womens economic empowerment in ethiopia – the awea report
TRANSCRIPT
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Women’s Economic Empowerment –
Building Sustainable Business Organisations for Women Entrepreneurs
2
Index
Redaktör osv....
Mamit Melak, who runs a building firm, is one of the most successful women entrepreneurs.
She is a member of the local Executive Committee in Bahir Dar.
The information in this guide is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing. The authors or publishers make no warranty, expressed or implied; concerning the accuracy of the information presented, and will not be liable for injury claims pertaining to the use of this publication or the information contained therein.
© Chamber Trade SwedenAuthor: Marianne Dott, Stockholm Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with Carin Lann, Lann Utvecklingskonsulter and colleagues at the Swedish Chambers of Commerce. Editor: Kirsten Åkerman, Åkerman Produktion Layout: Leif en Reklambyrå ABPublished by: Chamber Trade Sweden, July 2012
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Foreword 5
Introduction 6
The AWEA model 12
AWEA’s history 14
Women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia 26
Women’s economic empowerment 30
Conclusions, advice, recommendations 32
Spin-offs 37
Index
Alem Moges, who runs a children’s clothing shop, is a member of
both the local and the regional Executive Committees of AWEA.
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The Plough Centre, a member of AWEA, trains single mothers so that they can practise a trade.
5
Women have a key role to play in reducing poverty in the world. If they can learn a profession and thus earn their own money, the situation improves for their whole family. Research shows that women who start to earn money invest it in their chil-dren and their home, therefore enabling society as a whole to benefit from their economic progress.
I have followed AWEA, Amhara Women Entrepreneurs Association, for seven years and seen how the women have benefited from greater independence, self-esteem and pride by running a micro-company. Thanks to AWEA, the women have had the oppor tunity to attend short training programmes and have learned how to milk cows, do hair, embroider clothes and make handicrafts. They have learned about marketing and been able to apply their newly acquired knowledge at the trade fairs that AWEA has organised. Through AWEA, they have made contact with other women entrepre-neurs’ organisations in Ethiopia, Sudan and Kenya. As the women’s business concepts were not deemed appropriate by the established microcredit institutes, they started their own savings and credit programme, with each member contributing to the best of their ability.
AWEA has created a platform for raising the profile of women and ensuring that their voices are heard. Over the course of seven years, AWEA has grown from 60 members to 3,000. This has been possible thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Execu-tive Committee, along with limited financial support from Sida, the Swedish Interna-tional Development Cooperation Agency. The need among members is infinite.Other ideas stemming from AWEA include the school kitchen at Bahir Dar Academy, which is one of Ethiopia’s biggest gender equality projects; AWEA’s internet café financed by Swedish investors; and the collaboration between Linköping University and Ethiopian institutes of education.
AWEA remains a fragile ‘plant’ that needs nutrition, care and support in order to grow up strong. The organisation must be given the opportunity to learn how to generate more income so that in the long term, it can become independent from aid. The services offered to member companies must be developed so that more women start businesses and growth increases among existing companies.
It is time to make a long-term investment in women so that they have the chance to develop on personal level and contribute to development in poor countries. Through Sida, Sweden has unique potential to address these issues both at policy level and by means of new programmes to encourage women entrepreneurs. AWEA should be equipped to serve as an example in Ethiopia and as a model for supporting women entrepreneurs in Africa.
Stockholm July 2012 Marianne Dott
Marianne Dott
Senior Project Manager
Stockholm Chamber
of Commerce
Marianne has worked with entrepreneurship since 1981 when she was responsible for building up and implementing the concept Young Enterprise in Sweden. She has over 17 years’ experience of design-ing, leading and implementing international projects in West-ern and Eastern Europe, the Baltic States, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Rwanda and South Africa. Her expertise encom-passes private sector develop-ment, trade promotion and mobilization of companies, capacity building of private member organisations includ-ing development of member services and recruitment of members. In 1995 she got involved in women entrepre-neurship and has worked in this area on international and national level. Marianne has worked with AWEA since 2004 when she did the first feasibility studies. Marianne is presently in charge of international trade and relations at the Stockholm
Chamber of Commerce.
Foreword
Foreword
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Individuals, groups, companies, regions and entire nations can benefit from pro-grammes that give women power over their economic situation.One of the key factors in reducing global poverty is the ability of women to earn their own money. This improves conditions for entire families, children are fed and can go to school, and the entire situation of women changes. It also contributes towards building up and developing the country.
We have had the opportunity to follow AWEA, Amhara Women Entrepreneurs Asso-ciation, in Ethiopia for seven years thanks to a long-term collaboration between Sida and the Swedish Chambers of Commerce. In 2003, AWEA elected a new Executive Committee, whose hard work laid the foundations for the organisation to grow. The path has been winding and the challenges great, but the organisation has managed to meet a need among those who are most impoverished.
This publication describes the many lessons learned from AWEA – how a member-based women entrepreneurs’ organisation in a rural area can help women take up a profession and earn an income so that they can provide for themselves and their families. AWEA is based in Ethiopia, but several of the issues it addresses are so general that many developing countries would benefit from what the organisation does and what it offers women.
The task of a women entrepreneurs’ association is not only to take care of its members – it also needs to generate sufficient income. Sida has supported AWEA during two periods between 2005–2011; without that support, AWEA’s initiatives for women en-trepreneurs would be extremely limited. Thanks to hard work and a large measure of commitment, AWEA has accomplished a great deal with relatively little financial sup-port. In the long term, AWEA and similar entrepreneurs’ associations must survive without international aid. This combination of offering advanced member services while generating enough income of its own is difficult to achieve, but the equation needs to add up.
Each Sida-financed project is evaluated on the basis of international models. Some of the results are difficult to assess as they are not covered by the project description and often only become visible after a long period of time.
Many other collaborations have come into being thanks to the robust and enduring personal relationships that the Swedish Chambers of Commerce have established with AWEA. These collaborations have thrived in their own right and have the po-tential to impact on Ethiopian society in the long term. Examples of this include the school kitchen at Bahir Dar Academy, which may become one of the biggest gender equality projects in the country; Linköping University’s exchange of experiences with institutes of education in the Ahmara region; @WEA Coffice – an internet café financed by Swedish investors that aims to generate income for AWEA while giving AWEA’s members the opportunity to learn about the internet; the mentorship pro-gramme; and collaboration between Swedish and Ethiopian entrepreneurs.
“AWEA is based
in Ethiopia, but
several of the is-
sues it addresses
are so general that
many developing
countries would
benefit from what
the organisation
does and what it
offers women.”
Introduction
Introduction
7
Frehiwot Asfaw, AWEA Staff
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In addition to regular visits to AWEA over a 7-year period and several discussions with former President Fray Shibabaw, we have compiled facts on women entrepre-neurs in Ethiopia, gone through Sida’s working paper on Women’s Economic Empow-erment, and read the evaluation of the support Sida has provided to AWEA. We also conducted a number of interviews and met representatives from AWEA’s Executive Committee and workforce at a workshop in May 2011. At the workshop, we used an interactive method to get them to describe their journey and the way forward.
Employees of the Trade Promotion Programme at the Swedish Chambers of Com-merce have provided advice, comments, data and opinions. Carin Lann, a gender equality and networking expert who has worked with AWEA for several years and has lengthy, wide-ranging experience of women entrepreneurs in Western and Eastern Europe, Russia, the former Soviet Union, Belarus, the Baltic States, the USA, South Africa and Ethiopia, has also contributed with her knowledge and experience.
Women entrepreneurs’ associations give women the tools they need
Women entrepreneurs’ associations play a key role in women’s economic empower-ment. In concrete terms, this involves helping women to start and run companies that can generate income for them and their families. Women are given the chance to make their voices heard, they can work with lobbying to achieve better conditions, they become independent and they play a part in social development.
AWEA – Amhara Women Entrepreneurs Association – is a private regional organisa-tion for women entrepreneurs in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. The Association was formed in 1999 but languished until 2003 when Fray Shibabaw was elected new Presi-dent and a new Executive Committee replaced the old one. All members of the newly elected Executive Committee came from the same town – Bahir Dar. This was im-portant, as the previous Executive Committee members had come from four different places and could not afford to travel to the ordinary Executive Committee meetings, which meant that the Executive Committee was unable to meet.
AWEA’s task is to provide women entrepreneurs with the tools to ensure that they have financial know-how, are socially responsible and environmentally aware, and share the ambition of achieving robust growth. This lofty ambition comes with great social responsibility in one of the world’s poorest countries. AWEA is the biggest women entrepreneurs’ association in Ethiopia and the second biggest private member organisation in the country.
Sida’s role
In 2003, Ola Nilsmo from Sida was given responsibility for private sector development in Ethiopia. In order to gain a picture of how the country worked and who the private actors were, he started travelling around Ethiopia. At one of Sida’s country meetings in the Amhara region, he heard about a women entrepreneurs’ association. He contin-ued his search and found a number of women from AWEA who worked in a very small premises on the main street. From the very start, Ola could sense their commitment to
The AWEA model
“AWEA’s task is to
provide women
entrepreneurs with
the tools to en-
sure that they have
financial know-
how, are socially
responsible and
environmentally
aware, and share
the ambition of
achieving robust
growth.”
The AWEA model
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developing the country and improving conditions for women.
“It’s individuals who make the difference. I’ve worked with private sec-tor development for many years, and this is the most important lesson I’ve learned. When I met AWEA’s representatives, I immediately sensed the women’s commitment and the fact that they wanted to achieve change. This is why I prioritised AWEA. It’s important to me that a well-functioning organisation is already in place to build upon, and that the support provided by Sida helps it to grow a little faster, ensuring even greater financial stability.”
Ola Nilsmo.
Role of the Swedish Chambers of Commerce
The Swedish Chambers of Commerce have worked with women entrepreneurs since 1995. Aside from our day-to-day work with our women entrepreneurs and the women’s networks, we have taken part in several Swedish and European cooperation projects and worked with women entrepreneurs’ organisations in East and South Africa. We offer wide-ranging, in-depth knowledge and have gained access to valuable interna-tional networks.
This was why in 2004 Sida asked us to take on the short-term task of performing two studies of the opportunities of women to run businesses in Ethiopia, and the condi-tions for AWEA. We did this together with an American woman who worked for USAID on various projects in Bahir Dar.
On the basis of the recommendations, Sida decided to provide support to AWEA, which meant that the organisation was able to employ staff, equip its office, arrange trade fairs and offer members limited service.
But AWEA also needed to develop its organisation, build its capacity, create new member services and generate income. There was a great need for technical assistance tailored to their needs. At the same time, the Swedish Chambers of Commerce signed a 4-year cooperation agreement with Sida to work on a trade promotion programme. We saw AWEA’s needs and presented a strong case for incorporating AWEA as a special project in our portfolio. As Ethiopia and AWEA were worlds apart from us, our role was identified as that of mentor and advisor.
Thanks to Sida’s programme for young consultants, we were able to post a Chamber of Commerce employee, Karin Malmström, at AWEA for a few months during spring 2006. She followed both the day-to-day work at the office and the discussions of the Executive Committee, together with which she was able to define our role and the four areas that AWEA needed help with. These were leadership and corporate govern-ance, developing and creating new member services, support in drafting a new project application to Sida, and building up a national network consisting of all women entre-preneurs’ organisations in Ethiopia.
The AWEA model
Karin Malmström
Senior Analyst
Stockholm Chamber
of Commerce
Karin has lengthy experience
of initiating, leading and evalu-
ating international projects.
She helped design the Trade
Promotion Programme of the
Swedish Chambers of Com-
merce from 2005–2008, and
was also project manager for
AWEA. Karin stayed in Bahir
Dar in Ethiopia in spring 2006,
taking part in both the day-to-
day work at AWEA’s office and
the Executive Committee’s
discussions. She helped build
AWEA’s capacity and support-
ed the Executive Committee in
various discussions on devel-
opment. Karin is responsible
for trade policy and the EU’s
internal market at Stockholm
Chamber of Commerce.
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This project compilation formed the basis of our cooperation
Aim of the project Indicator Verification
Strengthen AWEA’s capacity AWEA is able to offer The number of membersso that the organisation can be members the services is increasing. Reviews showsustainable in the long term. they require. that capacity has increased.
Support the development of Cooperation is established Cooperation is formalised.other women entrepreneurs’ between women entre-organisations in Ethiopia preneurs’ organisations.
A cooperation agreement was signed between the Swedish Chambers of Commerce and AWEA. We kept in regular touch with AWEA, made regular visits and arranged various workshops and courses. The issues faced by the Swedish Chambers of Com-merce and AWEA were in many cases the same, despite the fact that we operated in completely different contexts.
All workshops were interactive. We introduced a subject and shared our experiences with the Executive Committee members, members and staff, who then drew up how AWEA would work on the particular issue in question in practical terms. All training was offered in Amharic through an interpreter. We sent our slides down in advance, so they had already been translated.
In 2006, the Swedish Chambers of Commerce introduced a certified board member training programme for member companies in Sweden. It was developed by Rune Brandinger, who has sound, wide-ranging experience from various company boards. We adapted the training programme to suit AWEA and translated it into Amharic. On the first occasion, we gave a short version of the course but the next year, they were asked to produce a long-term strategic plan.
It was a fantastic experience to see these women work wholeheartedly with AWEA’s figures and activities based on a model from the leading-edge training programmes of the Swedish Chambers of Commerce. We do not even know if all participants could read, but they all took part in the practical work. The workshop lasted three days. On the first day, we looked at different theories and introduced the work. We then moder-ated the discussion session. On days two and three, AWEA’s Executive Committee members led the work, and we sat at the back and made various comments. Short and long-term goals were drawn up during the workshop, along with a business plan for achieving these goals. The LFA produced during Sida project process was the main-stay of our work.
During our Trade Promotion Programme, we had the opportunity to take AWEA’s Executive Committee with us on a few study trips abroad – to Uganda and Russia – allowing them to see and experience in practical terms how other women entre-
The AWEA model
“After those four years, we
could safely say that AWEA was no
longer a novice – it was seen as a model for wom-
en entrepreneurs’ organisations in
Ethiopia.”
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preneurs’ organisations work and in which environments. Much of our focus was on generating income for the organisation, recruiting new members and providing new services to member companies – particularly training courses, trade fairs/market-places and loans.
The then President of AWEA also took part in the “Making Trade Happen” seminar in Sweden in 2009. We have learned from AWEA and our other projects that “Experi-ence provides understanding, i.e. you need to see and experience things for yourself in order to understand them”.
ConclusionsAfter those four years, we could safely say that AWEA was no longer a novice – it was seen as a model for women entrepreneurs’ organisations in Ethiopia.
AWEA had become the second biggest member organisation in the country. The num-ber of paying/active members was 1,876 in January 2009, an increase of just over 1,000 compared to 2005. AWEA had been invited to take part in several conferences that the Addis Abeba Chamber of Commerce organised on the development of the private sec-tor. It was always consulted regarding issues related to women entrepreneurs.
A national network that was later called EWEA, Ethiopian Women Entrepreneurs Association, was initiated by AWEA and formally founded in Bahir Dar in 2007. The then president of AWEA also became president of the national network.
We can definitely say that cooperation between two sister organisations, i.e. private member organisations, is a successful model. Also, there are bonds and relationships that persist long past the end of the project period.
AWEA-modellen
From left to right: Alem Moges, Lucia Severed, Asmeret Amidebrihan, Endalsasa Yayeh, Meseret Ayalew, Worknesh Manasib,
Tigist Fentie, Carin Lann, Hirut Jemberu, Charlotte Kalin, Mamit Melak and Etsegenet Woldie
Support from Sida
In November 2005, Sida
signed its first coop-
eration agreement with
AWEA, which ran until
June 2008 (phase 1).
This support continued
to be provided in a
second phase (July
2008–July 2011), with
public procurement of
an international consul-
tancy firm. In May 2011,
an external evaluation
was made of Sida’s
support to AWEA.
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The AWEA model
The AWEA model
BackgroundA member organisation in a developing country needs to develop and build its capa city. The Swedish Chambers of Commerce are tasked with making an initial assessment of the organisation (relevance, members, services for members, income generation, etc.). For us, this constitutes an organisational development project in which we contri bute our core skills and experience, i.e. those relating to being a member-driven organisa-tion.
1. Building relationships and knowledge• Face-to-facemeetings.Visitingorganisations.Listening,learningaboutwhatthe
organisation does. Initiating discussions about the tasks of an entrepreneur organi-sation, i.e. its core activity, services for members, member recruitment, and member care.
• Gettingtoknoweachother’soperations.• Askingourselvesquestions:canwecontribute?Arewerelevantpartners?Areour
experiencesvaluable?• Buildingrelationshipsbetweenourorganisations.Listeningcarefullytoquestions.
2. Creating a common frame of reference and benchmarking• Jointlyidentifyinganumberofareas.A:memberissues,memberrecruitment,
membercare,CRMportal.B:opinionbuildingandadvocacywork.C:servicesformembers, training, network groups, business partner searches.
• Creatingacommonframeofreference.Wedemonstratewhatwedoandhowwework in the areas that are relevant, and our partners do the same. Networking to develop skills is an important tool.
3. Regular meetings and local presence • Regularvisitsandcontactareextremelyimportant.TwopeoplefromtheSwedish
ChambersofCommerceareresponsibleforthelong-termrelationship.Guaranteesstability and continuity. Several people from the Swedish Chambers of Commerce are brought in depending on needs and skills.
• OnthepossibilityofsomeonefromtheSwedishChambersofCommercebeingonsite at a partner’s for a longer period, e.g. via Sida’s young consultant programme. Local presence enables more in-depth knowledge to be acquired about the needs that exist, and long-term planning becomes more relevant.
4. Offer all the skills available at the Swedish Chambers of Commerce• OffertheSwedishChambersofCommerce’sfullrangeofskills,organisational
structure, policy work, business networks, member processing and member train-ing. Adapt the training programmes to the partner’s world; provide board training.
• Holdregularworkshopsthatarebasedoninteractivity,i.e.whentheorganisationand its members have heard about the Swedish experiences, they should apply what they have learned to their own context.
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The AWEA model
• ShowpartnerstheSwedishChambersofCommerce’sorganisationandstrategydocument. Let partners be a party to 100 years of experience that is constantly being revised and updated. Ask partners to do the same. Draw joint conclusions about what is important. State any reflections out loud together.
5. Get to know each other’s networks and partners• Gettoknoweachother’snetworksandpartnersForexample,bringpartnersto
Chamber of Commerce meetings in the country. The partner brings the Chambers of Commerce to regional meetings of various entrepreneur associations.
• BringpartnerstoSwedensotheycangettoknowourcontextandmeetourpartners.• Invitepartnerstotakepartinotherworkshops/activitiesthatweorganisesothat
they can expand their international networks and acquire new knowledge. For ex-ample, AWEA travelled to Uganda in 2007 where they met AWAN – African Women Agribusiness Network – and UWEAL – Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited. In 2008, AWEA attended a conference in St Petersburg and learned about how women’s entrepreneurship in the St Petersburg region, the Baltic States and Belarus is structured.
6. Facilitator role (Chamber of Commerce)The Chamber of Commerce takes more of a facilitator role and brings in other actors with expertise in other areas to the workshops.1. Realise that things take time (calendar time).2. Focus on a few limited areas at a time.3. Be receptive. “Many times, something that we have mentioned quickly and in
passing has been or become important.”
Key requirements to consider in the work• Partners should have their own project funds (from Sida) and thus their own
responsibility for their development.
•Ensure lively, open dialogue. Being receptive is crucial.
• Realise that partners have their own development processes. Joint reflection.
Make evaluations on a regular basis with partners. Review the organisation
constantly, make improvements.
• Remember that the goal of establishing long-term relationships means keeping
the best interests of the organisation in mind. It is important to build a sustain-
able organisation.
•Start small.
•Establish trust, build up mutual reliance.
• Make changes and develop the organisation where possible. Create realistic
expectations among partners. Make them realise that they are the ones who
can make the change, not us or Sida’s funds.
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1999•AWEA was formed by a group of women
entrepreneurs and the Women’s Affairs Department at the Ministry of Trade. The Executive Committee members, who lived in four different towns, did not have the financial means to meet, and the organisa-tion languished.
2003 •AWEA elected a new Executive Committee,
with all members living in Bahir Dar. Fray Shibabaw was elected President. The exist-ing 60 members were mobilised.
•AWEA organised its first trade fair, which took place in Bahir Dar in April. It was a great success, and several entrepreneurs sold more during the six days of the fair than they had sold over the preceding six months. The word spread in the Amhara region and in September, a trade fair was organised in the city of Debre Markos.
•Two members of AWEA were given the opportunity to go on study trips abroad (to Ghana and the US) to gain inspiration and knowledge.
2004 •Three fairs were organised in three differ-
ent locations.
•Sida, which had heard about AWEA, met some of the Executive Committee mem-bers and expressed an interest. It asked the Swedish Chambers of Commerce to make a study of AWEA, as it was aware that they were familiar with the structure of member-based organisations and also had a great deal of experience in women’s entrepreneurship. The Swedish Chambers of Commerce met AWEA three times that year and got to know the organisation. Two reports about women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia, with a particular focus on AWEA, were produced.
•Sida signed a Letter of Intent with AWEA.
•To get started, AWEA received a small amount of start-up capital from Sida. This was handled in practical terms by the Swedish Chambers of Commerce. Offices were set up in Bahir Dar and Gondar and equipped with computers and printers. The grant also covered external consul-tancy services for producing the project documents that Sida required.
2005
•AWEA signed an initial cooperation agreement with Sida covering the period 2005–2007.
•The Swedish Chambers of Commerce, which ran a major trade promotion pro-gramme with Sida, were able to include AWEA. A cooperation agreement was signed between the Swedish Chambers of Commerce and AWEA for the period 2005–2008.
•The Swedish Chambers of Commerce focused on getting to know AWEA as an organisation, holding training courses for staff, providing practical support when building up the offices, and helping to develop services for members.
2006•The Swedish Chambers of Commerce
placed an employee to AWEA for just over three months. She helped to organise and structure the offices, held courses for both staff and members, and helped draft vari-ous concepts. Together with AWEA, she performed a gap analysis of the organisa-tion in accordance with an international model.
•A Swedish company with extensive ex-perience of international networking and empowerment of women was hired and a workshop organised for several women entrepreneurs’ organisations in the capital, Addis Abeba.
•A Swedish teacher working at Linköping University accompanied a representative of the Swedish Chambers of Commerce on a trip to Ethiopia. AWEA’s President Fray Shibabaw heard for the first time about home economics and school kitchens.
2007•AWEA organised the first national trade fair
for Ethiopian women entrepreneurs in Ad-dis Abeba, in collaboration with the other women entrepreneurs’ organisations.
•In April, local Executive Committees were elected in all four locations (Bahir Dar, Gondar, Dessie and Debre Markos).
•In May, the Executive Committee of AWEA was elected. Fray Shibabaw resigned.
•In May, the national Women Business Network, which later changed its name to EWEA – Ethiopian Women Entrepre-
AWEA’s history
AWEA’s history
Ethiopia
Capital: Addis Abeba
Number of inhabitants:
85 million (2010)
Form of government: Repub-
lic, federal state
Ethnic groups:
(around 80) – Oromo 35%,
Amhara 27%, Somali 6%,
Tigray 6%, other ethnic
groups 26% (2007 census)
Languages: Amharic and
English are used in official
contexts; other languages in-
clude Oromo, Tigrinya, Somali
and Afar.
Religion: Ethiopian-Orthodox
Christians 43%, Muslims 34%,
Protestants 19%, traditional
indigenous religions 2.6%,
other 1.4% (2007 census)
Most important export goods:
coffee, oil-yielding plants, khat,
gold, leather goods
GNP per inhabitant:
USD 365 (2010)
Proportion of GNI coming
from aid: 12% (2009)
Literacy: 29.8% (2008)
Access to clean water:
38% (2008)
Access to telephones
(mobile subscriptions per
100 inhabitants): 5 (2009)
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neurs Association – was formed. Eight women entrepreneurs’ organisations from 11 regions make up the national network. AWEA’s President was elected president of the national network, and by-laws were adopted.
•The Swedish Chambers of Commerce held their first workshop on “Corporate Governance – the Role of the Executive Committee/Board” for AWEA’s Executive Committees (regional and local) and the other eight women entrepreneurs’ or-ganisations. The training was based on the Swedish Chambers of Commerce’s own “Diploma programme for board work” that Rune Brandinger designed.
•Representatives of the Executive Commit-tee of AWEA were given the chance to take part in an international workshop in Kenya that the Swedish Chambers of Commerce and Norwegian partner HSH arranged for women entrepreneurs in East Africa.
2008 •The Swedish Chambers of Commerce
held a more comprehensive interactive workshop on corporate governance and strategic planning. AWEA was asked to draft and ensure acceptance among its members for the LFA that was to form the platform for the new cooperation agree-ment with Sida.
•The Swedish networking consultant held two training courses in Ethiopia. The first took place in Bahir Dar and covered practi-cal marketing, networking, board work and mentorship. The second, organised jointly with the Women’s Affairs Depart-ment, Ministry of Trade and the Swedish Chambers of Commerce, was aimed at the national network – NWBN – and its mem-bers. The aim was to show how national women entrepreneurs’ organisations in other countries had arranged trade fairs and workshops aimed at helping women entrepreneurs to develop and provide them with new contacts.
•The Swedish Chambers of Commerce brought three representatives from AWEA and one from the Women’s Affairs Depart-ment to an international conference or-ganised by the St Petersburg Social & Eco-nomic Institute, which is also part of the network surrounding women’s economic empowerment. The aim was to meet and learn from Russian, Baltic and Belarus-sian women entrepreneurs’ associations. Extensive benchmarking was performed.
•AWEA signed a new cooperation agree-ment with Sida for the period 2008–2011.
•The Swedish Chambers of Commerce invited AWEA’s former President Fray to Sweden to take part as a speaker at the “Make Trade Happen” conference organ-ised by the Swedish Chambers of Com-merce as a concluding activity in the Trade Promotion Programme. During this visit, Fray visited schools in Sweden and saw how school kitchens worked. She also held a lecture on the education system in Ethio-pia for students and teachers at Linköping University and talked to them about Bahir Dar Academy.
•Fray Shibabaw set up Ethiopia’s first school kitchen at her own school, Bahir Dar Academy.
•The formal cooperation agreement of the Swedish Chambers of Commerce with AWEA expires following the conclusion of the Trade Promotion Programme.
2009•A tender is carried out and AWEA gains a
new international partner – Lann Utveck-lingskonsulter AB – which continues to support AWEA in areas such as building the capacity of the organisation, train-ing AWEA’s experts in innovative tools for entrepreneurial development, and training individual members.
•The Swedish Chambers of Commerce kept in regular contact with AWEA.
2010•Representatives from the teacher training
programme at Linköping University went on a reconnaissance trip to the Amhara re-gion. AWEA and Bahir Dar Academy helped to organise a programme for the visit.
•Lann Utvecklingskonsulter continued to work with AWEA, with collaboration on training for fathers’ groups taking place in parallel.
2011•A concluding workshop took place in Bahir
Dar during a trip to Ethiopia in May. The aim was to capture and document AWEA’s history.
•Swedish investors financed @WEA Cof-fice on the initiative of Lann Utveckling-skonsulter – not only to generate income for AWEA but also to make AWEA and its members more professional. The internet café is intended to be a centre of learning at which AWEA’s members can receive free training and have free internet access so that they can gradually acquire skills in e-commerce. In the long-term, the idea is for members who are interested to be able to learn English here.
AWEA’s history
Frealem (Fray) Shibabaw
AWEA’s President
2003-2007
Together with her husband,
Dr Gebayaw Tiruneh, she
owns Bahir Dar Academy. Fray
started Bahir Dar Academy in
2001 and had 50 students in
the first year. Thanks to wide-
spread interest, the school
has been expanded every year
and now accommodates over
2,000 youngsters. It takes
students from kindergarten
to high school age (3–16
years). Bahir Dar Academy
introduced computer studies
from year 1, which was very
unusual in Ethiopia. It is the
only school in Ethiopia with
home economics as a subject
on the curriculum.
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16
When Fray Shibabaw became President in 2003, she had an active Executive Com-mittee and around 60 committed members. She had heard about trade fairs, and the Executive Committee decided that this would be AWEA’s first major activity, with the aim of recruiting members and spreading information about the organisation. As the concept was completely new in Bahir Dar, it was met with much scepticism, and the various Executive Committee members were forced to make house calls and contact women they knew to ask them to take part.
Tireless commitment from the Executive CommitteeThanks to the trade fairs, several international organisations heard about AWEA. Fray made contact with the EU office in Addis Abeba and was asked to submit an application for AWEA. The entire organisation needed to be developed and built up, more employees needed to be recruited, and various kinds of training were necessary.
Fray herself was an entrepreneur and ran a school – Bahir Dar Academy – which was expanding every year. Each summer, new classrooms were built to accommodate the increasing number of students wishing to attend the school. In order for AWEA to re-ceive EU funding, Fray was obliged to attend a week’s course in Addis Abeba and learn how to make an application. When the school term began in September that year, Fray, the school’s senior executive and owner, was on an EU project course in Addis Abeba. She was thus unable to welcome her new students to the school; instead, she had to delegate this responsibility to the rest of the school leadership.
AWEA’s history
AWEA’s history
“The first trade fair was organ-
ised in Bahir Dar in 2003. Finan-
cially, the exhibitors did well out
of the fair. Many of them sold
more during those five days
than they had over the past
six months. The word spread
and there was an influx of new
members. The trade fair concept
spread to Gondar, Debre Markos
and Dessie, where the organisa-
tion also found a platform. All
the trade fairs were scheduled
close to major public holidays
such as Easter and New Year.”
17
AWEA’s history
AWEA’s organisation
General Assembly
Regional Exe. Committee
Regional Director
Secretary Casher
Secretary Casher
Admin & Finance
Store Keeper
Janitor & Messanger
Guards & Gardner
Training ExpertTrade Fair Expert
Accountant
BDS Expert
BDS Faciliator
Zonal Exe. Committee
Branch Coordinator
Top:
Nigist Alemayehu Hailu
President, AWEA
Bottom:
Tilahun Ayalew
CEO, AWEA
This incident is a good example of how the Executive Committee of AWEA consistently makes major sacrifices in order for the organisation to evolve. Its commitment in terms of time and money is one of AWEA’s biggest strengths. The women believe in and are passionate about their organisation.
The membersMany of AWEA’s members are extremely poor and find it difficult to earn an income, as there are practically no jobs available. Also, many adults in Ethiopia are illiterate. Thanks to the organisation, they get the opportunity to learn the skills of a trade, such as how to milk a cow, how milk can be processed into various dairy products, embroidery techniques, sewing, clothing manufacture or poultry keeping. In this way, the women can receive an income and provide for themselves and their families. The training offered via AWEA is crucial to these women.
Today, AWEA has over 3,000 members, four local offices and a regional office. In many developing countries, all companies are considered members even if they have not paid the fee for the current year. AWEA owns a building in Bahir Dar in which one of the local offices is situated. The other three local offices borrow premises from the authorities. The office space for the regional office in Bahir Dar is rented. The total number of employees is 17, of which 5 work at the regional office. In 2003, there was only one office and three employees. The office was literally a ‘hole in the wall’ of 5m2 on the main street.
AWEA’s Executive Committee consists of five members. Also, each local office has its own Executive Committee.
18
AWEAs historia
The AWEA member Plough Centre offers training for single mothers.
19
AWEA’s most important member services
AWEA training
Conditions must be created for the women to acquire professional skills and earn money. ThisiswhytrainingisoneofAWEA’smostimportanttasks.Variouscourseshavebeen arranged in skills including hairdressing, customer service, IT, sewing, handi-crafts and poultry keeping. A course lasts five to ten half-days and external teachers are brought in. In the Ethiopian culture, many course participants receive payment when they take part in various courses. AWEA does not make such payments, but nor does it charge any fees.
Members are also offered basic consultancy services so that they can develop their businesses, often per sector and in groups.
Credits and savings
Despite the fact that there are many micro-credit institutes, women entrepreneurs rarely fit into such structures. This is why, after many years of effort, AWEA has started its own savings programme for its members in all four locations. The members havebeendividedintothreegroups:thosewhoareabletosaveregularlyeachmonth,those who can save a little now and then, and those who are unable to put any money aside at all. AWEA hopes that the authorities will be able to match the women’s sav-ings with a grant or loan.
The money will also be used to build up marketplaces where women can sell their goods and also will be able to manufacture certain goods.
Lobbying
Lobbying is an important task for all member-based organisations. Through their organisation, members acquire a platform for dialogue with the authorities. This is particularly important for the women, as they generally find it difficult to make their voices heard.
AWEA has successfully worked on various policy issues, e.g. taxes to improve condi-tions for women entrepreneurs, and gaining access to land. The state owns all land in Ethiopia, and companies and individuals can lease it for long periods of time, often 99 years. After many years of lobbying, AWEA has managed to get the authorities to give them land on which they can produce and sell their goods, as well as access to a number of containers in which certain activities can be performed.
The marketplaces, which the women save up for themselves, are to be built on these plots.AWEAhasbeengivenlandinGondaronwhichithopestobeabletobuildatourist village. This major project is still at the planning stage so far.
“Through their organisation, members acquire a platform for dialogue with the authorities.”
AWEA’s history
20
Networking and collaboration
Through their organisation, the women have a platform for collaborating with re-gional and national Ethiopian authorities and organisations, as well as with interna-tional aid organisations, the ILO, Sida, the Swedish Chambers of Commerce, and other international companies and investors.
Many contacts have been made with various organisations, and the women entrepre-neurs travel to regional trade fairs in various Ethiopia cities, as well as to neighbour-ing countries. With support from Sida, a book – Amhara Women Entrepreneurs Suc-cess Stories – has been published. It is striking that almost all the entrepreneurs have changed direction several times. They learn a trade, earn a little money, invest it in a new business, and earn a little more, which is then invested in a new business. It is important to highlight role models who can inspire other women entrepreneurs.
International consultancy services
When the Trade Promotion Programme of the Swedish Chambers of Commerce was concluded in 2008, AWEA expressed a wish for an international partner, and Sida carried out a tender that was won by Lann Utvecklingskonsulter AB. The Swedish
“Thanks to the platform that
AWEA has built up, the women
cooperate, do business
together and support
each other.”
AWEA’s history
Network meeting with AWEA’s members.
21
Chambers of Commerce did not take part in the tender, as we considered at that point that we had given AWEA what we could and it was time for it to move on and work with new partners.
The task was to assist AWEA in developing its organisation further, expand the range of services on offer to members, train AWEA’s teachers so they could offer new method ology, and reinforce the networks between AWEA and its members – and above all among members – in order to provide greater support to individual AWEA members. Building networks with other countries was also high up on the wish list. Swedish ex-perts such as Carin Lann, Lucia Severed and Birgitta Hedenstedt worked with AWEA for just over 1½ years, giving seminars on mentorship, practical marketing without funds, design and network building. KKiKK games, NetworkAction and Leadership were carried out.
The programme has enjoyed a good response, and AWEA now runs the mentor programme itself. It has also expanded in stage two, when each experienced mentor has two to four trainees. Also, those who were trainees in stage one have gone on to become mentors. In this way, the number of mentors is constantly increasing.“AWEA constitutes a model for Africa,” stresses Carin Lann, who has worked with women entrepreneurs in 15 different countries. “The conditions that existed when we entered the project were different this time. The Swedish Chambers of Commerce had already built up a member organisation and held a number of board training courses. The AWEA Executive Committee had skills that could be built upon, which made all further development easier. The Executive Committee has been wholeheartedly involved in everything and has always made the effort.”
Thanks to the platform that AWEA has built up, the women cooperate, do business together and support each other.
“The relatively small amount of financial assistance that women re-ceive in the various countries is used effectively. Most people who are
acquainted with the world of international aid are aware of this fact. I’ve seen women develop their businesses and thus provide for their
families while starting to work politically to change society. Entrepre-neurs are truly a force to be reckoned with in affecting change. Unfor-tunately, women’s organisations are often modest and do not dare ask
for large funds despite the sterling work that they do. They have also been repeatedly forced to give proof of their skills before the major
donors have become aware of them. In this area, Sida has been a role model in many respects through its risk taking and, above all, through
its willingness to see the innate power that exists in AWEA despite difficult circumstances. But it is now time to move up a gear and
stopgiving women the thinnest slice of the cake!”
Carin Lann, gender equality and networking expert
AWEA’s history
Carin Lann
Carin Lann is a gender equal-
ity and networking expert.
She has lengthy, wide-ranging
experience of women entre-
preneurs in Sweden, Western
and Eastern Europe, Russia,
the former Soviet Union,
Belarus, the Baltic States, the
USA, South Africa and Ethio-
pia. Lann owns and runs Lann
Utvecklingskonsulter. She has
worked with AWEA since 2006
and won the international
Sida tender in 2009. Together
with other Swedish experts,
she has assisted AWEA in its
development.
Lucia Severed
Lucia Severed is linked to LANN
Development in a consultancy
network as a legal adviser and
organisational consultant
specialising in collaboration in
professional networks. She has
developed and is continuing to
develop a range of methods
for evolving networks, encom-
passing everything from learn-
ing and mentorship to social
media. Lucia is also CEO of
KKiKK AB, a cluster company of
specialists in HR/Management.
22
Fatherhood trainingWhen Fray Shibabaw visited Russia, she came in contact with Lann Utvecklingskon-sulter’sgenderequalityprojectformen.Theprojectwasdividedintotwocomponents:one to strengthen men’s role as parents, and one to counteract domestic violence.
As AWEA’s members had had some problems with their husbands, AWEA wished to increase the level of support the husbands provided by training them to be better fathers and getting them to take more responsibility in the home when the women were working on their businesses. This is the story behind “fatherhood training”, with VidarVetterfalkandMatsBerggrenasSwedishexperts.
There was an influx of applications to the course and at the first seminar, the partici-pants were extremely enthusiastic, as can be seen in the picture on the facing page. The course has been so successful that AWEA – as part of its social undertakings – is planning to start a fatherhood training course at national level together with midwives and other interested parties.
“I just saw very happy news on AWEA website about the facilitators training on fatherhood. I am so thrilled that this training has started. I want the story to be told to the people involved on how AWEA came to realize the need for fatherhood training. It was some 5 years ago when 40 of our women got a chance to supply food to the university in Bahir Dar. It was a big opportunity but it kept them very busy, they had to work day and night. And all of them were married. Their hus-bands, all of them, became really upset and demanded an immediate stop to that project because they could not manage their house and their kids at home. But by mediating and convincing the men in the family that the family as a whole will benefit they were able to co-operate. I asked my husband Gebeyaw to speak to the men regarding sharing responsibilities because we had to save their marriages and it worked magically. From that experience I knew that there was a need for fatherhood training” Fray Shibabaw
Factors for success highlighted by AWEAAWEA is the second biggest member organisation in Ethiopia, and when we asked at our workshop in May 2011 what its success factors were, the following were high-lighted:
Leadership and organisationA strong Executive Committee with a vision, mission and long-term goals firmly anchored in the organisation. Clearly expressed values that were established by the former Executive Committee under Fray’s leadership. Fray as a person was also a role model, and the current leadership are following the path she prepared. The Executive Committee are willing to set aside time to develop its member organisation
“We know we have to sacrifice business time to build up the Association and we are willing to do it.”
AWEA’s history
Vidar Vetterfalk with a journa-
list following a live broadcast
of the fatherhood training in
Bahir Dar. Vidar Vetterfalk is
linked to LANN Development
in a consultancy network.
Vidar is an expert on the man’s
role in society and has run
programmes that make men
better fathers in Sweden, Rus-
sia, Belarus, Vietnam, South
Africa, and now Ethiopia.
23
AWEA has successfully managed a change of President and Executive Committee without the organisation falling apart or becoming less significant. Fray, who was one of the driving forces behind AWEA, built up a sustainable organisation, and when she phased herself out and finally resigned after two periods, there were others who were prepared to take on the role. Such a transition presents a major challenge to fragile member organisations.
The organisation has a strong secretariat led by a competent project coordinator. The Executive Committee and secretariat have a harmonious relationship. Coordination between local offices works well.
All members know of and understand the vision, mission and long-term goals of theorganisation.
AWEA works transparently so that both the Executive Committee and members understand what is done, why it is done and how.
The membersAWEA has identified several of the members’ problems and challenges and tries to work constructively to identify various solutions.
It has close, strong relationships with its members, who regularly take part in various activities and are greatly involved in the organisation.
The services provided to member companies have been adapted to meet members’ needs and comprise training, access to credit, lobbying efforts to gain access to land, provision of marketplaces, and trade fairs.
“AWEA is plan-ning to start a fatherhood training course at national level together with midwives and other interested parties.”
AWEA’s history
Men who have taken part in “fatherhood training”.
24
PartnersAWEA has established good relationships and works closely with the government, variousauthorities,internationalorganisationssuchasSida,GTZandILO,andtheSwedish Chambers of Commerce.
At the workshop in 2011, it stressed that its partnership with the Swedish Chambers of Commerce had bolstered the organisation, giving it stability and strength. The Execu-tive Committee members emphasised in particular the value of our regular visits and that we have continued to visit throughout the years. Peer-to-peer relationships that are given the opportunity to develop and become deeper over time persist long after the project has been concluded. AWEA knows that the relationships it has built up with the Swedish Chambers of Commerce continue to be strong, and that we will be present in the background to give them advice where necessary. Here, there is a major difference between professional member organisations that start a partnership col-laboration and consultancy companies. We are interested in maintaining contact and investing our time in order to build up long-term relationships. Even during periods when we have only played a small part in a large consultancy assignment, the foreign organisation has approached us with its questions.
Future plans and income generationOne of the biggest difficulties a member organisation such as AWEA faces is to generate enough income to be able to live up to and match the needs of members in terms of services. This means that the organisation must earn sufficient money that it can afford to employ staff who can provide high-quality services that help generate new income.
Income generation is an issue we always discuss at all workshops. The Swedish Chambers of Commerce know from their own experience how important this issue is; we also know that few member organisations can survive on membership fees alone. This is why member organisations all over the world offer a wide range of differ-ent services. Despite the fact that we operate in completely different environments, certain issues are identical in all member organisations. Services for members, income generation and project activities aimed at offering high-quality services are all parts of the core activity of a member organisation.
AWEA’s income is currently generated from membership fees, tent rental fees, com-puter and photocopying services, and trade fairs. AWEA had a turnover of Birr 2 826 695 from July 2008 to April 2011. The birr (Ethiopian currency) is linked to the US dollar, and the exchange rate has varied a great deal in recent years. (In 2011, Birr 1 was the equivalent of around SEK 0.50; a couple of years ago, it was SEK 0.80.) Sida has financed 75% of the operation, with AWEA financing the rest. AWEA is well aware that it must increase its own share. This issue is crucial to AWEA’s long-term survival.
AWEA’s history
25
The trade fair operation has generated less income than budgeted. None of the three national trade fairs planned and only half (17) of the regional ones took place. The members that the evaluators met said that they would like to see more trade fairs. The stiff competition between member organisations to organise trade fairs makes things difficult for AWEA. Also, the organisers require permits from the authorities. Infor-mation on how these decisions are made and on what grounds is not readily available.
New areas have been identified:
- Membership fees. Members pay Birr 5 per month (SEK 2.50), but not all members can afford this. The intention is to mobilise more companies and increase the num-berofmembers.ThewomenalsotalkofincludingnewgroupssuchasHIV-positivewomen and disabled women.
- Trade fairs and tent rental. Permits are required to organise regional/national trade fairs, and there is stiff competition for these. AWEA hopes to become one of the organisers.
- Marketplaces and stall rental financed by member savings.
- Internet café. With the help of private Swedish investors, AWEA is in the process of setting up its own internet café equipped with new computers and broadband.
AWEA needs to survive as an organisation, and membership fees are insufficient as the sole source of income. It must be provided with the conditions to become more professional and thus be able to take on new tasks, such as working with tour operators and receiving foreign tourists, arranging national trade fairs with workshops and sponsorship, offering new mobile services to women from its internet café, and so on.
From letf to right:
Toyba Redwan, Senait Hindaye
and Charlotte Kalin
@WEA Coffice’s manager,
along with Charlotte Kalin
at Chamber Trade Sweden,
has taken over responsibil-
ity for running the Swedish
Chambers of Commerce’s
collaborations with Sida and
trade promotion.
AWEA’s history
26
The private sectorWomen entrepreneurs, who largely run micro-entrepreneurships and small entrepre-neurships, play an important role in the Ethiopian economy, with their entrepreneur-ship contributing to economic growth in the country. This is confirmed in the report Desk Review of Studies Conducted on Women Entrepreneurs in Ethiopia, PSD Hub Publication No 11. The author Desta Solomon has conducted internal research and gone through 20 different reports, which have been compiled in a publication. There is not a great deal of documentation on women entrepreneurs – the statistics are limited and so it is difficult to draw any conclusions. Only 23% of the women have formally registered their companies.
Despite the lack of relevant statistics broken down by gender, there are women entre-preneurs in the informal micro-entrepreneurship and small entrepreneurship sec-tor. There are no studies of how micro-entrepreneurships grow, or how the general growth picture for micro-entrepreneurs in Ethiopia, but this sector creates jobs, pro-vides a livelihood for most outside the agricultural sector, and is significant in terms ofthecountry’sGNP.Therearefewjobsforwomen,andthereforestartingyourownbusiness is the only means of earning an income. Survival is the most important driver for many women in the informal sector, which is why they run micro-entrepreneur-ships.Thewomenentrepreneurscanbedividedintothreedifferentcategories:
•Survivors(handtomouth)
•Growth-oriented
•Otherwomenentrepreneurs
Survivors This group, the largest and the one in which women dominate, has relatively low growth. There are no alternative job options, which is why women start businesses in which they focus on producing handicrafts, street trading, and buying and selling vari-ous goods. If they can earn a little extra money and thus slightly improve their financial conditions, they can leave these basic activities behind and move forward with their businesses. The threat of starvation is more of a driver than entrepreneurial factors.
Growth-orientedIn 2003, the ILO made a comprehensive study of 123 women entrepreneurs in Addis Abeba and five other major cities in Ethiopia. All their companies had grown from small entrepreneurships into SMEs, which means that they had employees. These women had all received support from their parents, e.g. by them offering to be credi-tors or giving the women access to property or land on which they could manufacture goods. Contrary to popular belief, this study showed that there are actually women SME entrepreneurs with a large number of employees.
Other women entrepreneursThere is a group of well-educated women who own and run large companies. These women have relatively good economic conditions and better access to
Women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia
“The biggest
barriers for women
are access to
capital, land, busi-
ness support
services, training,
mentors, networks
and women
entrepreneurs’
organisations.”
Women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia
27
financing, according to a study by the World Bank from 2009. Women entrepreneurs in this group tend to have more employees than equivalent companies owned by men. Their companies are larger in terms of the number of employees from the very start, and they tend to grow more quickly. The same study also shows that companies owned by women generate greater income than those owned by men, with the exception of micro-entrepreneurships. The difference is even clearer in the case of shared owner-ship, i.e. a man and a woman together, but can also be discerned if a woman is the sole owner of the company.
BarriersThe biggest barriers for women are that they do not have access to capital, land, business support services, training, mentors, networks, and women entrepreneurs’ organisations.
Limited access to capitalThe banking sector in Ethiopia is extremely small – the second smallest in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. According to the World Bank, requirements on security are among the highest among all developing countries. All reports indicate difficulties for women entrepreneurs to gain access to capital, i.e. to finance their businesses. Women entre-preneurs make up 47% of sole traders but have only received the equivalent of 13% of loaned capital. Where micro-financing institutes are concerned, women entrepreneurs made up 43% of the client base in 2007. Compared to other African countries, this figure is extremely low; there, women make up around 60% of the client group.
28
Access to landThis issue is a problem for all Ethiopian entrepreneurs. Women get round the problem by working at home or selling goods in the street, which means poor sanitary condi-tions and a high level of exposure to theft and harassment. The limited access to land and too few available properties, with the addition of high rents, means that women’s potential to run their own businesses is inhibited and their companies are not able to grow as much.
Business support servicesThe quality of business support services such as training, access to relevant and up-dated information, advice, marketing and so on is low, and the range available is not adapted to the needs of women entrepreneurs. Most training organisers are regional and local authorities, and the teachers are generally men. The few private actors that exist are active in the major cities. Women generally have limited knowledge of what business support services are, and they are not used to approaching authorities and asking for help. Also, they lack knowledge of authorities’ procedures, e.g. tax issues, labour legislation, prices and permits.
Training and mentor supportStudies show that women who run micro-entrepreneurships have a lower level of education than men, but if they run an SME, their education level is higher than that of men. Only 7% of women who run small businesses have had access to education, according to the Ethiopian Development Research Institute (2004). The equivalent figure for Kenya was 91%.
The few educational programmes offered are not adapted to the needs and wishes of women entrepreneurs. No allowance is made for the women regarding the time of day and language of the programmes. Also, most programmes are only held in large cities.
Women entrepreneurs’ organisationsA number of women entrepreneurs’ organisations try to offer business support servic-es, but the associations lack strength due to their small member base, thus giving them limited capacity to offer services. Also, they are weak in terms of organisation and finances. According to the reports, the women entrepreneurs’ organisations have not established cooperation with local chambers of commerce, trade associations or other entrepreneur organisations and thus are unable to influence their range of services so that they can also be adapted to the needs of women entrepreneurs.
Women and growthSeveral studies indicate that women-owned companies grow faster than those owned by men. Also, some studies show that the pace of growth among women entrepreneurs with a male partner is higher. This depends to a large extent on the fact that the en-trepreneur can more easily gain access to capital, the company has a higher status if a man is involved, personal risk is diminished, and the women have greater potential to combine work/entrepreneurship with family responsibilities.
“Ethiopian lacks an entrepre-
neurial culture that is spread via
the media and the education system. Entre-preneurship is
not encouraged and attitudes are
negative.”
Women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia
29
The number of companies run by women is increasing in Ethiopia. Of the businesses started over the past three years, 32% were started by women. If this figure is com-pared with companies older than 10 years, only 27% were started by women.
Gender barriersMany of the difficulties mentioned above apply to entrepreneurs in general. But over andabovethat,womenfaceotherdifficultiesjustbecausetheyarewomen,including:
• Limitedtimeduetothedualresponsibilityforthehomeandtheirwork
•Unpaiddomesticwork
•Negativeattitudestowardseducationforgirls
• Earlymarriage
• Limitedservicesectorforwomeninruralareas;fewwomenfarmersin
cooperatives
• Poorhealthamongmanywomenduetofewhealthserviceslinkedtochildbirth
• Limitedrighttomakedecisionsinthehousehold,andasubordinaterole
• Socialexpectations
Aside from limited access to capital, sufficient relevant information, education, networks and business support services, the legal structure, institutional framework and policy have not sufficiently addressed the needs of women entrepreneurs, which also puts them at a disadvantage. Also, women entrepreneurs are not a homogeneous group; rather, the problems they face are the same as those faced by men, with the addition of gender-related differences. Addressing issues in a new wayReports show that the limited information on the nature of women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia is only partly due to the fact that the data collected is not gender-differenti-ated. The conditions for women entrepreneurs are changing fast, which means that researchers, aid donors, the government and the private sector need to change and adapt their approaches, and address issues in a new way that has been adapted to current circumstances and social development.
This forms a basis for raising awareness and hopefully identifying effective ways to tackle the obstacles faced by women. By gaining knowledge on the differences between the sexes, strengthening women’s participation and voice in policy work, addressing inequality, achieving mainstreaming in policy work, cooperating with institutions relevant to the private sector, and bolstering women entrepreneurs’ organisations, changes can be achieved.
Women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia
Center: From left to right:
Hirut Jemberu, Awagash
Yeshaw.
Bottom: Metasebia Gondar,
AWEA Member.
30
In government communication 2007/08_89, Sweden’s policy for global development, it says that “the overall objective is to contribute to equitable and sustainable global develop-
ment. Equitable global development means respect for human rights and democ-racy. This is achieved through growth that leads to reduced poverty. Economic growthiscrucialtofightingpoverty.Genderequalityisacross-sectorpolicyarea,which means that it is integrated into all initiatives to encourage global develop-ment. The Swedish government considers that international cooperation to achieve gender equality and equal conditions and opportunities for both sexes is important and indeed a requirement for equitable and sustainable global development. Sweden has actively tackled gender equality issues in various international forums, and this work should continue in the same direction.”
A socially equitable society has women’s economic empowerment as its base. Econom-ic empowerment is also crucial for reducing poverty, creating economic growth and allowing for personal growth. Above all, the most impoverished households benefit from women receiving an income.
Economic stability gives people greater opportunities and more choices in life. Wom-en’s economic empowerment means that women’s position in society is strengthened; it gives them opportunities and influence so that, together with men, they can participate in and influence how society is constructed. They are able to take part in making deci-sions at all levels and ensure that their own families benefit from social development.
In Sida’s working paper from December 2009 on women’s economic empowerment, it says that to achieve gender equality, women must be empowered economically, i.e. earn money. Sida has decided to focus on this area, as women are general at a disadvantage financially. Seven key areas must be taken into account if women are to achieve economic empowerment.
1. Support for entrepreneurship and private sector development.
2. Access to land and the opportunity to own land
3. Functioning labour market with reasonable working conditions
4. Reducing and sharing unpaid domestic work
5. Development of human capital – access to training
6. Expansion of the social safety net
7. Development of the agricultural sector
Women’s economic empowerment– collective power is channelled through the organisation
“If women are to become empo-
wered economi-cally, they need
education and knowledge,
access to capital and the opportu-
nity to be active in a market.”
Women’s economic empowerment
31
AWEA’s operation spans over at least five of these areas. The organisation supports entrepreneurship and thus contributes to the development of the private sector. By encouraging women to start businesses, they can engage in dialogue with the authori-ties together through their organisation and in that way gain access to land. Women entrepreneurs contribute to a functioning labour market that also takes women’s cir-cumstances into account. Women who are engaged in entrepreneurship develop their human capital.
Membership of AWEA also contributes to raising the women’s profile and level of in-dependence. Thanks to their companies, the women receive a secure income and thus achieve a greater level of independence from other structures in society. A financially independent woman has a stronger voice.
Empowering women economically is necessary to reduce poverty and achieve sustain-ableeconomicdevelopment.Genderequalitybenefitsbothwomenandmen–themoreequal a country is from a gender perspective, the greater its economic growth.
If women are to become empowered economically, they need education and knowledge, access to capital and the opportunity to be active in a market. Women entrepreneurs play a very important role in developing the economy in all countries. Each country has its own specific issues, which is why wide-ranging, in-depth knowledge of entrepre-neurship must be acquired through research and studies.
RelevanceIn a country such as Ethiopia that is experiencing rapid development and a transi-tion from a centrally governed economy to a nascent market economy, the number of entrepreneurs in general, and women entrepreneurs in particular, is low. The range of advanced business consultancy services is limited and women are at a particular disadvantage, partly due to the fact that they often have micro-entrepreneurships and are under the radar.
Desta Solomon and Asfaw Mekonnen who, on behalf of Sida, evaluated Sida’s project support to AWEA in May 2011, state that all services are relevant – even if the quality of some of them needs to be improved. As an organisation, AWEA fits well into Sida’s strategy to encourage private sector development and support women to ensure their economic empowerment.
To be able to continue to be a sustainable and relevant organisation in the long term, AWEA needs to increase its income. This is confirmed by the evaluators in their report. AWEA’s leadership is also aware of this. The evaluators suggest that Sida sup-port AWEA so that the organisation learns how to generate income in the long term through sponsorship, project activities that other aid donors support, and so on. Also, they strongly emphasise the various training programmes for both the Executive Committee and staff. The evaluators also propose that AWEA be strengthened in its role as a lobbying organisation aiming to improve conditions for women entrepreneurs and show how women can contribute to growth and development in Ethiopia.
Women’s economic empowerment
From left to right: Alem Moges,
Asmeret Amidebrihan, Tigist
Fentie, Meseret Ayalew and
Sabanesh Haile
32
Conclusions on what is crucial to women entrepreneurs in EthiopiaWomen entrepreneurs play an important role in growth and poverty reduction, not just in Ethiopia. For this reason, while encouraging entrepreneurship in general, it is important to focus in particular on supporting women entrepreneurs in developing countries, for example by getting women to start micro-entrepreneurships, helping these to grow into SMEs with employees, and getting larger companies to grow more quickly, by e.g. taking the step towards trading regionally and internationally. The Swedish Chambers of Commerce see providing support to women entrepreneur’s organisations as an important component of such work.
This report tells the story of how the Swedish Chambers of Commerce, with support from Sida, took on the task of helping to build up the Amhara Women Entrepreneurs Association, AWEA. When the Swedish Chambers of Commerce met AWEA for the first time, the organisation had around 1,200 members. Today, AWEA is the large women en-trepreneur’s association and the second biggest member-based organisation in Ethiopia.
The project has had a ripple effect for the women and organisations that have got in-volved and worked with AWEA, even outside the framework of Swedish aid efforts.
Several aid actors, including the World Bank, have announced that they will be expand-ing their initiatives to support women entrepreneurs in various countries, including Ethiopia. AWEA and the work Sida has performed in Ethiopia to empower women can then serve as a model for continuing to focus on supporting women entrepreneurs in developing countries. Sweden and Sida have unique opportunities to take these issues to the next level, both at policy level and by continuing to develop new projects together with AWEA and other women’s networks and organisations in Ethiopia and Africa.
We have put together a number of proposals to be sent to the politicians, aid agencies and organisations that wish to focus on women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship.
Challenges for policies and societyDuring the period in which they have been active, AWEA and its partners have encountered a number of difficulties in society that have hindered the development of both the organisation and of the individual women entrepreneurs. Here are some examples of measures to address these difficulties.
Support development of the private business community
The private business community is under-developed in Ethiopia, as is the infrastruc-ture necessary to get more people to venture to start their own business and attract investment to the private business community. Move the issues that limit entrepre-neurship in general and women entrepreneurs in particular up the political agenda, e.g. access to capital, land and business consultancy services.
Conclusions, advice and recommendations
Conclusions, advice and recommendations
32
33
Access to training
The level of training in the country needs to be raised, and more people need access to training. Women need to be provided with training opportunities so that they can de-velop various skills. Women entrepreneurs’ organisations such as AWEA should offer training programmes for various target groups – micro-entrepreneurships, SMEs and larger companies – so that the women become equipped with skills and can run their companies more professionally.
Access to capital
The credit system in Ethiopia is generally extremely under-developed, and women stand less of a chance than men of being eligible for credit. Women having an equal right to credit is of vital significance. One possibility could be to demand that banks and other credit institutes match women’s savings with loans and credits in a more ef-fective way. Another option is to look closer at creating special financing instruments for women entrepreneurs, including improving the systems available for micro-credit.
Access to land and ownership rights
Representatives of women entrepreneurs’ organisations should be invited to take part in the local/regional groups/committees run by the authorities concerning land devel-opment and ownership rights.
Continue to give AWEA the tools necessary for it to be a model for others.AWEA is facing a number of challenges of its own, and it is important to deal with these if the organisation is to be able to grow independently of aid and develop in the long term. If AWEA succeeds, the organisation may become a key model for other business organisations in Africa.
AWEA’s main focus should be on drafting better strategies to increase its own income generation, including by ensuring continuity and stability in member numbers and services provided to members. As part of such a strategy, AWEA needs to focus on developing high-quality member services and training for its members. Below are some specific ideas and projects for AWEA to put into practice. To make this possible, Sida and other partners need to continue to support AWEA by providing knowledge and re-sources and continuing to give AWEA the tools necessary for it to be a model for others.
Income generation
The membership fee system should be reviewed and developed. Other member-based organisations in Ethiopia and internationally have expertise in this area.
Conclusions, advice and recommendations
33
34
Trade fairs
National trade fairs. Let AWEA organise a national “Women Entrepreneurs’ Idea and Trade Fair” each year. Inspiration and ideas can be gleaned from the “Kvinnor Kan” [Women Can] fairs arranged in Sweden in the 1980s and 1990s. A trade fair provides a meeting place for entrepreneurs, with various workshops being organised and new knowledge presented. AWEA should work with the Addis Chamber of Commerce, which runs the trade fair in Addis Abeba and whose members are large companies. In the1980s,Volvosoldmorecarsat“KvinnorKan”inVästeråsthanatitscarshowroominMalmöinthesameyear.Afterthat,Volvorealisedthatwomenwereanimportantgroup of customers and decision makers, and they trained their sales representatives in how to sell cars to women. They even put together a project group made up of women to take part in developing the next generation of car, paying attention to details of importance to women.
From internet café to e-learning
The @WEA Coffice concept of an internet café is not only a means for AWEA to gen-erate income but also provides a base from which AWEA can run e-learning projects for members. It is extremely important for the women entrepreneurs to learn to use modern technology and be able to communicate in English. Credits and savings (member savings)
AWEA has an important role to play in developing members’ skills in managing their savings and loans in a professional way. AWEA should also engage in dialogue with authorities and credit institutes on improving and adapting the credit system to better suit the needs of women entrepreneurs.
Tourism
Let a professional tour operator help AWEA put together local packages (coffee cere-monies, visits to members such as schools and handicrafts companies) and set up part-nerships with Ethiopian tour operators so that tourists can be offered these services.
Professional training for members
A plan for prioritised professional training should be drafted in collaboration with the ILO. International networking (next page) must naturally involve knowledge transfer and elements of practical training.
Regional trade fairs
AWEA continues to play an important part in developing and organising regional trade fairs for its members so that they can sell their products and generate income. One challenge in this area continues to be dealing with authorities so that AWEA is granted permits to arrange its local and regional trade fairs.
Greater collaboration between regional actors
AWEA needs to engage in more in-depth dialogue with the regional and local authori-ties on how the region can support AWEA and entrepreneurship in general in the region. They can create a supportive infrastructure by arranging regular meetings be-tween authorities, universities, ministries and other actors that offer business support services, and the private member organisations. Developing entrepreneurship for both
34
Along with Birgitta Gripwall-
Hedenstedt, AWEA’s CEO has
helped to build up @WEA Coffice.
Birgitta Gripwall-Hedenstedt is
linked to LANN Development
in a consultancy network, and
former owner of the boutique
hotel Bomans in Sweden and
Expert of Practical Marketing
and Branding.
Conclusions, advice and recommendations
35
men and women requires a strategy that is integrated in the regional growth strategy, forums for experience exchange and future planning.
National networking
AWEA has no national network to work with in Ethiopia that brings women entrepre-neurs together. An embryo – EWEA – exists but it does not have the resources to be active and develop as an organisation.
International networking
Women must be given the tools for economic empowerment. Let AWEA gain experi-ence from other countries that have built up equivalent organisations for entrepre-neurs. Organise international forums with interactive programmes so that the women get the opportunity to develop and learn. Europe uses networking as a means of development, which is something Africa can learn from and emulate. The East African organisation AWAN can, for example, teach AWEA and its members how to run agri-businesses. All of AWAN’s members are successful farmers who grow products such as mangos, avocados, coffee, tea, mushrooms, flowers and spices. The South African organisationMhaniGingican,forexample,teachAWEAhowtorunnurseriesforplants and make these projects sustainable in the long term. AWEA can teach AWAN andMhaniGingihowamemberorganisationcanbebuiltup.
The common thread running
through this entire publication
is the strong, indefatigable
personal commitment of the
women. The major sacrifices
they make to affect change
have moved us all. The meet-
ings that have taken place
have made indelible impres-
sions. Together, we have been
able to make the most of the
opportunities offered by a
Sida project and raised it up
to entirely new levels, with ef-
fects that have left their mark
on the whole of Ethiopian
society.
From left to right: Rahel Tafere, AWEA’s President Nigist Alemayehu Hailu and Marianne Dott.
35
Conclusions, advice and recommendations
36
Spin-offs
From left to right: Askal Adimasu, Meselech Silesh, Frealem Shibabaw, Karin Malmström, Meriam Fentie, Nigist Alemayehu, Ashageru Belay.
Karin Malmström from the Swedish Chambers of Commerce worked for a couple of months at AWEA’s office in Bahir Dar in
spring 2006. She took part in both the day-to-day office work and the planning and strategy meetings of the Executive Committee.
The design of AWEA’s office is based on a Swedish garden cabin.
The office was later transformed into the @WEA Coffice.
37
Spin-offs
Seminar in Practical Marketing for the National Network in Addis Abeba, 2009.
“We never know which ideas will grow their own wings”In many international projects, the aim is to establish relationships that persist after the projectperiodhasended.Buthowisthisactuallyachieved?Relationshipsarebuiltbe-tween organisations and people. In this case, the Swedish Chambers of Commerce had the opportunity to stay in touch with AWEA over a long period, which is a requirement. We have got to know each other professionally, which is the first step when building personal relationships. We have then got to know each other personally, and each time we have met, the relationship has become deeper and less formal.
Thanks to the Swedish Chambers of Commerce’s long, close relationship with AWEA, a large number of other people have become involved and established their own relation-ships with Ethiopia, contributing to completely new results that have by far exceeded the goals of the project.
38
Below: Home economics on the curriculum.
39
Below, Marianne Dott talks about five spin-offs.
1. School kitchensOne of my friends is a teacher, and my stories made her very interested in Ethiopia, Fray and her school. She really wanted to see it all, so she applied for and was awarded a grant that enabled her to accompany me on one of my trips. She prepared for the trip very care-fully and had a lot of school-related material with her – everything from magazines about the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child and Astrid Lindgren books to drawings from her students. Her visit to Bahir Dar Academy was a great success and gave rise to lively discussions. When we were leaving, my Swedish friend gave Fray the Swedish curriculum and told her that in it, she could read more about how the school system in Sweden is structured and what goals are to be achieved.
A few weeks later, I got an email from Fray in which she said that she had read the curriculum and was extremely enthusiastic about home economics and school kitchens. She then asked whether I could help her start a school kitchen. A little later on, Fray went to Canada to look at various schools and how they were developing. She got to see and experience how a school kitchen works and decided to set one up at her own school.
In 2008, the Trade Promotion Programme of the Swedish Chambers of Commerce was concluded and to wind it up, we organised a major seminar, “Make Trade Happen”, in Stockholm, at which Fray was one of the main speakers. While she was in Sweden, we arranged several study trips, and she was given the opportunity to visit my teacher friend’s school in Norrköping, meet the students and talk to the teachers. She also got the chance to see, hear and experience how home economics and school kitchens work in Sweden.
Results in Ethiopia
“In Bahir Dar Academy, it is the impact from my visit to Sweden, which inspired me to take Bahir Dar Academy to a different level including the school kitchen (probably the first school kitchen in the country). I plan to expand it to reach out most schools in the area including public schools to maximize the impact, but I have not figured out the details yet. I believe there is always a way. As you may already know the situation of women in Ethiopia still needs a lot of work. I plan to use the school kitchen as a strat-egy to change mind sets on men when they are young. So that when they become adults they share household responsibilities, and if the women get this kind of help, they can participate in other social activities equally. So my goal is training men to liberate women. This is the project I plan to develop” Fray Shibabaw
Fray has told me that in Ethiopia, women bear full responsibility for children and the home. Most men, regardless of age, have no skills in domestic work and are thus dependent entirely on their wives. This is why it is so important that young boys learn how to cook in school, allowing them to do more of the work themselves. According to Fray, this is a huge gender equality project that in the long run may lead to a greater level of shared family responsibility.
Spin-offs
40
2.CooperationbetweenLinköpingUniversityandtheAmhararegionMy teacher friend, who also taught on the teacher training programme at Linköping University, had spoken a great deal about Fray and her school to her colleagues, arous-ing their interest in Ethiopia. As a result, Fray also gave a lecture to teacher trainees about Ethiopia, Bahir Dar Academy and Ethiopian schools.
“She was extremely enthusiastic about education and international cooperation, and we were greatly moved by her story,” says Kajsa Andersson, head of the Learning, Arts and Sciences department.
Fray inspired the course leadership, students and a few teachers to such an extent that they decided to look into the possibility of forging closer links between Linköping University, schools in the respective countries and the university in Bahir Dar.
In January 2010, a group from Linköping University went on a reconnaissance trip to Ethiopia. Both parties were interested in deepening the relationship, and Linköping Universitydrewupaplan.Thefocuswasontwoactivities:acourseatLinköping University, and seminars in Ethiopia.
The course “Educational activities with the world in focus” was aimed at both stu-dents on the teacher training programme and active teachers. It highlighted how teachers can work on internationalisation issues. The various perspectives of indivi-duals, schools and communities in this area were to be presented and discussed.
The aim of the seminars, which were to take place in Ethiopia, was to meet across borders, i.e. various categories of staff working with children and learning from two countries in which the contexts and conditions are completely different but whose tasks are the same. In spring 2011, educators/teachers from preschool, school and university, plus school and university students, made the trip from Linköping Univer-sity to Ethiopia. At the seminars, participants exchanged experiences in the fields of pedagogics, methodology and didactics (the study of teaching and how to teach).
Also, each Swede accompanied a class for a day to watch and learn about teaching in Ethiopia.
They were also given the task of thinking about how the international aspect can be realised and integrated at each of their workplaces or in their schools. The students started planning how they can work with international issues when they have finished their education.
Kajsa Andersson stressed that the differences between Sweden and Ethiopia were not so great, despite a lack of resources in the latter country. “Despite our abundant resources, we don’t perform any better!”
The Swedish group met several Ethiopian teachers that were passionate about their
“Most men, re-gardless of age, have no skills in domestic work
and are thus de-pendent entirely
on their wives.”
Spin-offs
41
profession and really wished to help their students acquire new knowledge. Also, many of the teachers asked for feedback to enable them to grow and become better at their work.“In my experience, many people in Ethiopia want to move forward and are extremely focused on development. From that perspective, it really is a developing country. We’ve had to work on our preconceptions, which have sometimes been completely off the mark.”
“It was initially the story of Fray and her school, Bahir Dar Academy that got us interested in Ethiopia. When we later met her and heard her story about starting and building up the Academy and the world she works in, our curiosity was aroused. We also felt strongly that Fray wanted to establish contact with the teacher training pro-gramme. These human encounters and relationships with Sweden that were already in place were instrumental in our decision to try to build up a collaboration with Ethiopia.
During each visit to Ethiopia, they have also met representatives of AWEA and had discussions with them. AWEA has helped arrange visits to several other organisations and actors so that the Swedes would get a broad picture of Ethiopia.”“The women who run AWEA are very serious about their work, and AWEA is an im-portant platform for us. Also, I think that Africa’s future is in the hands of women. We have met so many committed women teachers,” says Kajsa Andersson.
Results and plans
Linköping University intends to organise another international course. The teachers and students will be making their way down to Ethiopia during the year to nurture their contacts.
“We want to deepen and develop our international collaboration. We can see how it’s helping us to grow as an institute of education and as individuals,” says Andersson.
Results in Ethiopia
“The teachers’ visit from the University of Linkoping is another im-portant connection which can bring resources together to help the school systems in Ethiopia. I plan to contact them soon on further possible project cooperation on conducting workshops and develop-ing programs for school improvements. I was too busy and too far away to organize anything from the USA but now when I return these are the things I will be working on” Fray Shibabaw
3. Swedish research in Ethiopia A researcher and university lecturer at Linköping University active in the field of spe-cial education is to study children with special education needs in an African country. TheresearcherwasabletooptforeitherZambiaorEthiopiaandchosethelatterdueto the contacts already established.
Kajsa Andersson
Kajsa Andersson is an assis-
tant lecturer and head of the
Learning, Arts and Science
department. She is passionate
about deepening and evolving
the University’s international
partnerships and maintains that
it will help both the university
as an organisation and the indi-
vidual participants to grow.
Spin-offs
42
4. @WEA CofficeCarin Lann and Lucia Severed also worked actively on AWEA’s income generation. Lu-cia, who runs large networks in Sweden in which social media is an important contact forum, also concluded that women entrepreneurs did not generally have very much knowledge of computers. Also, they used the internet extremely sporadically due to a lack of computers and the fact that there were always queues at the two existing inter-net cafés in Bahir Dar. Carin and Lucia started discussing this with AWEA – how they could start a new commercial operation focusing on IT. AWEA drafted a professional project plan for an internet café with the aim of generating income for AWEA, with the café also functioning as a place of learning for the women and being a meeting point for members. As the financial plan was realistic, Carin and Lucia helped raise funds by approaching Swedish investors. AWEA has received a loan that is interest-free for one year. After that, they will pay 3% interest. Bank interest in Ethiopia is around 18%.
”AWEA needs to learn how to manage loans and think long term, which is why we decided on this arrangement. The idea is that the income from interest will be used to set up the next internet café in a new loca-tion, for example in Gondar. In this way, AWEA will have a model at its disposal that can be transferred to other places. We provide help to self-help!”
The internet café opened in June 2011, with six computers, internet connection and furniture. Birgitta Hedenstedt, who has owned and run a boutique hotel in Trosa, not far from Stockholm, provided the interior, ensuring that it looks very professional. The internet café is in AWEA’s own building, close to the tourist information centre and a newly built luxury hotel that does not offer internet services to its guests. The garden surrounding the building has been tidied up and AWEA has set up a café. The building has been named @WEA Coffice – which means that it houses AWEA’s office, internet café and meeting point.
5. Collaboration between Swedish and Ethiopian women entrepreneursCarin Lann and Lucia Severed have naturally talked a great deal to their colleagues and networks in Sweden about AWEA and how the women are struggling to develop their businesses and organisations. This has led to more Swedish women entrepreneurs being inspired by their colleagues in Ethiopia and wondering if they can do anything to help.
At the end of November 2011, a Swedish delegation of 10 people travelled down to Ethi-opia. They either had their own business or held the post of manager at a major Swedish company. Making the trip at their own expense, they visited several AWEA members, thebusinessparkinGondarandaschoolwith3,000studentsinDessie.Allofthemfeltthat they wanted to do something for the women of Africa. Mentorship was one of the suggestions discussed – provided that the Ethiopian trainee could speak English and had knowledge of ICT in some form. This is an embryo that will grow and take shape. Discussions and meetings will show in what way.
“AWEA drafted a professional
project plan for an internet café with the aim of
generating income.”
Spin-offs
43
I think the most important benefit for AWEA was the financial and the human resource support that helped AWEA to take off. I don’t think it would have been possible for AWEA to continue without the sup-port you all provided. I mean, the people who represented Sida are the people who made the difference, most importantly you Marianne, Karin, and all others who really saw the need and provided their ex-pertise to strengthen AWEA’s institutional capacity in addition to your unconditional support and encouragement that we all received from you. I want Sida to know that the people made the difference, because financial support alone could not have brought us this far.
Fray Shibabaw
From left to right: Toyba Redwan and Senait Hindaye,
in charge of AWEA’s internet café, @WEA Coffice.
44www.chambertrade.se
This document has been financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida.
Sida does not necessarily share the views expressed in this material. Responsibility for its content rests entirely with the author.