Kenya is one of four African countries where digital money transfer service WorldRemit has rolled out an entrepreneurship empowerment program.
The program will see 50 business owners receive a business booster pack and access to a digital skills training course.
The WorldRemit Entrepreneurs Program was launched in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe.
The digital training course was developed and will be delivered in collaboration with The Nest, a Pan-African tech incubation hub.
The program will run from November until the end of January 2020, with the goal of empowering entrepreneurs with tools and skills to scale and effectively run their businesses.
In a statement, WorldRemit observed that the program was geared to supporting small businesses which have suffered the economic shocks of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
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“Since the outbreak of Covid-19 across Africa, the continent has experienced a significant setback with the businesses of many entrepreneurs taking a hit. These entrepreneurs control the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) landscape, that have made significant contributions to the growth of the African economy especially through the creation of jobs.
“Today, WorldRemit is kickstarting this significant investment to support and empower these small businesses to grow their businesses,” the company noted.
200 lucky WorldRemit customers will get the chance to nominate entrepreneurs to take part in the program.
Sending a minimum of £50(Ksh7,212) to Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, or Zimbabwe between 2nd November and 31st December will enter customers into a draw. One transaction equals one entry.
100 winners will be drawn in November, and 100 more drawn in December. If your name is drawn, you’ll be able to nominate an entrepreneur in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, or Zimbabwe.
Referencing the growth of WorldRemit to become a leader in global digital payments, Â Sharon Karuga Kinyanjui, Head of East & Central Africa at WorldRemit, noted that it was testament to the importance of supporting entrepreneurs.
Backed by Accel, TCV and Leapfrog, WorldRemit sends from 50 to 150 countries and employs 1,100 people globally.
“We believe that entrepreneurs are critical to the growth of our economies, and as a business, we have a responsibility to support them through initiatives like this, especially during these unprecedented times.
“WorldRemit is a great success today because of the resilience and the support our entrepreneur founders received. We want to see other entrepreneurs experience the same level of success and beyond, because we know that when they do succeed, it has a ripple effect that will see the African continent succeed too,” Kinyanjui noted.
