Zanzibar – Seventeen women entrepreneurs from Zanzibar today concluded 13-weeks of specialized training in business and entrepreneurship funded by the U.S. government through its Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program. The women were applauded and urged to continue with their revenue-generating activities during a graduation ceremony attended by Mrs. Zuhura Kassim, wife of the First Vice President of the Zanzibar Government. Speaking on behalf of the U.S. Embassy was Amy Hart Vrampas, Deputy Chief of the Mission.
AWE is a global initiative of the U.S. government seeking to promote women’s economic empowerment with the goal of helping 50 million women worldwide fulfill their economic potential. AWE is committed to providing women the knowledge, networks, and access they need to turn their ideas into reality.
Speaking to the graduates during the ceremony, Ms. Vrampas described the impact of the training that AWE provides. “The thirteen weeks of training you received as part of this program gave you the practical skills to create sustainable businesses and a network of mentors and like-minded entrepreneurs in the United States,” she said. 
She further added that empowering women economically is the fastest way to change society. “Women have a strong multiplier effect on the wider community because when women succeed, they are more likely to invest their earnings into their families and their communities, paying for things like their children’s education and health care. The economic benefits of your accomplishments support future generations. Your creativity is already having an impact on the society and the economy of Tanzania,” she said.
The Zanzibar cohort is the third group of women to participate in AWE. The first group of 20 women graduated September 9, 2019 in Dar es Salaam. The second group of 25 women entrepreneurs from Iringa completed their program on December 16, 2020. The fourth AWE training in Tanzania will take place in Mwanza, from July 2021.
Through a partnership with the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF), entrepreneurs participating in the AWE program are eligible for additional seed funds from USADF ranging up to $25,000 to expand their businesses.
The U.S. Embassy partners with Selfina to implement the AWE program in Tanzania. Founded in 2002 by Dr. Victoria Kisyombe, Selfina is a pioneer of micro-credit in Tanzania through micro-leasing with particular attention to widows and young girls. In the past 19 years SELFINA has economically empowered more than 31,000 women through an active revolving fund. Over 300,000 lives have been impacted through the benefits accrued. Women are now owners of their own businesses and more than 150,000 jobs have been created.