A Social startup, Muazu Africa, designed to democratise financing, market and knowledge opportunities for early-stage female-led social enterprises is empowering girls in Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique and Rwanda through support services and markets intermediary.
To promote decent work and economic growth, Muazu Africa focuses on social entrepreneurship as a leading force for positive transformation in Africa where millions of people remain excluded from basic amenities such as education, banking, energy, food security and quality health care.
According to the Founder and Head of Growth of Muazu Africa, Tolulope Makinwa, social enterprises led by women could be catalysts for change that trickles down to adolescent girls.
“Social enterprise is, in essence, a concept of business that takes social good as an equal priority to profit making and seeks to bring about a ‘fairer economy’. So it is fitting to ask to what extent can social enterprise enable a fairer economy for women and girls’ empowerment,” she said.
Makinwa disclosed that through its CSR initiative, ‘Girls Who Change The World’, Muazu Africa was devoted to helping girls confidently champion social change within their local communities, saying it was being done with assistance of mentors who serve as ‘Big sisters’.
Makinwa noted that the CSR initiative, which commenced in October 2022 to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child, has successfully mentored 45 girls from the Ansar-Ud-Deen School, Ilupeju Girls School and Elizabeth Schools from the Lagos State Educational District IV and VI, as well as establishing partnerships with high schools in Accra and Koforidua region in Ghana.
“The initiative continues to strengthen its objectives in 2023 by collaborating with socially responsible sectors across Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana and Mozambique starting with its conditional cash transfer to improve educational status of girls in rural areas,” she added.
Makinwa, however, said the effect of training girls to identify social and environmental problems in time was a better way of adequately preparing them for the age of social responsibility.
Source : TheGuardian
