Bulawayo– The Working Girl (WG) Foundation yesterday empowered several girls by providing a platform for them to pitch their business ideas to prospective investors in its version of the American ‘Shark Tank’ TV show the foundation named ‘Leopard Gatsha’, that also doubled as a graduation ceremony for the trainees.
The ultimate winner, Kudzai Manjengwa, walked away with prizes amounting to over US$200 for her business idea. She also won herself a mentorship deal with Flora Chizana, a prominent and influential business woman from the city.
Other girls also managed to impress the prospective investors and walked away with investments for some of their ideas, the first and second runner ups in particular.
Speaking at the ceremony, WG Foundation’s Executive Director, Nomalanga Ncube, revealed she was pleased with the progress the girls had made.
She said,” The girls have been training for the past 3 months and I am impressed that they are now doing feasible things.”
“It is a win for the girls and a win for everyone as the girl child is being empowered and that lucky girl today walks away with funding for her business,” she added.
The WG Foundation is an economic and social justice organization with a mission to empower women by helping them to be active participants of their own economic development. The foundation trains women to start and run their own successful businesses.
For this particular project, a call for applications to young women in Bulawayo was sent out thereafter, 40 were chosen and trained. The trainees were given mentors who helped them to work on their vision for their lives, business proposals and some have since started their businesses.
Out of the initial 40 shortlisted candidates, 20 graduated yesterday.
