Context and objectives
In a context where the major difficulty for African women entrepreneurs remains access to financing, the objective of the WIA 54 programme is to enable them to consolidate their achievements but also and above all to strengthen their capacities so that they can access financing offers / present their companies to potential investors.
Each year starting in 2021, women entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to be trained and coached through the mentoring programme for a pitch roadshow organized by WIA and its partners.
Programme mentors
Mentoring is the process of personal and professional development that focuses on accompanying the mentee and aims to listen, understand deep motivations, set goals, identify necessary resources, understand possible blocking points, share experiences and network, formalize an action plan and monitor progress.
Mentoring is a “win-win” relationship in which the mentor will also benefit from the perspective, insight and experience of a younger, entrepreneurial professional.
Abdou Souleye Diop
Managing Partner Mazars Morocco« Female entrepreneurship in Africa has the highest rate of women entrepreneurs, 24%, ahead of Asia (11%) and Europe (9%). It also contributes 7 to 9% of the GDP of the Continent. Having the ambition, among others, to act for the general interest, and as a responsible corporate citizen, we did not hesitate to support this year’s WIA54 2021, a programme that promotes and encourages female entrepreneurship in Africa.
I am happy to mentor Fatima-Zohra Hakam, founder of ZORA, who wants to start producing organic chocolate from start to finish in Africa. A very nice project in perspective. »
Mouna Fassi Daoudi
President of Stop Hunger« At the launching stage of such an ambitious project, mentoring can be considered as a training booster which objective is to accompany Hasna on her entrepreneurial path since she has to understand her project by integrating different dimensions: strategy, finance, marketing, sales, etc. and this in a much more practical than theoretical way.
It is also about enlightening her on punctual and immediate points, and helping her to take advantage of my experience to have a 360° vision in order to structure her project to ensure its viability and profitability. »
Aziz Nahas
CEO of Kensai Asset Management
« I am committed to being Salma Bougarrani’s mentor for several reasons:
First of all, I think that the growth of Morocco is closely linked to a higher participation of women in the economy. Secondly, I am particularly sensitive to the environmental issues that Green Watech is interested in.
Finally, I hope that Salma will be able to benefit from my entrepreneurial experience (especially so that she can avoid a certain number of pitfalls that are familiar to me).
Guiding Salma in the development of a profitable and sustainable company is a responsibility that I take very seriously but it is not only a responsibility, it is also a privilege. »
Samia Terhzaz
Delegated General Manager of the CGEM« Women are often confronted with the difficulties inherent in the creation of a business. Mentoring appears to be one of the pillars of entrepreneurship, allowing women entrepreneurs to be guided and accompanied in the development of their projects.
With this in mind, it is my great pleasure to be a mentor in the WIA 54 programme for several reasons:
Mentoring allows for mutual enrichment: it allows for the exchange and confrontation of ideas that can only be beneficial for the mentor/mentee couple. Thus, I would use my own experience, my own failures to guide and ensure the success of Aida’s professional project and by extension, to a lesser extent, the socio-economic development of the country. »
