EWiB’s 1st year Anniversary

The Word Bank has a project that focuses on women entrepreneurs to help out with GTP. This has got to be music to any woman entrepreneur’s ears; we also wish this project would help out hopefully women at our level….a bit upscale by their definition than micro.

Ladies, I trust this message finds you well. EWiB celebrated HER first anniversary fit for a Queen. We will do our King, the 2nd year– King as in bigger in size not in brain– OK?

Thank you for those of you who joined us and I must say those who didn’t, you missed this event big time. It was a great opportunity to network with the Bank’s big guys. I also wonder why some people reserve and never show up and don’t even bother to say they cancelled their commitment. I just want to let you know we also paid for those of you who reserved and never bothered to tell us you wouldn’t be coming. A woman of EWiB’s caliber would have said so, so that her other friends wouldn’t be left out in the rain. Please next time don’t reserve unless you mean it or tell us if you couldn’t.

The program was interesting and very useful. Ken Ohashi, WB director, and one of his colleagues who works on this project came and we had a lively discussion. WB has allocated 50,000,000 dollars for five years or if we could go through it faster for a shorter period. The dilemma, or shall I say the challenge, the Bank has is to balance the requirement of the government which is to help out the poorest of the poor and the desire of the Bank to help those who are established businesses and take them to the higher level. The previous many projects working only with the primitive economy is not helping out so far and not making a difference. The idea is if people have a choice they would be gainfully employed. As quoted at the meeting, in the developed world, 90% of the population works for a salary. As they say, the Ethiopian economy is a “Gulit Economy”; perhaps for lack of choice, many are doing this “Gulit” thing; the economy hasn’t developed to give jobs to millions. Therefore, the argument was to help those who have somehow made it and help them expand their businesses so they could hire a lot more and build the economy that way. I say that is a plan. After all, 50 million may just do that if they go our way, don’t you agree? The Bank needs our wisdom on this one and you all wise women are invited by the Bank to voice your opinion, concern, etc, etc. You call Ken Ohashi and say that you are part of our group and would like to help out with ideas. He expects all of you to do so.

Where else but EWiB to open the venue for such exciting and important venture!! With that note, we shall see you at next meeting in June. We won’t meet in May.

Nahu

Share on your socials!