TechnoServe

Woman stocking shelves in a grocery store

Equipping Young Entrepreneurs with Business Expertise in Africa

In East Africa, formal employment opportunities are often scarce, and entrepreneurship presents a path toward economic independence for many young women and men. TechnoServe is helping small shop owners in Kenya, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire become more profitable by connecting them with the knowledge, training, and tools they need to become successful retailers.

Entrepreneurship, Women's Economic Empowerment, Youth Economic Opportunity
Citi Foundation, Small and Growing Businesses
Jacinta Fernando is one of many farmers in northern Mozambique dealing with multiple crises at once. In this photo, she stands in front of her soy harvest.

Climate Change, Insecurity, and COVID-19: How Farmers in Northern Mozambique are Grappling with Crises on Multiple Fronts

In northern Mozambique, climate change, regional insecurity, and COVID-19 have combined to create immense challenges for farmers like Jacinta Fernando. A TechnoServe program is teaching these farmers how to grow soybean for the first time — a profitable cash crop that can help them improve their financial security and food security during times of crisis.

Agriculture, COVID-19

Meet the TechnoServe Fellow Who Launched a Company That’s Keeping Environmental Sustainability at the Forefront

Ariana Day Yuen is a former TechnoServe Fellow who served in Ethiopia in 2015. After her time as a Fellow, she stayed on with the TechnoServe Ethiopia team for nearly three years. Today, she is the founder of an agroforestry enterprise that partners with smallholder farmers – starting in Ethiopia – to sustainably grow, process, and market premium forest-based products.

Agriculture
Small businesses in the developing world like Jacinta's faced many challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 and the State of Small Businesses in the Developing World in 2021

TechnoServe’s COVID-19 Impact Report examines how the pandemic disrupted key sectors of emerging economies and the livelihoods of those who work in them. Our third feature in our blog series on the report highlights the challenges small businesses faced last year and the opportunities to move toward business survival and recovery in 2021 and beyond.

COVID-19, Entrepreneurship, Micro-Retail, Small and Growing Businesses
Photo of a food processor helping fight food insecurity in the developing world.

Food Processors Help Fight Food Insecurity in the Developing World. How Has COVID-19 Impacted Them This Year?

TechnoServe’s COVID-19 Impact Report examines how the pandemic disrupted key sectors of emerging economies and the livelihoods of those who work in them. Our second feature in our blog series on the report highlights the challenges food processors faced last year and the promising solutions that could help them maintain their key role in the value chain.

COVID-19, Food Processing

How Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries Can Leverage E-Learning Solutions to Build Pathways Out of Poverty

In Kenya, entrepreneurship offers a pathway out of poverty for many young people like Irene Minyao. However, without the right skills and support, running a small business for the first time can be a daunting task. TechnoServe recently piloted a new digital platform that will help entrepreneurs gain the business management skills they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive environment.

COVID-19, Entrepreneurship, Labs, Technology
TNSLabs

In India, Better Harvests Lead to Better Education

As India grapples with a second wave of COVID-19, farmers around the country face another related challenge: maintaining their livelihoods in times of great economic uncertainty. TechnoServe is helping smallholder farmers like Dhirendra Mishra increase their incomes by connecting them with large buyers through participation in farmer producer companies. With this additional income, farmers can invest in their families and communities.

Agriculture, COVID-19