Cyprian Amakalu, mSPARK Programme Manager at TechnoServe, talks about the Micro-Enterprises Strengthened for Pandemic Adaptation and Resilience in Kenya (mSPARK) programme, launched by TechnoServe and the Mastercard Foundation, which gives digital and financial support to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to help them survive the pandemic.
Earlier this year, violent insurgents attacked the city of Palma in northern Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique. They killed dozens of people, forced thousands to flee, and sparked a humanitarian crisis that continues to this day. There is a perceived link between poverty — particularly among youth — and insecurity. TechnoServe is addressing this challenge by promoting economic opportunities for youth in the region.
The study found that farmers who were offered agricultural tools were more likely to rejuvenate their coffee trees through stumping, an important agricultural practice
When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the livelihoods of millions of entrepreneurs last year, digitalization offered small businesses around the world a promising solution. In this Q&A, TechnoServe’s Global Entrepreneurship Director, Juan Carlos Thomas, speaks with the Executive Director of the Argidius Foundation, Nicholas Colloff, and Dalberg Advisors’ Global Knowledge Lead, Kusi Hornberger, about the future of digital technology for supporting entrepreneurs.
In East Africa, formal employment opportunities are often scarce, and entrepreneurship presents a path toward economic independence for many young women and men. TechnoServe is helping small shop owners in Kenya, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire become more profitable by connecting them with the knowledge, training, and tools they need to become successful retailers.
In March 2021, Imoni Akpofure joined TechnoServe’s Board of Directors. In this Q&A, she talks about her background, her career focused on business and development in Africa, and what she sees as the most promising opportunities to reduce poverty at scale.
Jonathan Barnow, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at TechnoServe, writes about the role that the private sector has in helping farmers and entrepreneurs recover from the COVID-19 crisis.
In northern Mozambique, climate change, regional insecurity, and COVID-19 have combined to create immense challenges for farmers like Jacinta Fernando. A TechnoServe program is teaching these farmers how to grow soybean for the first time — a profitable cash crop that can help them improve their financial security and food security during times of crisis.
TechnoServe helps young people in the developing world access the information, capital, and markets they need to overcome tremendous obstacles and create their own economic opportunities. Today we are sharing the story of Mary Wacera, a 30-year-old entrepreneur from central Kenya who created her own successful agribusiness after participating in a TechnoServe program.
Ariana Day Yuen is a former TechnoServe Fellow who served in Ethiopia in 2015. After her time as a Fellow, she stayed on with the TechnoServe Ethiopia team for nearly three years. Today, she is the founder of an agroforestry enterprise that partners with smallholder farmers – starting in Ethiopia – to sustainably grow, process, and market premium forest-based products.
