Entrepreneurship

As a young girl, Thato Ditsele dreamed of owning her own fashion business. However, life as a young entrepreneur outside of Johannesburg was not easy, and she ran into challenges along the way. Eventually, her dream came true and she was able to start her own clothing line. Through TechnoServe’s Box Shop program, she gained practical knowledge about finance, marketing, and branding, which helped her increase sales by 50%.

In the "Ask a TechnoServe Expert" series, our staff members answer your questions about the critical global issues they work on every day. In this edition, Chief Transformation Officer Kindra Halvorson addresses questions about how the COVID-19 crisis is impacting food security in the developing world.

For the past three years, TechnoServe has partnered with Citi Foundation to celebrate Global Community Day — an opportunity to give back to local communities through service. This year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Citi is partnering with TechnoServe’s Smart Duka program to distribute care packages to children’s homes and senior homes in Nairobi, Kenya.

In sub-Saharan Africa, TechnoServe is helping food processors to fortify their foods and build nutritious, productive, and prosperous futures for their communities.

Unable to find employment in his community, Francis Kihara ended up in prison. Watch our video to see how the STRYDE program helped him learn the confidence and skills he needed to start a new business and rebuild his life.

Like many other micro-retailers in Mozambique, Juliana Mário has seen her sales decrease because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the support of TechnoServe’s Business Women Connect team, Juliana has learned how to keep her business open and maintain her livelihood through these difficult times.

Kindra Halvorson, TechnoServe's Chief Transformation Officer, explores how COVID-19 is affecting farmers, food processors, and other small businesses within Africa’s complex food systems and how these can be strengthened through coordinated support.

Young people around the world are facing more challenges than ever as they enter the workforce. Many youth are experiencing canceled graduations, lack of job opportunities, and economic uncertainty. TechnoServe helps young people in the developing world access the information, capital, and markets they need to overcome tremendous obstacles and create their own economic opportunities. Today we are sharing the story of Gilbert Tarus, a 25-year-old entrepreneur from western Kenya.

TechnoServe and the Mastercard Foundation partnered to help over 68,000 young people acquire the technical and soft skills needed to generate their own opportunities and increase their incomes through the Strengthening Rural Youth Development through Enterprise program.

To commemorate World Food Safety Day, we take a look at how creative food processor trainings are helping improve consumer safety in Africa — and prove especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic.