In 2024, the combined efforts of the Graça Machel Trust’s Women Creating Wealth (WCW) programme and Afrishela’s gender-lens investment initiatives unlocked over US$5 million in funding pipelines for women entrepreneurs—proving that when access to capital is matched with the right support systems, finance becomes a powerful driver of transformation.
Access to finance remains one of the biggest barriers for women in business. WCW is breaking through this barrier by integrating multiple pathways to capital—ranging from strategic partnerships and investment readiness support to grant facilitation and blended finance. These approaches ensure that entrepreneurs not only access funds but are equipped to use them effectively for long-term growth.
Through enterprise development grants, gender-lens investment vehicles, and financial education initiatives, WCW is helping women build credible business cases, navigate due diligence, and engage with investors confidently. High-impact sectors such as agriculture have also received tailored financial support, opening up new opportunities in value chains often overlooked.
Beyond traditional finance, WCW is nurturing grassroots financial resilience. Through a community savings and lending model rooted in trust and mutual support – stokvels – entrepreneurs are creating their own safety nets and capital reserves, reinforcing a culture of collaboration and self-reliance.
The programme’s strength lies in its holistic approach: combining funding readiness training with coaching, mentorship, ecosystem linkages, and a strong sense of community. This integrated model enables women to take bold steps, invest in growth, and build businesses that last.
From unlocking over US$5 million in funding pipelines to cultivating homegrown stokvel savings circles, WCW and Afrishela are rewriting the narrative on women’s access to finance. By combining capital access with ecosystem support and a deep culture of belief, they’re unlocking more than funding—they’re unlocking possibility.
Key Voices:
“The irrigation support valued at (US$11,600) I received allowed me to increase my yields and reduce costs, significantly boosting my profits.” — Participant from Malawi
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.