Entrepreneurship

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.

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.