Mombasa: The Collaboration of Women in Development (CWID) has urged small-scale businesswomen in Mombasa to improve their product branding to tap into international markets and boost their income. The advice was given by CWID Programme Officer Doris Ojiambo to women entrepreneurs from Jomvu, Mvita, Kisauni, Nyali, Changamwe, and Likoni sub-counties who gathered at the Little Theatre in Mombasa on Thursday to showcase their products.
According to Kenya News Agency, the event served as a product review ahead of a global conference that CWID will host in November. Ojiambo said that Urgent Fund Africa supports the programme, which aims to empower women at the grassroots level. "We want to empower our grassroots women economically so that we can be able to go to international markets," she stated, adding that they "mostly worked with women, assisting them in product marketing and branding to make them attractive to different clientele."
The organization has planned a series of capacity-building forums with the women ahead of the global conference in a bid to make the products attain international standards. "When we are reviewing the products, we make sure that we also open their minds. We are talking to them on matters to do with bookkeeping, savings, how they can access financial services and financial management," explained Ojiambo.
She further called for concerted efforts to open more markets for small-scale women traders, as they immensely contribute to county governments' economies but lack exposure to international markets. "If we can only build their capacity in a way where they can brand their products to open them to the international markets, it is going to help them and also capacity build them on financial management, where they can boost their businesses beyond what they have. Most of them operate their businesses on an ad hoc basis," Ojiambo noted.
Ruth Machochu, a Person with Disability (PWD) and a founder of Elite Ability Foundation Africa that empowers PWDs, said the event was an eye-opener and helped in preparing for the global event. "We expect to access a bigger market. We will adjust our product prices to align with international prices, not the current ones that we sell in the grassroots. We are looking forward to a bigger market and exposure to sell our products," she stated. Ms. Machochu urged the government to make the funding for women sustainable and accessible for women to expand their businesses.
Mwanamvua Fuwe, a trader of women's wear and traditional Swahili artefacts, said they faced challenges in accessing women's funds to boost their business. "I urge the government and other organisations to support women, as some already have products but cannot brand them to access international markets," said Fuwe.