The GraƧa Machel Trusts' Gender Lens Investment Fund continues to drive innovative blended capital to early growth stage women-owned and led businesses in sectors where women are prevalent. While increasing efforts to build a track record in East and Southern African network activities, the Funds team led by Investment Director Andia Chakava,Ā and Investment Analyst Jane
The GraƧa Machel Trust'sĀ 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. Ā Different business sectors, including Agribusiness, Agro-processing, Manufacturing, Renewable Energy, Education, Financial Services, Construction, Health, Technology, Transport, Creative and Mining, attended the sessions.
The GraƧa Machel Trust held its inaugural Entrepreneur roundtable on 3rd June 2021. The session was led by Andia Chakava, Investment Director, Korkor Cudjoe, Women Creating Wealth Technical Advisor, and Jane Muia, Investment Analyst at the GraƧa Machel Trust (GMT).Ā The event was aimed at relationship building with entrepreneurs as part of GMTs pipeline development efforts.
On June 3, via a virtual Zoom event, the GraƧa Machel Trust (GMT) hosted its Inaugural GMT Entrepreneur RoundTable: Understanding the Fundraising Journey - An Entrepreneur and Investor Perspective. The session was run by Andia Chakava the investment Director, Korkor Cudjoe the technical assistant lead, and Jane Muia the investment analyst at the GraƧa Machel
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting childrenās 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 Childrenās Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescentsā 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 Trustās 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 motherās health and social economic conditions, the early years of a childās life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.