Business Women Connect (BWC) is a $300 000 yearly initiative sponsored by the ExxonMobil Foundation and implemented in partnership with TechnoServe Mozambique. The BWC program ultimate goal is to increase women’s economic opportunity by supporting their activities in financial and merchandise management, marketing, customer service, and investing. It has been implemented in Maputo, Gaza, and Inhambane provinces supporting grocery stores, restaurants, takeaways, tailors, and beauty salons.

In 2018, in partnership with Letshego Bank, the program consisted of training bank agents to help women customers effectively use savings accounts and improve business and financial literacy to grow their businesses. In 2021, the program provided business and financial literacy to women micro-entrepreneurs through business development and management classes. In 2022, BWC consisted of a 4-month training for female business owners, followed by bi-monthly mentoring.

The impacts of BWC are remarkable and ExxonMobil foundation aims to continue with the program. So far, the BWC has provided business literacy training for over 1,000 women and nearly 100 bank agents in Mozambique. A major part of the beneficiaries has increased their income and their business has also registered improvements.

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