   At our  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, itâs about building oneself. "No one is coming to save you - rescue yourself."   That was the
In 2024, the combined efforts of the Graça Machel Trustâs Women Creating Wealth (WCW) programme and Afrishelaâs gender-lens investment initiatives unlocked over US$5 million in funding pipelines for women entrepreneursâproving that when access to capital is matched with the right support systems, finance becomes a powerful driver of transformation.     Access to
Sometimes, one opportunity is all it takes to change the trajectory of a business. For many women in the WCW Programme, 2024 has been a year of breakthroughs - where barriers gave way to bridges, and small businesses found space to grow.     Thanks to focused coaching and training, WCW entrepreneurs opened
 For years, Neema Kaimila Mkangama had been running on empty. Her days at Neemaâs Beauty Bar started early and stretched long into the evening. She was always working - always giving - yet the business she had poured her heart into wasnât growing the way she had hoped.  After another exhausting day, she
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.