort 5 will run from June 2022 to May 2023. During May 2022, there will be a four-week online orientation.

AWEC is the accelerant behind hundreds of African female entrepreneurs who have transformed and grown their businesses.

The program is designed for African women entrepreneurs seeking to expand their knowledge, increase their skills, broaden their network, and make lifelong connections.

The AWEC program is for you if you are:

  • A founder of a business that has been in operation for at least two years in any industry and has at least two employees (either full time or part time) or a woman who has a strong business concept and plans to launch her business within the next year.
  • Founders of social enterprises are encouraged to apply; founders of NGOs or nonprofit organizations are no longer eligible for the 12-month program.
  • Citizens of any African country, currently living on the continent or in the diaspora
  • Comfortable with remote teamwork and collaboration, especially using digital tools.
  • Proficient in verbal and written English.
  • Able to regularly (at least weekly) access the internet through a computer or tablet.

Please note: For those living in the diaspora, your business must clearly impact Africa through the creation or delivery of its products or services, or based on where its customers reside.

AWEC seeks to build diverse cohorts in which Fellows share some consistent characteristics, Vision and resiliency, Business clarity and market knowledge, Commitment to building their businesses, and Motivation to be part of a yearlong learning experience.

This program is rigorous and time intensive. Fellows should expect to:

  • Spend an average of 4 to 6 hours per week participating in AWEC activities, primarily online.
  • Participate in at least one AWEC activity per week throughout the program, including Zoom-enabled meetings.
  • Be challenged, stretched, and inspired as they acquire new knowledge.
  • Develop skills, build their peer network, and transform their businesses.
  • Be matched with a mentor and to take ownership of their mentor/mentee relationship.
  • Be introduced to a peer group, and actively contribute to group discussions and activities.
  • Gain access to a program advisor from whom they can seek support when needed.
  • Respond to periodic surveys to improve the overall experience.

Upon successful completion of the 12-month program, fellows will get to form connections with a diverse network of African women entrepreneurs, establish a relationship with a senior business mentor, strengthen strategy, leadership and business management skills, gain skills in finance, marketing, and strategy needed to grow and scale their enterprise, develop a toolkit of soft skills, including self-confidence, resilience, collaboration, and cross-cultural communications.

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