Funding the missing middle: market failure or untapped opportunity?
  By Andia Chakava and Eva Warigia  Women entrepreneurs make a substantial contribution to the economic growth of a country. While many are yet to achieve their full potential, female-led Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are vibrant through self-financing âchamasâ where they pool resources as a group of individuals for investments and loans
Statement by Graça Machel on the Passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu
I find myself profoundly saddened by the departure of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and simultaneously in celebration of his rich legacy. Amid these mixed emotions, I mourn the loss of a brother, my loyal friend and my spiritual leader. Â Arch is the last of an extraordinarily outstanding generation of leaders that Africa birthed and gifted
Remembering Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu
Do your little bit of good where you are; itâs those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world â Desmond Tutu.   Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu. Photo Credit: UN/The Elders.  The Graça Machel Trust joins Africa in mourning the passing of Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu. We extend our
What has been promised, and what is Next on women’s economic empowerment? Lessons from the Generation Equality Forum
The Center for Global Development (CGD) and Women in Global Health (WGH) on September 14th, 2021, hosted an event with experts on the Generation Equality Forum outcomes, focused on those from the Economic Justice and Rights Action Coalition. The experts were Jamille Bigio, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Gender Equality, USAID; Shungu Gwarinda, Director of Programs,
Early Childhood Education (ECD) is the foundational bedrock of human capital development- Graça Machel
Early childhood development (ECD) is recognised and entrenched within the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 and African Union (AU) Agenda 2063.  Aspirations- An Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children, and the SDGs prioritise ending all forms of poverty, malnutrition, preventable
Understanding the Fundraising Journey: An Entrepreneur and Investor Perspective
The Graça Machel Trust's Investment Team held three entrepreneur roundtables in June, August and November 2021. These sessions pulled together over 33 entrepreneurs from South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.  Different business sectors, including Agribusiness, Agro-processing, Manufacturing, Renewable Energy, Education, Financial Services, Construction, Health, Technology, Transport, Creative and Mining, attended the sessions.
Women Empowerment straight talk and Safe Life TV programs in Uganda
The Graca Machel Trust (GMT)âs Women members of Network of Africa Business Women â Uganda (NABW-U), under their organisation of Women in Self Employment Organization (WISE), shared their experiences and challenges as entrepreneurs. The conversation was centred around challenges fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and how to deal with them. In addition, the series encouraged
Celebrating Top Women to Watch in Banking and Finance
The Angaza Awards: Women to Watch in Banking and Finance program has opened the call for entries for the "2021 Top 10 Women to Watch" list to feature women across the various industries that make up the financial services sector. The entry period for the Award runs from 1st August 2021 to 30th October 2021.
Zimbabwe GMT Network Chapters in-country collaborations
"The role of media is to bring all network ideas together. In the same spirit of having a visible network, we have to work together. We must find ways to communicate and support one another. Amplify each other's voices on social media." - Ms Susan Makore, the Deputy Chairperson of the Graça Machel Trust Women
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting childrenâs 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 Childrenâs Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescentsâ 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 Trustâs 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 motherâs health and social economic conditions, the early years of a childâs life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.