Yaoundé, Cameroon — On October 26, the U.S. Embassy officially launched the 2023 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in Cameroon to support women in their growth, innovation, and leadership path and to promote economic prosperity. Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Mary Daschbach delivered remarks at the launching ceremony at Village Noah, with participation from the Inspector of Services No. 1 in the Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Mr. Nathan Ntanen.
Funded by the U.S government and implemented in partnership with USG exchange alumna Valerie Neim, AWE Cameroon’s three-month program will train 50 women entrepreneurs from 12 cities across Cameroon through the U.S. online platform DreamBuilder combined with in-person mentorship and facilitation on the skills and networks needed to scale successful businesses. Upon completion of the course, participants will become the first-ever Cameroonian AWE cohort and join a community of former participants of U.S. government-funded exchange programs.
In her remarks, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Mary Daschbach stated: “When women are successful, communities prosper, and countries thrive. This cascade of impact illustrates the vision we have for AWE Cameroon on this day—to plant a seed that will yield significant harvest for the Cameroonian economy tomorrow.”
AWE supports the U.S. government’s National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality aimed at advancing women’s economic empowerment globally. Implemented in nearly 100 countries, AWE has supported more than 25,000 women entrepreneurs around the world to develop their entrepreneurial ideas and grow their businesses.
For more information on the AWE program, please visit: https://eca.state.gov/awe and stay connected at: https://www.facebook.com/AWEinCameroon.
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