This project lifts young women in rural Kenya out of poverty through an innovative entrepreneurship training and mentorship program. Entrepreneurship drives economic growth, creates self-sufficiency and solves some large-scale development problems women face. Our project serves the unique needs of women at the base of the economic pyramid. It supports them to start sustainable businesses ventures rooted in the local economy, such that they can have reliable income stream long into the future.

Challenge

In Kenya, HIV prevalence is higher among women than men. UNAIDS reports that 720,000 Kenyan women aged between 15 and 49 are HIV-positive compared with an estimated 380,000 men. Coupled with restrictions placed on these women's choices, opportunities and participation in society there are direct consequences on their health, education, social and economic development (UNFPA, 2018). This project will build capacity of 30 women affected/living with HIV to start and sustain a business.

Long-Term Impact

The first intake is 30 women and over the course of the next year the goal is to have 500 women living/affected with HIV go through the program and build their entrepreneurial skills and start their businesses. In addition to reducing poverty, there is a direct correlation to higher levels of empowerment and reporting gender based-violence. The project's formal check-in and evaluation processes will be used to improve future sessions and project data will be reported back to all donors.

References

1. https://businessforbettersociety.org/
2. https://www.facebook.com/businessforbettersociety

Additional Documentation

https://www.globalgiving.org//pfil/55838/projdoc.pdf

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