70 women beneficiaries of the Tigo Women Entrepreneurship Fund each received startup capital worth Rwf 100,000 at a graduation ceremony that was held at the Tigo Head Offices in Muhima, Nyarugenge District on Friday.
The graduation ceremony followed a two-day training workshop this week that focused on digital financial business management and customer service at the Tigo Sales School. As well as startup capital, the women also received certificates of attendance from the Tigo Sales School.
The guest of honor Dr. Diane Gashumba, the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, was joined by Jean Philbert Nsengimana the Minister of Youth and ICT, Françoise Uwumukiza, the President of the National Women Council, the Chief Gender Monitor Rose Rwabuhihi, Muhima Sector Executive Secretary John Ruzima and representatives from Imbuto Foundation in gracing the occasion.
The Rwf 50 million Fund, which is being implemented in partnership with the National Women Council, will award two women from each Sector nationwide with a startup capital of Frw 100,000 to open mobile money businesses. Tigo Rwanda announced the Tigo Women Entrepreneurship Fund during the International Women Day in Gasabo District celebrations on March 8, 2016.
After receiving their certificates of attendance, Graduating Class Representative Oliver Mutamba, a resident of Mumbogo Sector, Gasabo District, said;
“We thank Tigo and all our partners for thinking about us as women. Women’s development is the foundation of our development. Through this initiative, Tigo has proved to be a good partner in development”.
Françoise Uwumukiza, the President of the National Women Council, took the opportunity to remind the attendees that women had a huge role to play in Rwanda’s development.
“The Tigo Women Entrepreneurship Fund is the kind of partnership that will uplift the Rwandan woman. This program allows women, who might have not previously been participants in Rwanda’s development, to take their rightful place”.
Cynthia Gordon, the Executive Vice President of Millicom, the parent company of Tigo Rwanda, reminded the graduates that women are powerful and can change the world;
“I challenge you all to push yourselves hard and be ambitious. I promise that Tigo will be there to support you”, she said.
In her keynote address, the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Dr. Diane Gashumba, said,
“As a Ministry we support this partnership between Tigo and the National Women Council because it is something that doesn’t only develop the individual women but their families and communities as well. This kind of partnership helps create jobs and in addition to skills in technology and financial management. We want to thank Tigo for being Pro-Women”, she remarked.
While announcing the Tigo Women Entrepreneurship Fund in March, Tigo CEO Tongai Maramba said that the Fund was proof of Tigo’s understanding of the role that women play in guaranteeing their families’ financial management.
“This fund will bring us a step closer to delivering on this promise. This project is linked to two key principles and these are outreach and sustainability. We see those as critical to developing sound financial inclusion capable of serving rural communities and enabling women to improve their economic activities and livelihoods”, he said.
On February 22, Tigo Rwanda signed the Connected Women Commitment Initiative during the GSMA Mobile World Congress Barcelona, Spain. The initiative aims to reduce the gender gap in mobile internet and mobile money services and empower all women and girls. The Tigo Women Entrepreneurship Fund is in line with Tigo Rwanda’s commitment to increase the number of women using mobile financial services in the country from 39 per cent today to 45 per cent by 2020.
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