Imagine 10,000 women entrepreneurs generating US$1 billion in revenue and creating 200,000 jobs. That’s not just a goal, it’s a movement. But behind those numbers are personal stories of grit, reinvention, and courage.
At our Q1 Connect & Inspire session, WCW entrepreneurs shared powerful reflections on navigating the highs and lows of business. What emerged was a clear reminder: entrepreneurship is not just about building a company, it’s about building oneself. “No one is coming to save you – rescue yourself.”
That was the powerful message from Vwanganji Bowa, Founder and CEO of Mighty Fin. Speaking on access to finance, she didn’t sugar-coat the truth: “Banks will not change to accommodate entrepreneurs and small businesses. It’s our responsibility to understand the current financial landscape and align ourselves accordingly.” Her words landed hard. If the door doesn’t open, build your own – and then hold it open for others. “Invest in yourself, it’s the smartest move you’ll ever make.”
Kathryn Main, financial literacy advocate and founder of Mainmultimedia and Money Savvy, reminded us that the greatest resource we’ll ever have is ourselves. Skills, knowledge, mindset – these are the assets that drive real growth.
Every risk taken, every lesson learned, is equity in your future success.
Entrepreneurship is not a destination. It’s a transformation.
The journey is rarely easy. It demands sacrifice, reinvention, and often, solitude. But as the stories shared revealed, the tough moments don’t break us – they build us. These entrepreneurs aren’t waiting for perfect conditions. They’re creating a new reality, brick by brick.
In the Spotlight:
Kgalelalo Malekane, a mining entrepreneur in South Africa, took WCW strategies to heart – scaling her business from R2 million to R6.7 million in just six months. Her journey is proof that when women lead with strategy and confidence, the results speak volumes.
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.