When opportunities begin to come, they come so quickly, in such great abundance, that one wonders where they have been hiding during all those lean years. In a remarkable turn of events, the year 2023 unfurled with an astonishing array of opportunities, each arriving in swift succession. The JAMII Femmes Initiative, the Somo Africa Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, and the IDEA Africa Initiative Pitching Bootcamp all graced my path within the span of a single January. It was as though the universe had gathered its most promising ventures and presented them to me on a silver platter. In this convergence of opportunities, January became a pivotal chapter, marked by a whirlwind of growth and professional transformation. The year had barely begun, yet its opening act was already a testament to the boundless potential that awaited.
This story is about receiving a grant without going through the rigorous process of proposal writing. That is how JAMII Femmes, an Initiative started by Women In Africa (WIA) and The Coca-Cola Foundation in 2022 to support 20,000 African women entrepreneurs over the next three years, enrolled me in their 3-month program and awarded me a Grant last month (July 2023).
The JAMII Femmes initiative aims to increase the impact of African women entrepreneurs on the African economy and support the creation of innovative solutions for sustainable development that will contribute to positive change in Africa by improving the quality of life of tens of thousands of people.
The Call for Application criteria set forth by JAMII Femmes seemed custom-tailored to harmonize with my aspirations as an emerging Climate Action Champion and devoted advocate of the Circular Economy. I had this an unwavering zeal to intertwine circular pathways with initiatives that strive to get the most value of the resources we have by keeping them at their highest utility, for as long as we can.
My business, Urban Organic Farming - Caryle Enterprises is a smart-climate agriculture initiative that recycles food waste using aerobic composting into organic manure for the production of African green leafy vegetables (ALVs) and fruit/medicinal tree seedlings.
Reducing food loss is our overarching goal. We are building a robust food waste collection and segregation system whereby we shall collaborate with local restaurants, hotels, vegetable vendors, and households to collect their food waste regularly for composting. Our demo farm is being established in the heart of Kisumu town, Western part of Kenya, to actively promote sustainable farming practices among the urban households by training and encouraging them to practice kitchen gardening and organically produce their own ALVs for consumption.
Undoubtedly, the timing of my acceptance into the JAMII Femmes program couldn't have been more opportune. As a wise soul once expressed, “the expanse of our knowledge, extending deep and wide, serves as fertile soil for cultivating innovative blooms, even within meticulously planned endeavors.” Despite my acquisition of masterclass business acumen through diligent study, relentless practice, and participation in diverse entrepreneurial ventures, the Honoris United Universities (HUUs) training, in collaboration with the JAMII Femmes Initiative, epitomized an unparalleled upskilling journey.
With unwavering commitment, I dedicated approximately 37 hours and 37 minutes to conquer the trifecta of transformative modules encompassing behavioral intelligence, critical thinking, creativity and design thinking, communication, collaboration, and the art of entrepreneurship, all accomplished well before the deadline. Apart from earning 3299 points and 6 badges, I also deepened my faculty and expanded my horizon beyond expectations.
So, how did I win a grant from JAMII Femmes without writing a proposal. Of course it wasn’t easy! As they say, “you can’t win if you don’t play.” I navigated through this program alongside the many tasks in my in-tray - the 1-hour every weekday Somo Africa Entrepreneurship Bootcamp program; the weekly 3-hour Violence Against Women (VAW) prevention essentials training; an intensive 30-day feasibility study consultancy in the month of March; training, facilitation & documentation for my clients who were pursuing the realisation of their respective career, business, & community goals; and day-to-day unpaid care work at home. As Zig Ziglar once said, “you were born to be a winner, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, expect to win.” Planning to win this Grant is exactly what I did from the onset of this program.
Seated alongside a young woman of remarkable intelligence and beauty during an illuminating JAMII Femmes Women in Agribusiness network session in April, she admitted to me her failure to complete the HUU courses. With one day to the deadline, I thought she was pulling my leg until the following day, a screenshot of her assignment conundrum landed in my inbox, asking for my assistance.
It made me wonder how one could truly lack the drive to embark on a journey laden with promise, one that beckoned rewards for simple tasks. The condition to win the Grant seemed straightforward: complete HUU courses within three months, actively engage in the WIA social network, and amplify the JAMII Femmes programs within the digital community. In the eloquent words of David Wood, echoing Michael Korda, "your chances of success are directly proportional to the degree of pleasure you derive from what you do." If winning a grant wasn’t her ultimate goal, then what was?
JAMII Femmes was such a cut-throating competition that less than 10% of the participants in cohort 1 & 2 from the 3 countries (Kenya, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire): received grants to support their business development and increase their impact on communities (600 entrepreneurs); benefited from a bootcamp to improve their skills and get coaching (60 entrepreneurs); and received a prize of $10,000 to support their projects (3 laureates). This means that hundreds of women who participated in this program were cut off. Reminds me of a poignant say – “if you hesitate to cross the stream, perhaps it's best not to wade in at all.”
Winning a Grant from the JAMII Femmes program was an achievement with a unique distinction – it was orchestrated without the customary ritual of proposal writing, a testament to the sheer potential that awakens when vision, determination, and unwavering dedication unite.
#proposal #womeninbusiness #JAMIIFemmes #entrepreneurship
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