Deadline: 17 December 2019
Applications are now open for 3rd Cohort of African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative Program which is a one-of-a-kind, high-touch leadership and business management capacity building program.
AWEC focuses on applied learning and collaborative experiences to ensure immediate business impact and the creation of a pan-African network of entrepreneurs, experts and allies.
AWEC uses technology and collaborative learning techniques to transform the lives of 200 entrepreneurs each year. The 12-month learning experience, which runs from April to March every year, provides cohort members with online and offline experiences, individual and team-based work, opportunities to give and receive peer feedback, and individualized business mentoring. Lessons and assignments are designed to be practical and applicable both to well-established business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
While AWEC seeks to build diverse cohorts, successful applicants tend to share the following traits:
- Resilience as individuals and entrepreneurs;
- Passion for building a scalable and sustainable business;
- Strong interest in building business, management and leadership skills;
- Collaborative spirit;
- Desire to build a pan-African network of peers;
- Empathetic leaders;
- Clear communicators.
Benefits
Upon successful completion of the 12-month program, participants will:
- Form connections with a diverse network of African women entrepreneurs;
- Establish a relationship with at least one senior business mentor;
- Strengthen strategy, leadership and business management skills;
- Apply their AWEC learning to their business with an eye toward sustainable growth;
- Gain skills needed to grow and scale their enterprise;
- Develop a toolkit of soft skills, including self-confidence, resilience, collaboration, and cross-cultural communications.
Expectations
Participants should expect to spend an average of 4 to 6 hours per week participating in AWEC activities (primarily online), for one year. When considering whether or not to apply, please keep in mind that this program is fast-paced and requires firm commitment to active learning and engagement.
Participants are expected to engage in one AWEC activity every week. While generous philanthropic donations enable AWEC to offer the 12-month learning experience without charging a program fee, participants may wish to plan for some travel expenses related to attending optional in-person events. Additional details will be provided to accepted members of the cohort.
Eligibility Criteria
Women who meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply:
- Current or aspiring African women entrepreneurs working in any industry;
- Citizens of any African country, currently living on the continent or in the diaspora;
- Founders of for-profit or non-profit/NGO ventures;
- Comfortable with remote teamwork and collaboration, especially using digital tools;
- Proficient in verbal and written English;
- Regular (at least weekly) access to the Internet through a computer or tablet.
Eligible Countries: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo DR, Congo-Brazzaville, Cote d’Ivorie, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
For more information, visit https://www.thecge.net/awec/apply/