In the face of rising unemployment in Africa, governments, the private and development sectors are putting in a lot of effort to boost entrepreneurship through capacity building. At the heart of these initiatives is women's entrepreneurship development. There is a good rationale for investing in women as they invest more in their families and communities.
 Photo: JĂşlio Dengucho / FORBES AFRICA LUSĂFONA.  "Every 8th of March, we recall and salute those who have so valiantly made possible the gains in our struggle for gender equality. We celebrate the incredible achievements of women around the globe and the victories we have attained to bring us closer to
The aim of this report is to document best practices by taking a micro-level deep dive into why women entrepreneurs applying for 'missing middle' funding (i.e., in the range of USD 30 000â USD 500 000) more often fail than succeed. This report focuses on the demand and supply issues related to women entrepreneurs access
  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
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
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
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
The Nutrition for Growth Summit (N4G), which took place in Japan from 7th to 8th December 2021, was a reset opportunity and a great reminder that we only have nine years left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. This summit mobilised ambitious and wide-reaching multi-stakeholders who committed to transforming food and
It is estimated that over 400 million children are currently living on the African continent. But, how many children are aware of the existing child rights systems and mechanisms designed to protect their rights? According to Child Rights International Network, children are affected by all of the Sustainable Development Goals, and not only poverty, hunger,
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.