JAMII Femmes Initiative

In 2022, Women In Africa and The Coca-Cola Foundation join forces to support 20,000 African women entrepreneurs over the next three years through the “JAMII Femmes” initiative.

“We chose the name JAMII, a Swahili word meaning community, society, people, because it represents who we are as Africans and reflects our values as an organization: our resilience, commitment, and community spirit.” – The Coca-Cola Foundation.

The JAMII Femmes initiative aims to increase the impact of African women entrepreneurs on the African economy and support the creation of innovative solutions for sustainable development that will contribute to positive change in Africa by improving the quality of life of tens of thousands of people.

What’s in it for you?

For this first year, the Coca-Cola Foundation and Women In Africa are offering a multi-phase program to 7,000 women from three countries.

The first phase is a 4-month digital training phase, conducted by WIA’s partner, Honoris United Universities, Africa’s first and largest network of private higher education institutions, which will enable them to develop skills in:

• Behavioral intelligence,
• Critical thinking,
• Creativity and design thinking,
• Communication, collaboration,
• Entrepreneurship.
• In the second phase, selected beneficiaries will have access to grants.

Finally, in the third phase, selected beneficiaries will be able to participate in an accelerator program, after which a special prize of USD 10,000 will be awarded per country.

Selection criteria

• Women over 18 years old
• Nationals * or residents of Nigeria, Kenya, or Ivory Coast
• Entrepreneur
• Mainly in the Agriculture sector and/or in relation to the sustainable development objectives defined by UNESCO

The 3 pillars of the program in 2022

Access to education
7,000 women entrepreneurs will benefit from a digital program on entrepreneurship and social and personal skills. The sessions, led by WIA’s knowledge partner and Africa’s first and largest network of private higher education institutions, Honoris United Universities, will provide women with a principled approach to developing creative ideas, as well as knowledge on leadership and management skills.

With the accelerator program, 70 women entrepreneurs from 3 countries will benefit from an in-depth support program and coaching.

Access to finance
600 women entrepreneurs will receive grants to support their business development and increase their impact on communities. At the end of the program, one laureate per country will receive a prize of $10,000 to support her project.

Network access and visibility
The program will give participants lifetime access to the WIA network, and thus, to potential collaborators throughout Africa. WIA will create an Advisory Council for each country, composed of local personalities who will accompany the program. Therefore, women entrepreneurs will be able to be in contact with these prominent personalities.
They will be highlighted on WIA’s social media throughout the program.