AWIEF Partners with European and African Organizations to Launch Empowering WITH Initiative

WITH (A coalition made up of seven organizations from Africa and Europe launched the initiative Boosting Women Entrepreneurship Education in Tourism and Hospitality in Sub-Saharan Africa) received co-funding from the European Union in Seville, Spain during the 4th week of May 2023.

International Consulting and Mobility Agency (INCOMA), Seville Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services and Navigation, Spain; Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Nigeria; Centro Studi e Iniziative Europeo (CESIE), Italy; Equip Consulting Group, Malawi; and Gift Women Link Foundation, Uganda are the partner organisations.

A two-year effort called WITH seeks to equip and empower a new generation of women intrapreneurs, company owners, and entrepreneurs who are concerned about the environment and sustainability to flourish in the tourist and hospitality sector in Sub-Saharan Africa.

With a focus on empowering young women, WITH seeks to: introduce and promote sustainable tourism and hospitality concepts; support trainers and educators in updating their knowledge and practises in line with labour market needs and international practises; increase the opportunities for experiential learning through collaboration with public and private institutions engaged in vocational education and training.

At a kickoff meeting last week, Francisco Herrero León, President of the Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services and Navigation of Seville, welcomed the WITH partners and expressed how proud the organisation was to be a part of a project that connected entrepreneurship and women.

"At the Seville Chamber of Commerce, we have been putting a lot of effort into enhancing the entrepreneurial environment every day. Especially in recent years, we have increased the role of women entrepreneurs by assisting them through programmes and projects. Through the WITH initiative, we intend to continue assisting female entrepreneurs all across the world.

"The kick-off gathering has only been the beginning of organisations that are inspirational. The European and African organisations engaged will collaborate throughout these two years to support young women's entrepreneurial mindsets in Sub-Saharan African nations and instill sustainability consciousness in the next generation in the tourist and hospitality industries.

"We are passionate about assisting African women entrepreneurs build and scale the next generation of innovative and sustainable businesses that will impact the lives of all of us in the coming years," said AWIEF Founder and CEO Irene Ochem. through forming powerful multi-stakeholder partnerships through the WITH initiative, we are advancing this through mobilising and sharing information, experience, and resources to assist the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa.

"INCOMA will bring to WITH its more than 20 years of experience in highly relevant projects, such as ATHENA, SMART Volunteering for Female Migrants, CulTVET, and EU4BCC, among others," stated Juan Guerrero, Head of Research and Innovation at INCOMA. After this collaboration kick-off meeting and the project's debut in our city, we are really motivated and eager to watch the outcomes materialise.

"CESIE is thrilled to work on the WITH project, as it focuses on three key aspects at the heart of our activities: women empowerment, entrepreneurship, and tourism," stated Giulia Tarantino, Coordinator, International Cooperation at CESIE. We will strive to leverage all of these experiences to contribute favourably to the WITH project after creating many efforts in this area and offering training and coaching possibilities to anyone looking to launch a business.

"The WITH Project will inspire young women to seize opportunities, overcome obstacles, and actualize their entrepreneurial goals," stated Rollins Chitika, Managing Director of Equip Consulting Group. This generation has the potential to overcome the obstacles to economic development that now exist in our nation, and Equip Consulting Group is happy to be collaborating with partners from Africa and Europe to help make economic progress a reality.