WATCH: 400 women in business empowered

ABOUT 400 women entrepreneurs from across the country have been empowered with various key business skills which have seen some of them winning continental awards.

Under the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) exchange programme sponsored by the United States Embassy Public Diplomacy Section since 2019, more than US$ 500 000 has been channelled towards the training of women entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe.

Speaking during the graduation of 38 women from the Matabeleland region yesterday, AWE programmes coordinator Ms Thubelihle Ndlovu said over 75 percent of the women who completed the AWE programme have since formalised their ventures.

She added that 90 percent have seen their earnings increase.

“Today marks the 4th graduation of the AWE programme in Zimbabwe, meaning we have 400 women who have gone through this programme. The reason why AWE programmes are highly sought after is because the results speak for themselves. Over 75 percent of the women who completed the AWE programme get to formalise, monetise and put proper business structures to their ventures while 90 percent of them have seen an increase in their earnings,” said Ms Ndlovu.

She said after graduation, AWE beneficiaries get a chance to participate in a partnership between AWE and the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) where winners are given grants ranging between US$10 000 and US$25 000.

“These women get a chance to compete for seed grants and over the years we have seen women win from US$10 000 to US$25 000. They do not have to pay back the money,” she said.

US Embassy Harare public diplomacy officer Ms Rebecca Archer Knepper said AWE is a global programme that helps women unlock their potential.

One of the women who won seed funding of US$1 000, Ms Sifiso Agbetorwoka who is into goat farming in Matabeleland South said she will use the money to import breeding stock to grow her business.

“I am going to use the seed fund to import a particular breed of goats called dual purpose goats which are very prolific in producing kids, milk and meat,” she said. —@SikhulekelaniM1