Citi, Technoserve to provide entrepreneurship training
What you need to know:
- Citi and TechnoServe will provide jobs and business training for women to support the establishment of a network of women-owned shops across Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
- Women and youth have won big from the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) after US president Barrack Obama announced that half of the Sh100 billion worth of investments targeted by the summit will go to young people and women.
Citi Foundation has announced a partnership with business solution developer TechnoServe to help women and youth grow business in Africa.
The partnership will be rolled out in Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and South Africa to provide training and help create jobs especially for women.
Through the foundation’s African Youth and Women’s Business Development programme Citi wants to scale local organisations to provide employment, enhance incomes and increase the economic participation of women and youth.
“Entrepreneurs make companies work, and companies make economies work. We are honoured to partner with TechnoServe as it promotes and develops businesses and mentorship programmes for women across West, East and South Africa,” Amin Manekia, Citi Corporate Banking head for sub-Saharan Africa said.
Women and youth have won big from the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) after US president Barrack Obama announced that half of the Sh100 billion worth of investments targeted by the summit will go to young people and women.
“If half of your team's not playing then you've a problem. We need to involve women in entrepreneurship,” President Obama said during the opening of the Summit Friday.
Citi and TechnoServe will provide jobs and business training for women to support the establishment of a network of women-owned shops across Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
FARMERS
The partners will work with young people (mostly women) from farming families to develop successful cashew-processing businesses in Nigeria.
South Africa will benefit from the provision of support, advice and training to help grow their small businesses into medium-sized enterprises that can employ many in their communities.
While in Uganda, the partners will connect vulnerable girls with successful businesswomen, providing them with mentorship and training in trades like tailoring and agriculture.
Youth account for 60 per cent of all unemployed unemployed, according to the World Bank, with young women affected most severely.
The new partnership will address the unemployment by drawing on the Citi Foundation’s long experience supporting local economic development and TechnoServe’s expertise in promoting entrepreneurship and small businesses.
“Everywhere I go in Africa, I am struck by the vibrancy and resourcefulness of its entrepreneurs,” William Warshauer, President & CEO of TechnoServe said.
The Citi Foundation and TechnoServe will measure the effectiveness of the projects, identify the approaches with the greatest impact, and determine how to scale up the initiatives to achieve even greater economic impact.
