Micro-retailers play an important role in local communities by providing essential goods and services. However, these entrepreneurs also face numerous obstacles when running their businesses, and those challenges only became more acute during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enter Judith Namayi Amboka, a community mobilizer dedicated to helping entrepreneurs in her community access the knowledge and tools they need to thrive.
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 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.
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.
When Endurance Boms first opened her small beauty shop in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, she struggled to keep track of her sales and inventory. Then, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, her sales slowed to a crawl. A TechnoServe program gave Endurance the business training and support she needs to achieve success as a Nigerian entrepreneur. Now, she can confidently maintain a reliable income source – even during a global crisis.
For people around the developing world, small shops are an important source of food and other essential goods. However, since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, these shops have been under threat, leaving many people without a place to purchase affordable food. With the right support, these micro-retailers can stay in business and continue serving their communities.
TechnoServe and the Mastercard Foundation are partnering on a new program to support entrepreneurs in Kenya as they navigate the COVID-19 crisis and ultimately move toward economic recovery.
Global food systems are becoming increasingly vulnerable as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Widespread lockdowns and restrictions on movement have made it more difficult to grow, transport, process, and sell food. Take our quiz to learn more about the effects of COVID-19 on food insecurity around the world.
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, Chief Transformation Officer Kindra Halvorson addresses questions about how the COVID-19 crisis is impacting food security in the developing world.
