Personal and Business development Programme for Women

Women Rebuilding Africa Program (WRAP)
“Reaching Millennium Development Goals in Africa through Empowerment of women”



“The greatest revolution in any country is the one that affects positively the lives of women, and there is no doubt that, if women are encouraged to realise their potential, that it’s not only their life which would be affected but the life and situation of the whole household which is the basic unit of our national economy.”
Jawaharlal Nehru, the father of Mrs Indira Gandi


Project Title:
Personal and Business Development Program for women in Cape Town
“Creating awareness of economic possibilities in the Country”



Project managed
By





Contact Person:
Madelein Mkunu
Tel: 002721 551 99 29
Mobile: 00 27 84 919 3398
E-mail: Madelein@leadingwomenofafrica.com



Cape Town, 22 September 2008

To: Whom it may concern

Re: Personal and Business Development Programme

Dear Sir or Madam,

Leading Women of Africa is pleased to present this proposal for your review. We look forward to partnering with you to provide access to Personal and Business Support to many women in SMMEs in Cape Town.
The objective of this Personal and Business Development Programme is to provide vital personal and business information and tools to women to in order to assist them start or grow their business to a sustainable level.
Leading Women of Africa was officially launched in May 2008 during the “1st Leading Businesswomen of Africa that took place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 18-21 May 2008. (please visit www.leadingwomenofafrica.com).

Leading Women of Africa has also launched its own magazine , Feminar, the Leading Women of Africa Magazine, to promote the Contribution of women in process of peace and stability on the Continent.
During the past few months, we have been identifying leaders across the continent that will be in charge of implementing various projects across the Continent. The process is being successfully implemented and we are pleased to informed you that Leading Women of Africa is operating in over ten (10) African Countries already.

We look forward to collaborating with you as we journey together for empowerment of women in Cape Town, South Africa and Africa.

Yours truly,

Madelein Mkunu
Founder and CEO
Introduction

The Beijing conference that took place in 1995 stressed the empowerment of women as one of the central development goals of the 21st century. Commission on Status of women would urge governments to take all necessary measures to empower women and strengthen their economic independence and to protect and promote their full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
In the Millennium declaration in September 2000, Governments commit to promote gender equality and empowerment of women as one of the effective ways to combat poverty, hunger and diseases and to stimulate developments that is truly sustainable. A series of time-bound targets, now know as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were set, with deadline of 2015.
These MDGs are:
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Achieve Universal primary education
promote gender equality and women’s empowerment
Reduce child mortality
Improve maternal health
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Ensure Environmental sustainability
Develop a global partnership for development

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007 suggests that some progress is being made but that the MDGs will be attained only if concerted additional action is taken immediately and sustained until 2015. many challenges still need to be addressed, including women’s health, poverty and hunger, HIV/AIDS. The same report confirms that:
- Over half a million women still die each year from treatable and preventable complications of pregnancy and childbirth
- If current trends continue, the target of halving the proportion of underweight children will be missed by 30 Million children
- The number of people dying from AIDS worldwide increased to 2.9 million in 2006
- Half the population of developing world lack basic sanitation. In order to meet the MDG target, an additional 1.6 billion people will need access to improved sanitation. If trends since 1990 continue, the world is likely to miss the target by almost 600 million people.

The above data show clearly that more efforts need to be put in place to fast track the process of reaching the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

In its quest to contribute in the process of African Development, Leading Women of Africa suggests another approach to accelerate progress in attaining the MDGs by 2015.

Promoting Unity of women of Africa and reinforcing their Economic Empowerment will play significant role in the achievement of MDGs, through 8 TOP Priorities set by the Organisation:
Personal Development ( poverty mentality…)
Economic Empowerment (Inter-Trade, Job creation, Income generating activities…)
Communication and Technology
Women’s Health
Farming Technology
Environment
Women’s Education and Literacy
Africanism: Knowledge of the African Continent (geography, history, culture…)

Leading Women of Africa would like to invite UN and its partners, African Governments and other African and International Institutions to partner them and assess the results by 2015. If all else failed; Women, united, will not!

Brief Summary

In its aim to offers support to black-owned Enterprises and aspiring business individuals in South Africa, the Government has put in place systems that provide access to business development services to such individuals or Companies in order to assist them identify their Business ideas, to improve their core competencies, upgrade managerial capabilities and restructure their processes to become more competitive.

In its mission to promote Economic Empowerment of Women, Leading Women of Africa has put in place “Personal and Business Development Programme” that facilitates and monitors Socio and economic empowerment of women in the formal and informal private sector and their positive implication in the Country’s Economy.

Leading Women of Africa is adopting these schemes run by various Government Institutions to reach more women in various Communities and empower them to identify their entrepreneurial skills or grow their businesses to a sustainable level.

Project Environment

This project will be established in various strategic communities in Blaawberg Municipality. This programme will be expanded in the whole Region after successful implementation.
Target Groups/Beneficiaries

In Blaawberg Municipality, targets include:

· Women previously disadvantaged such as Domestic workers, cleaners, unemployed women…
· Aspiring Business Women
· SMMEs women owners

Problem Statement

The main challenges facing women from above groups are:
Lack of realisation of own potential
Lack of easy access to vital business, life saving information and solutions for their personal and economic empowerment.
Lack of access to technology

Women want to free themselves from economic limitations and are in need to be informed of the support system available that can unleash their economic potential.

Project Aim & Objectives

Aim
The aim of this project is threefold: to empower women to realize their full potential; to introduce and use technology more effectively; and to facilitate linkage of information on the support systems offered by the Government.
Objectives

The Objectives of this project are to:
Unleash the full potential of target women
Facilitate access to business resources, information and opportunities
Identify and create market and business opportunities for women
Expose South African women in Small, Medium and Macro Enterprises to African and international trends
Connect growing businesses with assistance from Government Institutions
Promote use of technology a means of exchanging vital information for personal and business growth
Directing women to relevant service providers

Activities/Plan of Action

This Programme will be scheduled on Monthly Basis with one (1) session per week followed by practical home works.

The process of implementing this project will consist of:
· Identification of target market
· Invitation to participate in this programme and attend training sessions
· Guidance on how to access services already in place
· Orientation to access information technology Training

This project will run in conjunction with programmes already put in place by the Government.

· Black Business Supplier Development Programme, by the DTI
· Umsombovu Youth Funds
· Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA)
· Computer Centres
All sessions will be digitally recorded with the purpose of building virtual modules on MP3 that will be used as wonderful tool to reach and educate women at large.

The program will cover the following topics
I. Personal Development programme

A. Building inner strength
Life Purpose: Everyone is born for a purpose (vision and passion)
Childhood vision: When you were a little girl (setting goals)
Building Self Esteem and Self worth
Unleashing your full potential (finding courage and inner strength to change)
Overcoming effects violence and abuse
Celebrating womanhood

B. Building relationships through Communication
Communicating effectively
Creating and nurturing relationships
Increasing productivity
Women in Leadership (different levels)
Communicating using technology
Using social networks to build relationships

II. Economic Empowerment

Financial literacy

Basic Financial management
Banking literacy
Home finances
Budgeting
Saving
Investing
Taxes
Financing education
Using technology in finance

Business management

Creating and evaluating business ideas
How to choose partners
Transitioning into business as an entrepreneur
Writing your Business Plan
Financing your business
Marketing your Business
Managing your Business
Growing your Business
Networking to increase business

Business Opportunities

1. Conducting market research
2. Identifying and evaluating business opportunities
3. Merging these opportunities with your business
4. Using the Internet to maximize opportunities
5. Entrepreneurship

From Cape to Cairo, Dakar to Mogadishu, Africa is covered with natural economic resources that know no limit. Women of Africa have an unimaginable potential, described by the World Bank, as African Economic Reserves. If taped, these reserves will change the face of Africa, once and for all.

III. Technological Empowerment

The main challenge facing African women is gaining easy access to vital, life saving information and solutions for their personal and economic empowerment.
This programme will encourage candidates the use technology as tool to be informed as well as grow their business. This part will introduce women to:

Introduction to computer and Internet
Joining the global network (Internet skills +)
Internet marketing your products (website, e-mail, picture…)
Using social networking to build business
New life with technology

IV. Practical guidance

Representatives from Business service providers will supply complete information on how to get necessary support.

Expected results

It is expected that our target group will be:

· Equipped to realize their full potential
· Informed about services available for them, therefore fast tracking their business sustainability.

Monitoring

Quarterly assessment will be conducted by experts to monitor progress of women in their daily activities and their business growth.