Women Entrepreneurship & Livelihoods Initiative (WELI)
About WELI
Our initiative is dedicated to empowering ten million youth and women in Ghana and Africa by providing comprehensive training in modern and practical skills.
This Project consisted of a three-prong approach mainly- Covid & SGBV Advocacy, Entrepreneurship Scale Up, and Access to Markets Initiative.
As the COVID-19 crisis took a devastating toll on lives and livelihoods across the African continent, its effects on gender equality, women’s human rights, and women’s empowerment became fundamental. With gender and social inequalities that underpinned societies before the pandemic, the COVID-19 impact on women was exacerbated in the crisis.
For this reason, sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls has increased during the period of lockdowns. These and many more challenges will have long-term consequences for women in the country. While there seems to be an appreciation of the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has on women, the responses to mitigate its spread do not sufficiently integrate gender equality or address women’s concerns specifically. In addition, there is a void in women’s leadership in COVID-19 response mechanisms.
The program will diversify and use innovative approaches to bring about the systemic change that vulnerable girls need. The innovation we believe is crucial in times of crisis as it provides opportunities and less threatening ways of pervading patriarchal societies and provides them with rapid solutions that are a solution that is generally accepted by the whole of society.
WELI
The project activities run in Ghana and Senegal with three (3) programs;
- Suhuyini Food & Beverage Incubation in Tamale (Northern Ghana)
- Nneka Foundation Palm Oil Cooperative in Ve Agbome ( Volta Ghana)
- Belle Sans Maquillage Cooperative in Keur Samba/Sangay Thies Region (Senegal).
The expected results for the WELI project are the following
- Reach 6,752 AGYW in Ghana, and over 3,250 AGYW in Senegal and indirectly benefit approximately 51,035 (50%) in the targeted project areas
- Improve entrepreneurship opportunities for teenage girls and young women through business development services that are adaptive to COVID-19.
- Strengthen innovative business skills and practices for young women entrepreneurs through the provision of support in sectors affected by COVID as well as post-training assistance to COVID-affected adolescent girls and young women entrepreneurs.
- Facilitate and organize network opportunities for AGYW entrepreneurs, provide business development services to AGYW cooperatives affected by COVID as well as solidify partnerships with investors to support AGYW affected by COVID-19.
- Increase access to resources and services for AGYW to maintain their livelihoods in response to COVID-19 and its gendered dimensions.
- Seek to enhance the willingness of parents, teachers, community leaders, men, and business owners to support women and girls through sensitization activities, dialogue, and policy support.
- Strengthen the competencies of adolescent girls and young women through a gender-based needs assessment, scale-up of COVID-adapted economic activities as well as life skills training to empower adolescent girls and young women
WELI BENEFICIARIES:
SUHUYINI FOOD & BEVERAGE INCUBATOR
Northern Region, Ghana
The Food & Beverage Incubation is a program of the Women Entrepreneurial Livelihood Initiative implemented through the Africa Skills Hub, a national youth incubator In Ghana and Senegal.
BELLE SANS MAQUILLAGE CO-OPERATIVE
Region of Thies, Senegal
BSM is an all-women cooperative investing in aromatherapy in rural areas in the region of Thiès (Keur Samba, Sandiara, etc.). Through handmade production, BSM provides bio and natural products for aromatherapy from raw materials like shea butter, carrot, cucumber, avocado, lemon, ginger, etc.
NNEKA FOUNDATION PALM OIL CO-OPERATIVE
Volta Region, Ghana
Nneka Foundation is the implementation consultant that runs the palm oil co-operative in the Volta Region with a focus – on palm nuts and how to fully utilize all the parts of the plant.
WELI STORIES
Program Goal and Expected Results Summary
The outcome of this project is to increase economic empowerment to strengthen resilience for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) most affected by COVID-19 in targeted areas in Ghana and Senegal. To do so, the project will increase access to resources and services for AGYW to maintain their livelihoods and improve entrepreneurship opportunities for AGYW through business development services that are adaptive in response to COVID-19.
