Growing the businesses of women in Kenya

12 July 2010 CARE will train female entrepreneurs in business management so that they select the most appropriate activities to earn a living. Female entrepreneurs often start their businesses with no knowledge of business management and capital comes from their own savings or a donation from a relative. The capital that the women start with can be as low as £4.50. The types of businesses range from tailoring, dress making, fish selling, cereal production and hair dressers.

The training will have five elements:

• Selection of income generating activity
• Marketing
• Profitability analysis
• Business planning
• Steps in business initiation and diversification

The project will also link Group Savings and Loan associations with formal banking institutions. Most bank branches are located in urban areas and are inaccessible for the people based in remote locations so we will pilot the use of mobile phone technology to help people get access to formal banking. Some of the savings groups need bigger loans which they cannot access so by linking with formal institutions they will be able to get these services and can continue to grow their businesses.

Through the growth of these businesses women will be better able to provide food and education for their families as well as gaining vital business skills for the future.

This work is all part of CARE’s wider Access Africa programme, a bold 10-year investment, whose returns will be dramatic: 30 million people in 39 sub-Saharan African countries will have the means to break the vicious cycle of poverty, and transform it into a virtuous cycle of rising income, improved health, better education and greater participation in their communities.

For more information about the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women please visit: www.cherieblairfoundation.org.