{"id":11124,"date":"2025-04-16T12:06:40","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T12:06:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gracamacheltrust.org\/?p=7896"},"modified":"2026-01-23T01:33:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T23:33:28","slug":"amplifying-impact-insights-from-the-graca-machel-trust-and-mastercard-foundation-partnership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/featured\/amplifying-impact-insights-from-the-graca-machel-trust-and-mastercard-foundation-partnership\/","title":{"rendered":"Amplifying impact: Insights from the Gra\u00e7a Machel Trust and Mastercard Foundation partnership"},"content":{"rendered":"

Strategic partnerships are crucial for creating a lasting impact in Africa’s evolving entrepreneurial landscape. The collaboration between the Gra\u00e7a Machel Trust and Mastercard Foundation through the Women Creating Wealth Intergenerational Initiative (WCW-I) demonstrates how values-driven partnerships advance women\u2019s and youth entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Janet Lohay of Jamec Farm in Bagamoyo Tanzania is one of the\u00a0<\/em>participants of the WCW programme who was visited by the team\u00a0<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

GMT focuses on improving the economic, \u00a0social well-being and leadership of women and youth on the African continent. At the same time, the Mastercard Foundation\u2019s Young Africa Works strategy aims to help 70% of young women achieve self-employment or dignified work. Together, these efforts accelerate meaningful change.<\/p>\n

Our recent \u00a0site visit to entrepreneurs in Malawi and Tanzania was about more than observation\u2014 it was an opportunity for deep learning and collaboration. We explored how our missions align, understood the role of values in achieving outcomes, and identified scalable approaches for economic advancement.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The power of values-driven collaboration<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

During the \u00a0visit, the Foundation actively participated in co-creation and embodied its core values of kindness, respect, and humility.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0WCW Tanzania team with Mastercard Foundation leadership during the visit<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

This immersive experience encouraged open dialogue, allowing both teams to exchange ideas and refine strategies. By fostering a listening and shared learning culture, we strengthened our ability to drive impactful transformation in women\u2019s and youth entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Chifuno Stevens (left) Managing Director for Dedza Pottery and Lodger and CEO of Chifuno Changa Green Initiative in Dedza interacting with Mastercard Foundation leadership- Makena Mworia and Phirista Nassali Nakato\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

One highlight was our engagement with the COMESA Federation of Women Entrepreneurs in Business (CONFWEB) in Malawi, where ecosystem players discussed challenges and opportunities in entrepreneurship. This reinforced the insight that collective action and shared knowledge are vital for systemic change.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Confidence as the cornerstone of economic advancement<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A clear insight emerged from the visit: confidence is essential to entrepreneurial success. Almost every entrepreneur we met experienced a shift in mindset following their participation in the WCW programme, significantly improving their businesses.<\/p>\n

This highlights the importance of personal leadership. The WCW Personal Mastery and Leadership curriculum equips women to overcome imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and other barriers.<\/p>\n

We asked, “How long does it take to build entrepreneurial confidence?” Evidence suggests transformation can start within a month when individuals receive inspiration, practical knowledge, and strong support. When entrepreneurs see tangible results, their confidence\u2014and businesses\u2014grow rapidly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Scaling youth employment: Lessons from a young entrepreneur<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In Africa, addressing youth unemployment through entrepreneurship is critical. One standout example from our visit was Neema\u2019s Beauty Bar & Boutique in Malawi. Neema<\/a>, a young entrepreneur, built a successful beauty business and trained 60 female high school dropouts, many of whom have started their own businesses.<\/p>\n

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Photo: WCW Malawi team with Mastercard Foundation leadership visiting some of the entrepreneurs in the programme<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Neema\u2019s model aligns with WCW-I\u2019s goal to create 52,500 youth jobs in the next 15 months. It emphasises the importance of robust tracking mechanisms to replicate and scale successful models.<\/p>\n

The site visit confirmed a powerful truth: partnerships rooted in shared values and mutual learning drive extraordinary change. Moving forward, we are committed to deepening our collaboration to ensure African women and youth have the confidence, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Esther Msefula, owner of Starise Furniture and Home Deco in Lilongwe Malawi interacting with GMT and Mastercard Foundation leadership – Makena Mworia and Phirista Nassali Nakato.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

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Acknowledging our partners, teams, and entrepreneurs<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We extend our sincere thanks to the Mastercard Foundation for their active participation in this insightful visit. Marieme Esther Dassanou, Makena Mworia, and Phirista Nassali brought expertise and vision brought depth to our engagements.<\/p>\n

Mastercard Foundation\u2019s unwavering commitment to collaboration and learning continues to shape and strengthen entrepreneurship across Africa in meaningful ways.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re equally grateful to the Women Creating Wealth country teams. Under the leadership of Evelyn Kamanga in Malawi, and Anabahati Mlay in Tanzania, their dedication and seamless coordination made this experience both productive and inspiring.<\/p>\n

This visit showcased the power of collaboration and the potential of entrepreneurship to drive meaningful change. The stories shared by entrepreneurs in Tanzania and Malawi reaffirmed that with the right support, confidence, and partnerships, we\u2019re not just growing businesses\u2014we\u2019re shaping a more inclusive and resilient future for Africa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Strategic partnerships are crucial for creating a lasting impact in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_rtcl_gb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[742,4,81,95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogs","category-featured","category-highlight","category-womens-economic-and-social-advancement-highlight"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11124\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}