TechnoServe

For over 50 years, TechnoServe has helped hardworking women and men in the developing world gain the skills, connections, and confidence to create self-sustaining businesses and build a path out of poverty. In part three of this series, we ask a few of these farmers and entrepreneurs to share how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their lives and how they are coping with its effects.

In Tanzania, young people like Asia Abdallah often face an uphill battle when entering the job market. With few formal sector jobs available, many turn to entrepreneurship. But without the practical skills to get started, entrepreneurship can present challenges. TechnoServe is equipping youth with the skills they need to gain formal employment or run their own successful businesses.

In India, women often face gender-specific challenges that limit their ability to achieve their full potential. TechnoServe is working to identify and support women leaders in male-dominated spaces, such as in farmer producer organizations throughout the states of Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

For over 50 years, TechnoServe has helped hardworking women and men in the developing world gain the skills, connections, and confidence to create self-sustaining businesses and build a path out of poverty. In part two of this series, we ask a few of these farmers and entrepreneurs to share how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their lives and how they are coping with its effects.

In Nigeria, TechnoServe is helping tomato farmers boost incomes and reduce post-harvest losses, while adapting to a changing climate.

For over 50 years, TechnoServe has helped hardworking women and men in the developing world gain the skills, connections, and confidence to create self-sustaining businesses and build a path out of poverty. In 2020, we asked a few of these farmers and entrepreneurs to share how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their lives and how they are coping with its effects.

In San Martín, Peru, coca used to dominate the landscape. Now, through the Coffee Alliance for Excellence (CAFE) program, farmers in former coca-growing regions are learning how to improve their livelihoods through coffee.

In Tanzania, shopkeepers like Emanuel Barosha Ndiwene often lack the business and financial management skills they need to run profitable businesses. A TechnoServe program connects young entrepreneurs with the knowledge, training, and tools they need to become successful retailers.

In the Indian tradition and culture, it is common for parents to be highly involved in their children’s decision-making processes, particularly regarding career choices. However, parental involvement can also sometimes be a barrier to youth employment. TechnoServe is engaging both youth and their parents to ensure that young people can pursue formal sector jobs with their parents’ support.

In Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, agri-entrepreneurs like Helena and Amândio are seeking to lift themselves out of poverty by expanding their businesses. But even good market opportunities, like poultry production, can pose challenges when entrepreneurs lack the technical knowledge to run enterprises successfully. TechnoServe’s Catalisa program teaches small-scale poultry producers how to profitably produce chickens for the live market through hands-on training and one-on-one coaching, enabling them to expand their production and earn higher incomes.