MISSION
Increasing young people and women’s participation in economic development through community-based programs that foster growth and innovation
VISION
Inclusive economic participation of young people and women.
VALUE PROPOSITION
We believe that a generation of empowered youths and women guarantees progressive sustainable economic participation. We also consider educating them about financial education as a sure way to better their living standards.
quick facts
PROJECTS
1. Young Women Empowerment Revolving Fund
Since 2019, Embrace Her has been running a Women Revolving Fund. The project was first implemented in Chongwe District, Lusaka, Zambia with over 50 young women. Initially, this project targeted young women between 18 and 30 years, selling vegetables and fruits. In recent years, this project has evolved with active cohorts in Lusaka and Kitwe districts respectively, and has included young women running other forms of businesses such as grocery shops, hair plaiting, etc.
Currently, 97 young women are on our register for this project. These women have been trained in business management and financial literacy. Under this program, each woman is given 500 kwacha each to repay in 6 months with a 20% interest (equivalent to 100 kwacha) without collateral. At the end of 6 months, the women should be able to grow their businesses as well as sponsor their kids to school and provide them with good nutrition through the help they get from this fund.
2. The Young and Smart (Financial Education)
The post-crisis world has notably evidenced the need for new individual skills, including financial literacy. Younger generations will be faced with an increase in financial risks as well as confronted with more sophisticated financial problems than did previous generations. Hence, giving these young people access to financial services and products at an even younger age will help them have modern solutions to modern challenges. However, there seems to be a major lack of Financial Education for these Young people to overcome these problems.
Recognizing the negative consequences of a lack of financial literacy, we drafted and rolled out a comprehensive project on financial education called the Young and Smart. This project was designed with a focus on teaching financial knowledge, understanding, skills, behavior, attitudes and values which will enable young people make savvy and effective financial decisions in their daily lives hence making them financially smart even when they become adults.
Under the young and smart we have reached over 800 young people across the country and have introduced provincial financial educators who are carrying out outreach programs in both schools and communities. We are currently working with five provinces namely; Lusaka, Copperbelt, Central, Eastern and Southern.
3. Women Revolving Fund Alumni Program
The year 2022 saw the launch of an Alumni program. This program works with young women who were previously part of the revolving fund. These are women who have, over the past two years, scaled up their businesses and have personally developed as individuals. This program gives the women an opportunity to have access to a larger loan amount, advanced capacity building where they have one on one mentorship and they act as ambassadors for the new recruitment programs.
This program was launched in Chongwe District of Lusaka Province and targeted 15 young women (who work from Chongwe Market) for the first cohort.
4. Women Connect
The Women Connect is a program that brings young women below the age of 30 from different backgrounds or walks of life to network and share ideas on all issues surrounding Financial Literacy. This program is hosted once every quarter where experts in financial literacy and issues around attaining financial independence for young women are invited to give talks to a number of women across the country who are are invited. As of 2022, We have reached over 130+ young women with this program.
Partners
