Special Projects
Current Projects
ABW Connected
African Business Women (ABW) Connected is an innovative, pioneering initiative to enhance the economic performance of women-led businesses throughout Africa. It is the first initiative of its kind to unite and connect leading African business women from all 54 countries in Africa in the three largest export sectors for women: agribusiness, services and craft/textiles.
Leading women entrepreneurs, leading business women association representatives and high performing students will be invited to attend the inaugural 4 day summit in April 2013. The initiative will also include online programming and an extensive social media campaign in addition to post summit presentations in each of Africa’s 54 countries by the students and association representatives who attended the summit.
With a number of initiatives already underway, ABW Connected will reach millions of African women and make a long-term impact by focusing on three powerful enablers:
Leadership: African women leaders from across the continent are already sharing their “words of wisdom” through www.wisdomexchangetv.com and their knowledge and learnings will continue to be shared in April 2013 at the ABW Connected Summit and beyond.
Technology: The latest technology and best practices in mobile, web, social media, renewable energy and financial enablers will be featured at the April 2013 Summit – all of which have the ability to transform these women-led businesses to make a difference to the future of Africa.
Trade: A first time ever continent-wide trade expo in Africa where the “best of the best” from across Africa will gather in Africa in April 2013 to showcase their products to an extensive group of international and African buyers who are anxiously awaiting this opportunity. In addition eye-catching, bold and unique handcraft creations will be showcased on the runway by models at our evening event prior to the trade expo, led by Mustard Seed Africa and her handcraft showcase team.
ABW Connected is being developed as a long-term sustainable program with a summit planned in Africa once every two years and supporting on-line content pre and post summit. Our mission is to unite and transform African women entrepreneurs through three key powerful enablers; leadership, technology and trade.
ABW Connected is an initiative started by CAABWA (Canadian and African Business Women’s Alliance) in partnership with CAWEE (Centre for African Women Economic Empowerment), TIAW (The International Alliance for Women) and IEF (Ignite Excellence Foundation). With strong support from major institutions in Africa including FEMCOM (Federation of National Associations of Women in Business in Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) and ECOWAS FEBWE (Federation of Business Women and Entrepreneurs) among other partners.
For more information please contact: info@abwconnected.com
For ABW Connected sponsorship program click here.
Past Projects
Trillium / Echoes of Africa
CAABWA received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation in April 2008 for a two year project. The objective is to provide training to 200 low income and immigrant women in the Halton-Peel and Simcoe-York regions. Many women in these communities are highly skilled and motivated to work, but face barriers to entry in the traditional job market. The purpose of the CAABWA training program is to help low-income and immigrant women explore the possibility of starting their own business as a means for achieving greater economic independence and gaining "Canadian experience".
As a complementary activity, CAABWA is currently organizing an African arts and culture festival on Saturday, August 29, 2009 in Newmarket. Volunteer participants can further develop their organizational, communication and marketing skills by helping to organize the festival. They will also have an opportunity to launch their business idea and showcase their products or
services to the public at this event. Another key objective of the festival is to promote cultural literacy, by exposing the ttendees to the art, drama, music, dance and culture of Africa.
Please click here to read about project success stories.
Positive Partnerships Programme
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CAABWA's Positive Partnerships Programme supports women-led projects and initiatives in Africa.
Public donations to this programme support women entrepreneurship programmes such as Gone Rural.
Gone Rural (Pty) Ltd. was initiated as a Rural Development Handicraft Business in 1992, focusing on the upliftment and empowerment of rural Swazi women through handicraft.
Gone Rural is committed to empowering rural Swazi women, alleviating poverty and supporting HIV/AIDS orphans by creating a regular income through working with traditional hand-skills to produce unique, beautiful products that are made in the home
using locally available and sustainable natural materials.
Gone Rural was one of the 12 finalists in the BBC’s World Challenge.
- 42.6% of Swaziland’s tiny population of 1.1 million people are already HIV+
- By 2010, the life expectancy in Swaziland will be 29 years old.
- Swaziland currently has about 70,000 orphans and 22,000 child-headed households.
- By 2010, they will have 120,000 orphaned children.
- Approximately 69% of Swaziland’s population currently live below the poverty line (US$ 22/ month).
Gone Rural Bomake
Through Gone Rural’s hands-on involvement with the rural women and taking into account Swaziland’s extremely high HIV status (42.6% of total population is HIV+) they recently registered a Section 21 (non-profit) company, “Gone Rural boMake”. Gone Rural boMake’s mission is to strengthen, support and educate
the 14 communities supporting Gone Rural’s business operations, by facilitating healthcare, education, and holistic lifestyle programs that introduce critical life-skills and knowledge to improve upon existing social programs and sustain a
self-sufficient way of life for all while fighting the devastating impact of Swaziland’s HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Their projects include:
- Provision of school fees, uniforms and books for AIDS orphans
- Facilitation of voluntary HIV/AIDS testing and counselling in rural areas
- Facilitation of access to ARV’s, condoms and AIDS education on an ongoing basis in rural areas
- Provision of clean drinkable water in drought-stricken areas and training in vegetable “trench” gardening programmes to provide a better source of nutrition.
“While I have always had an appreciation for being born,
raised, educated and employed in Canada, I never
fully understood the value of being an independent
businesswoman; feeling empowered and having
choices, until I visited local businesswomen in Africa.
I learned that having the good fortune of being a
business woman in Africa meant they were able to
overcome basic challenges which I could never imagine,
like the spread of HIV & extreme poverty.”
Kathleen Holland,
CAABWA Volunteer