Story by Grace Sibanda
A total of 400 women have benefitted from a female entrepreneurship development programme that seeks to equip women in business with the necessary skills and funding to grow their businesses.
They say, ‘when you educate a woman, you empower the nation,’ and this was the case at this year’s fourth cohort of the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) which saw a new crop of ladies being equipped with business skills.
“This programme has opened opportunities for us to explore the endless business ideas. We have gotten enough information to enable us to have multiple sources of income. I am into goat farming and I have learnt a lot about how I can advance my business and penetrate the goat business spaces.
“As women in business from rural areas, we are not so much exposed to networking platforms that can assist us to get funding, but by being part of AWE I have gotten to know how to grow my business and I am also going to impart this knowledge to the girl child in my rural home.
“Many times as women we do not have the confidence to start businesses because we are afraid of how things will go, but with the knowledge I now have I will grow my business and also play my part in growing the economy of the country with what I have.
The initiative launched in 2019 has seen at least 400 women tapping into their economic potential, thus contributing to the country`s economic growth.
“AWE is a programme meant to empower women with the knowhow on building successful business brands and also to give them a platform to meet potential investors and to receive funding as we have seen five women today having been given funding for their businesses,” said AWE programme implementing officer, Thubelihle Ndlovu.
Women are increasingly grabbing various business opportunities as they partake in building the national economy in line with President Mnangagwa`s mantra of building the nation brick by brick.
