Training to Help Women Businesses Owners
Women entrepreneurs will now have the opportunity to explore money-making habits by professionals in the near future.
The United States Embassy granted two prominent women’s groups a sum of FJ$41,000 to guide 130 women business owners through a training and mentoring programme.
The women groups that would run the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) are the Women Entrepreneurs Business Council (WEBC) and the Makoi Women’s Vocational Training Centre (MWVTC).
WEBC chairperson, Eseta Nadakuitavuki said it was important for women to learn fundamentals of running a business, especially small or home-based businesses.
“We are grateful to the US Embassy for giving us the opportunity to facilitate this training to ensure that they are enriched with skills and knowledge at the end of the programme,” she said.
“This is the third consecutive year we have been an implementing partner for the programme and some of the women we have spoken to said that they stepped up and upskilled
their business.
“Some of them have more connections now where their businesses are marketing because of the networking that we have started.”
She said some graduates had gone
out to start their own women’s groups.
“We started using Viber for our members to alert them for the days of the training and others. We had successful business women who came in and spoke about their experiences.”
She added that some women had to walk quite a distance to access the internet so that they could participate in the online training.
“From all of that, they have created a space where they can help each other out to promote their business.”
During her remarks yesterday, Makoi women’s group manager, Shahista Khan said they had some difficulties in reaching out to women who were part of the training during the COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
The women groups would take on lessons learned from the COVID-19 restrictions to enhance facilitation of the training this year.
The Embassy’s Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Rebecca Owen, said the programme was to enhance the skills of Fijian women in running a business.
“This AWE grant will expand opportunities for local businesswomen to increase their skills and assist them in their journey to success,” she said.
“We are grateful for the support of our implementing partners, WEBC and Makoi, and know this initiative will continue to blossom under their care.”
Applications for a spot in the seven-month training programme is expected to open from next week.