East Africa

TechnoServe programs in 10 countries interviewed smallholder farmers to see how they have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and how they are responding to the crisis.

In the "Ask a TechnoServe Expert" series, our staff members answer your questions about the critical global issues they work on every day. In this edition, Entrepreneurship Regional Program Manager Alice Waweru addresses how the COVID-19 crisis impacts small businesses in the developing world.

As a single parent, Justine once struggled to make ends meet. Her work mainly consisted of washing clothes for her neighbors, which barely provided enough money for necessities. After joining a TechnoServe program working to reduce youth unemployment in her area, she gained the skills she needed to start her own tailoring business.

After establishing her own business success, Ndinagwe Mboya taught other businesswomen in Tanzania vital skills in savings and entrepreneurship, helping them grow their businesses and transform their lives.

This World Food Day, we spoke with Dr. Andreas Bluethner, Director of Nutrition at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to discuss how COVID-19 is threatening nutrition in the developing world – and how interventions such as improved food fortification can help tackle this critical challenge.

We can learn a lot about solving youth unemployment by paying attention to young entrepreneurs. Changemakers like Violeta Martinez are eager to share lessons that are both context specific and universally relevant.