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Our monthly photo series highlights the beauty and emotion in the lives of our clients around the world. This month, we’re featuring three entrepreneurial success stories.

Celebrating Entrepreneurial Success Stories

TechnoServe’s photo selection this month honors entrepreneurial success stories to mark U.N. Micro-, Small-, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) Day on June 27. This day reminds us of the important contributions that MSMEs make to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Did you know small- and medium-sized enterprises represent over 90% of the business population and 60-70% of employment, according to the World Trade Organization?

At TechnoServe, we support entrepreneurs, especially women and youth, in building their businesses through skill development, connections to markets and finance, and confidence in their ability to succeed.

This June, join us in celebrating the business entrepreneurs who are creating prosperity for their families, bringing good jobs to their communities, and contributing to their local economies.

PHOTO 1: Sweet Success In Mozambique

A woman holds a cake in one hand and smiles at the camera against a backdrop that reads Delicias da Lulu. She is Lúcia Sigauque, an entrepreneur in Mozambique who has made a success of her bakery with training support from TechnoServe.
(Image: TechnoServe / Olivia Sakai)

 

 

Lúcia Sigauque is a small entrepreneur who has been operating in Mozambique’s Nampula market since 2013, providing courses in confectionery and sweet and savory production. Lúcia participated in the FTF Premier-Oholo (PRO) management skills training cycle. “The program has improved my confidence as a woman running a business,” she said. As a result, he has increased her weekly sales and employs four people.

Read her story.

PHOTO 2: Entrepreneurial Success in Chile’s Laundry Business

A woman stands on the right, wearing a white jacket, and smiling at the camera. There are several washing machines in the background. She is Jessica Vargas, an entrepreneur who successfully expanded her laundry business thanks to training from TechnoServe.
(Image: courtesy Anglo American)

Jessica Vargas’ laundry business in her town of Los Andes, Chile, grew tremendously after she joined the Emerge program. Her business grew 110% and provided jobs for eight local women. Her six-month training with TechnoServe gave her practical tools, improved numerous operational processes, and helped her apply for a loan to purchase equipment that would address a bottleneck. “Participating in the program was really of great value. Applying the new concepts was key to getting my finances in order,” Jessica said.

Read her story.

Photo 3: An Agricultural Success Story in Uganda

A young man is seen smiling in profile against a lush green background. He carries a muddy hoe on his shoulder. This is Yossam Mukobba, a farmer in Uganda, who received training from TechnoServe.
(Image: Jennifer Huxton for The Mastercard Foundation)

Yossam Mukobba grows eggplant and cassava on this small farm in Mukono District, Uganda. TechnoServe partnered with the Mastercard Foundation to create employment opportunities for young people like Yossam, who run small businesses and work in agriculture. The Strengthening Rural Youth Development through Enterprise (STRYDE) program delivered a comprehensive package of services, including skills training, business development, and mentoring to young people ages 18 to 30 in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Learn more about STRYDE.

We hope you’re inspired by these enterprising men and women making a success of their small businesses. TechnoServe is proud to be part of their success stories. Thank you for believing everyone deserves an opportunity to build a better life.  Learn how you can continue to make a difference.

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Trishna Gurung

Trishna Gurung

Trishna Gurung | तृष्णा गुरुङ्ग (she/her) is the senior director of communications at TechnoServe. She is passionate about building courageous communities using communications to connect heart and mind toward action that breaks past fear, apathy, and indifference. With close to 20 years of global nonprofit experience starting in her home country Nepal, Trishna has led award-winning global campaigns, built engaged and high-performing teams, and advanced justice and equity in her professional roles. She holds a master's degree in mass communications and journalism from Bond University, Australia. She is a proud immigrant and a budding green thumb who not-so-secretly misses being a radio jockey.

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