About Us

1. Capacity Building Programs-This focus on women and sme participants who learn and increase their knowledge skills to boost their business potential and enable them export and to trade globally.

This includes trainings in:
• Business management and business plans
• Financial management
• Marketing and branding
• Sales/ business development
• Customer service
• Procurement
• Market research
• Product development
• Import and export trade

2. Access to Market and Business Linkages–women have participated in various trade fairs over the years.

This includes:
• Intra African Trade Fair(Cairo-Egypt)
• Ambiente ( Frankfurt-Germany)
• NY Now-(New York)
• Magic Fashion Trade Show-Las Vegas
• Third US –AFRICA IWD Conference
• Trade Show and Awards
• GPC Pulses 19 Conventions-Brazil
• Inward Kenyan Agri-Business Visit to Ireland
• Africa Ireland Economic Forum –Ireland
• India-Kenya Trade Expo-India
• US-Africa Trade Investment Conference
• AGOA Annual Forums-Washington DC, Addis Ababa, Gabon, Ivory Coast and more.
• Our members have also participated in various business delegations –from China, Turkey, Greece, and India and more most of which are in collaboration /courtesy of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

3. Access to Finance and Investment Opportunities-Stanbic Bank recently rolled out ksh 20billion women only loans aimed to boost financial inclusion of women in formal and informal businesses and AWEP KE is in the process of concretizing the partnership and also has our members engage in the Dada Program just launched.

Other key AWEP KE financial partners include: • State Bank of Mauritius (SBM)
• Equity Foundation and Bank
• Kenya Commercial Bank
• Invest in Africa

4. Access to Mentorship and Networking Initiatives-key noted programs includes:
• The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)-This is a U.S. Dept of State’s premier professional exchange program and aims to connect current and emerging foreign leaders with their American counterparts through short-term program
• The FORTUNE/State Department Global Women's Mentoring Partnership-This provides mentorship opportunities for emerging women leaders from all over the world with FORTUNE'S Most Powerful Women Leaders, executives from companies such as Time Inc., Google, Inc., Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Exxon Mobil Corp. Several AWEP Alumni have participated in both the programs.

5. Representation on National Committees – AGOA Committee and the National Export Development Strategy

6. Provision of consultancy services on proposal writing funded by State Department through WeCreate Centre.

7. Working in Partnership with ITC Shetrades in the Commonwealth-which aims to increase economic growth and job creation in Commonwealth countries by increasing the participation of women-owned businesses in international trade. The project is funded by the UK Department for International Development and implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) which is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations under the framework of the She Trades Initiative.

8. Working in Partnership with Metropol Corporation-which is a leading provider of business and credit information in Kenya and has built a formidable knowledge base of the SME market players. The partnership between Metropol Corporation and AWEP KE will establish a framework for building synergies on potential women SME funded projects, creating linkages and platform for lobbying amongst key stakeholders that work with women entrepreneurs, increase uptake of available capacity building solutions, create a forum for the involvement of more women in the SME sector and finally create a mechanism for improved credit flow to women SME's.

9. Working in Partnership with TFO CANADA-AWEP KE-Following recent training with TFO Canada –the partnership seeks to Promote sustainable economic development for women and SME’s through trade with Canada. TFO Canada helps to make trade happen for over 1,300 exporters from developing countries, over 1,300 trade support institutions and more than 1,900 Canadian importers.

10. Working in Partnership EBay-eBay is the second largest global B2C marketplace with 177M active buyers and $85BN turnover per year. This is a great platform for our women -owned SME's to tap into global e-commerce.

11. Working in Partnership with Bidco Company-The partnership aims to promote sunflower and soya beans farming in a move that could significantly cut reliance on imports. Bidco provides technical support and ready market for the produce.

12. Working in Partnership with 50 Million Africa Women Speak-supported by African development bank-this online platform seeks to provide financial and non-financial information to women entrepreneurs for them to interact and grow their businesses.

13. Working in Partnership with IRC/PIK- This aim to help the survivors of Gender Based Violence and help improve their entrepreneurship skills and it is a development program funded by USAID

14. Working in Partnership with UN WOMEN-The program invites private sector partners to demonstrate their work fast-tracking women’s equal participation in the workforce and as entrepreneurs as well as to ensure women’s empowerment in value chains and their access to finance.