COVID-19: Female Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries

Image from the article on Borgen Magazine

Even Borgen Magazine says #BusinessIsBetter.

Just check out this article. #BusinessISBetter. Exactly how Alternativ has seen women and other former program graduates all over the world rapidly adjust their business models to serve their communities in times of crisis, this article looks closer at the evolving roles of female entrepreneurs in developing nations. Key Quotes:

“The informal economy (industries such as hospitality, custodial services, cooking and eldercare) employs up to 70% of women working in developing countries.”

”One of the most effective preventative solutions for COVID-19 is also a way to aid vulnerable women: getting cash to female entrepreneurs in developing countries.”

”Supporting female workers and investing in women’s entrepreneurial ventures directly helps contain the COVID-19 pandemic.”

From the Borgen Project Magazine on August, 18 2020.

Innovation in a Time of Crisis: Entrepreneurs' Response to the Pandemic

This article by the Kenan Institute explores how while COVID-19 takes the stage as an all-demanding problem that the world is racing to solve, opportunity lies with innovators and entrepreneurs. While healthcare professionals innovate in their search for vaccines, entrepreneurs innovate in their products and services as COVID turns normal business upside down. At Alternativ, we've seen the same exact thing. When hit with the pandemic and associated concerns (lockdowns, impacts to supply chains, need for new products, etc.) Alternativ graduates have used the skills they gained from training to innovate on their existing business models and address immediate community needs. Just scroll on down to our last blog!

Article from the Kenan Institute, from April 2020, by Chris Bingham, Mahka Moeen, and Ted Zoller.

Video Blog: Why Business Training and Support is More Relevant than Ever...

Our last blog was jam packed with updates and information from both Alternativ partners/graduates as well as international development experts around the world, all showcasing why #BusinessIsBetter in getting back on track with UN Sustainable Development Goals in a post COVID 19 world.

So Daniel, our Manager of Communications, and the rest of the team felt that we should share it again, through, perhaps, a format that’s a little more personal than a blog post. Although he might be a little nervous in front of a camera saying what needs to be said… here’s Daniel talking about why business training and support is now more relevant than ever.

Whether its in addressing fallout from COVID-19 and associated lockdowns, or the international community’s general goal to eradicate world poverty by 2030, Alternativ is committed to the truth that charity doesn’t end poverty, but business can. You can see more in our previous blog post below.

#Changemakers. #SustainableDevelopment. #BusinessIsBetter

How “Made in Rwanda” is breathing life into Kigali’s fashion scene

Rwanda’s economy being mostly about subsistence agriculture and tourism might be disturbed by the new high end fashion wave gaining the country. With the creation of multiple highly technical fashion houses, Rwanda proves to the world its unique flair and growing appetite for economic growth. Read and discover how this small country in Central East Africa rivals with developed countries in the fashion world.

Article from Quartz Africa by Abdi Latif Dahir, May 25th 2019

5 things I wish someone told me when I first started – Carla Javits, REDF President and CEO

Carla Javits, was interviewed recently by Yitzi Weiner, a writer for Forbes, Huffpost and creator of the blog series – “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me,” which appears in Thrive Global. In it, he interviews CEO’s, leaders, and celebrities in order to share advice that can empower people and help to improve the world. This is an excerpt from that conversation.