Empower African Girls and Women as Global Leaders

We are thrilled to present the second-quarter report for the Africa Matters ShE is Empowered Program, showcasing the progress and achievements made possible by your support.

Graduation Report for the 2023/24 Cohort

The 2023/24 cohort has successfully graduated, completing their Community Engagement Projects (CEPs). Congratulations to these exceptional young women who have made a profound impact in their communities. Your journey has been extraordinary, and we look forward to seeing how your leadership will continue to evolve.

A special thanks to all our donors and the community for your continued support, which has been instrumental in these accomplishments.

Call for Donations

We need your help to empower African girls and women to be global leaders. Your donations will fund capacity-building sessions and seed funding for CEPs for 20 participants from seven countries: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, and Tanzania. Through your support, our program participants will collectively impact over 1,000 people.

Capacity Building for the 2024/25 Cohort

In the past quarter, our participants engaged in six modules and three workshops to enhance their skills and prepare them for their community engagement projects. Here’s a glimpse of their learning journey:

• Module 2: Essential Skills Pt.1 covered foundational leadership skills, including critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving. Feedback highlighted the session's interactive and accessible nature. A participant commented, “The session was well-paced and easy to understand. It allowed us to interact with each other, and I learned new concepts, including critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving, which are essential in everyday life. I’m looking forward to the next session.”

• Module 4: Project Management (Sustainable Projects) Pt.1 emphasised crafting sustainable and impactful initiatives. Participants appreciated the focus on SWOT analysis to assess internal and external project factors. One participant shared, “The module was interesting. I enjoyed learning about project planning, especially the SWOT analysis, which involves analyzing both internal and external factors surrounding the project.”

• Module 7: Project Management (Financing a Project) focused on strategic planning, effective communication, and leveraging networks for fundraising and partnership building. Participants valued the session’s emphasis on understanding that financing a project involves more than securing funds. One participant noted, “A key takeaway was that financing a project goes beyond securing funds; it also involves strategic planning, effective communication, and leveraging networks to build long-term support. The session was crucial in building my confidence and capability to manage project financing and provided actionable tools and resources for the success of my community engagement initiative.”

In addition to the capacity-building modules, we hosted Community Engagement Workshops, which were facilitated as follows:

• On May 15, the Community Engagement Workshop focused on the value of CEPs and included insights from previous participants.
• On July 3, the Resource Mobilization Workshop covered methods for gathering resources, featuring insights from past participants and Africa Matters' CEO, Reanne Olivier.
• Lastly, the Storytelling Workshop on August 24, facilitated by storytelling expert Hammed, taught participants how to use storytelling to enhance personal branding and develop their projects, offering networking opportunities and insights from case studies.

CEP Planning and Mid-Program Check-Ins

During the past quarter, participants presented their Community Engagement Projects (CEPs) through elevator pitches, allowing them to share their ideas concisely, receive feedback from peers, and refine their projects. Additionally, one-on-one check-ins provided personalised support, tracked progress, addressed challenges, and offered tailored guidance, ensuring participants' well-being and success throughout the program.

Thank you for your continued support in empowering young women across Africa. We look forward to achieving more milestones together.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for!

If you have inquiries or want to connect with us, please email she@africamattersinitiative.com 

Yours African Youth Development,

Africa Matters ShE Team