Category: Uncategorised
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Meena Basnet: “Supporting women entrepreneurs is what drives me”
By Gyanu Bist Meena Basnet has dedicated herself to supporting women entrepreneurs for 12 years. She has always been interested in social services. Encouraging startups and pushing existing entrepreneurs is her passion. “Mentoring helps women with decision-making, especially in rural areas. It reduces their feeling of isolation and improves their satisfaction. The handholding provided to…
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Rehema Leander Kabuta: A Wedding Gift that changed her life
By Thabit Mikidadi “She started raising chickens and ducks when we were living in a rented house” recalls her husband Leonard, recognizing the entrepreneurship zeal his wife has. Rehema has always been active to pursue business opportunities. “I started baking with aluminum placed over burning charcoal over pots and sand when I was young”,…
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Catherine Olapade: “I have understood the business very well and I am now a role model to other people in my community”
By Chinenye Anekwe, Solar Sister Taking up challenges is what can be used to describe Catherine Omowumi Olapade, a Solar Sister Champion who resides in Ayegunle area of Ilorin South LGA, a suburb of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. As a secondary school teacher and also a farmer, the 55-year-old single mother of four wanted to…
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Omowumi Johnbull: A natural entrepreneur, problem-solver and systems-lover
By Fid Thompson, Solar Sister Meet Omowumi Johnbull, a natural entrepreneur, problem-solver, systems-lover, and Solar Sister dynamic Management Administrator in Nigeria. If we could bottle her energy, it would probably power a nation. Wumi, as she is known, is from Ondo State in southwest Nigeria, but she has also lived in Edo State and…
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Roselyne Akello: “This business has brought so much joy in my life”
By Josephine Osengo, Practical Action It was an extremely hot month of January back in 2009 when her husband broke the news that he was relocating to a different country in search of a steady income, recalls Roselyne Akello. That day is etched in her mind as it was on the same day that…
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Fatou Thiam Sow: “Women are the heart of society and any progress is only possible through their participation”
By Alessandra Moscadelli, Energy 4 Impact Growing up in Senegal, the economist Fatou Thiam Sow never doubted that people have the ability to meet life’s challenges. She considers herself a great optimist and remains convinced that everyone can make a contribution to creating a better world. Having always been interested in gender issues, Fatou…
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New solar batteries help Awa get business back on track
Business is booming for Senegalese entrepreneur Awa Sene, the first cold trader in the rural village of Khassid, located 150 km southwest of Dakar. The solar freezer that she purchased 18 months ago has enabled her to generate healthy profits by selling refrigerated and frozen products such as fruit juices, yogurt, milk, ice and chilled…
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Millicent Akinyi Dula: “I want to be the first woman to set-up a briquette production centre in my village”
Millicent Akinyi Dula, a mother of six, is an improved cook stoves and briquettes entrepreneur based in Rarieda town, Siaya County, Kenya. Alongside her clean energy business, she manages a small scale farm with dairy cows, maize, and local vegetables. When she lost her husband back in 1999, she was not sure whether she would…
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“It takes time to become successful but if you try, you definitely will one day”
Chini Maya Negi from Manikhel, Mahankal Rural Municipality, Lalitpur District is 45 years old and used to be a dedicated housewife. She struggled through the worst economic state of her family, caring for a paralyzed brother in law and a husband doing nothing. The family was facing difficulty in running the day to day…
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Ramila Rai: A successful journey towards self-empowerment in the agriculture sector
The journey out of poverty and towards equality is a though one in Nepal. The patriarchal society hinders women in taking stand-alone decisions and in pursuing income-generating opportunities. Although many gender norms and relations still need to be broken, positive signals are coming up with regards to women’s economic empowerment. Compared to a few years…
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Purnima Ghalan: From a small shop to a hotel business in Nepal
Living in Dalchoki, in Nepal, is already a challenge, but the barriers an entrepreneur like Purnima Ghalan faces go beyond the inaccessibility of this small nepali village. Due to cultural norms and gender roles, women in Nepal are often left behind in launching and growing small-scale businesses. Purnima, 40, is now a hotel owner…
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Do not let opportunity pass!
Mother of four, farmer, wife, and small business woman, Patricia Shayo is a determined and creative Tanzanian woman. When she’s not managing the household and raising four children – including twins! – she brings in extra cash by making nutritious sorghum flour to sell door to door. Patricia also farms a small plot of land…