The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) has partnered the Women In Africa (WIA), through the JAMII Femmes initiative, in a bid to bridge the gap in the various impediments that female entrepreneurs face when starting new businesses.
JAMII Femmes initiative is a vehicle for economic empowerment aimed at reforming the entrepreneurial landscape in Africa to stimulate the empowerment and upscaling of 20,000 women across African countries. The Coca-Cola Foundation(TCCF) in partnership with Women In Africa(WIA) has, through JAMII Femmes, contributed to educating and training women on how to harness their entrepreneurial potential and overcome financial challenges in the labour market.
A beneficiary of the JAMII Femmes initiative in Kenya, Lilian Kawira, said: “100 percent of Kenya’s curriculum and e-learning materials are not available in accessible formats for learners with disabilities.
“Through the JAMII Femmes initiative, I am thriving in my quest to create solutions that help build a better and more inclusive learning environment to support accessible educational formats for children with special needs education (SNE) in primary schools, as well as integrating digital technology to deliver innovative approaches to architecture education and business operations.”
Another JAMII Femmes beneficiary, Chioni Barawa, a childcare and education entrepreneur, said: “we have enabled working mothers to balance their motherhood role and work by providing a fun and affordable childcare service, consequently leading to financial independence. In the long run, this helps to reduce the social and economic gender imbalance in our communities, where women bear most of the childcare burden.”
Also, another JAMII Femmes Cohort 1 Fellow, Yvonne Wanjiru, recognised how her experience through the JAMII Femmes initiative has given her an edge to harness the challenges faced as well as maximize the prospects in agricultural production.
She stated that “JAMII Femmes has provided me with valuable skills to correctly evaluate my market positioning and conduct in-depth research and development as a founder. In addition, I am better prepared to create a more effective business plan and strategy for my company.”
