In Mozambique, women often face barriers that limit their ability to achieve financial independence. TechnoServe is working to identify economic opportunities for women and find business partners with the incentive and ability to break down the barriers Mozambican women face on a daily basis.
On Monday, March 8, the world will celebrate the tremendous achievements of women across the globe. In the last year, the COVID-19 crisis has illuminated the essential role women play in society and the disproportionate burdens they carry in their everyday lives. Read five inspirational stories of women leaders who have overcome significant challenges to create a brighter future, then vote on your favorite story.
While this year has challenged all of us in so many ways, it has also allowed us to see how interconnected we all are – no matter who we are or where we’re from. How has COVID-19 affected your life? Take our poll, then meet TechnoServe clients – smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs in the developing world – who are experiencing similar situations.
In this series, we check back with TechnoServe program participants previously featured on our blog, documenting how their lives have changed and progressed. In Mozambique, women-owned businesses have been particularly hard-hit by COVID-19. In our previous story on Juliana Mário, a small business owner in Maputo, her sales had decreased by over 50% from the start of the pandemic. Find out how she is doing now, eight months later.
Young women in Uganda can face significant challenges as they seek employment outside of the home. Moureen Nakisozi had always dreamed of becoming a welder but struggled to make that dream a reality without the necessary training. After joining a TechnoServe program, she was matched with a mentor and received the business and technical skills she needed to start her welding career.
In rural Brazil, entrepreneurship offers a pathway out of poverty. Since 2018, TechnoServe, in partnership with Fundação Vale, has been working with communities in the Brumadinho municipality of Minas Gerais, improving livelihoods by helping people create their own businesses.
In Kenya, the COVID-19 crisis has created significant challenges for micro-retailers like Cecilia Njeru. But digital solutions can help entrepreneurs access business training and finance – two resources that can mean the difference between having to close a business and running a successful shop.
In Kenya, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it even harder for entrepreneurs like Jacinta Musyoka to run their businesses. Without working capital, it can be difficult for many micro-retailers to restock their shops, pay rent, and put food on the table for their families. A TechnoServe program is combining financial support with technical advice to help 28,000 entrepreneurs in Kenya keep their micro-enterprises afloat and continue to serve their communities.
In India, women farmers often face challenges accessing the same information, networks, and capital as their male counterparts. TechnoServe is helping women like Rajkumari Akhilesh improve their livelihoods and overcome significant obstacles by starting their own microenterprises.
In Mozambique, TechnoServe is using digital training to help entrepreneurs keep their small businesses alive during COVID-19. Read how Rita Sitóe and her daughter are using technology like WhatsApp to gain the knowledge to power through the pandemic.
