Women entrepreneurs in Zanzibar to benefit from Vodacom Foundation’s MWEI project

 Vodacom to give interest-free loans worth Tshs27 million in Nungwi, Zanzibar.

Dar es Salaam, 19th November, 2012 …

Over 335 women entrepreneurs in Nungwi, Zanzibar, are now set to receive business boost, thanks to an initiative by the Vodacom Foundation to support them.

 

Vodacom Foundation, through the women empowerment kitty, MWEI, will now allocate Tshs27 million to women entrepreneurs in Zanzibar to enable them start new businesses or boost existing ones.

 

This is the second phase the MWEI project is visiting Zanzibar, the first time being in 2012.

 

MWEI project enables women entrepreneurs to access interest-free business loans through M-Pesa and repay using the same service.

Speaking while making this announcement, Vodacom Tanzania Managing Director, Rene Meza, said that women in Nungwi will now be able to change their lives for the better through this initiative. “MWEI project cares about the welfare of women in Tanzania.

 

We believe that this will go a long way to revolutionize the way they live and I wish them all the best,” said Meza. Since inception in 2007, Vodacom Foundation has given a total grant of Tsh150 million to over 6,000 women entrepreneurs in a total of 18 districts in the country through the Mwei project.

 

Vodacom Foundation further plans to set aside another Tsh450 million in order to reach more women across the country.

 

The project was established in a bid to assist the community, through women, to bring development using available opportunities and resources.

 

Through this project, Vodacom Foundation sponsors the training of the women entrepreneurs. Once they have under gone the training only then are they granted loans by MWEI