Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 20 | Page 12

NEWS Dell and IMPACT to support women’s empowerment in DR Congo D ell is teaming with Canadian-based non-profit firm IMPACT to provide women in the Democratic Republic of Congo with business education focused on investing their savings into new entrepreneurship opportunities in their communities. The partnership Dell is teaming with IMPACT to provide women in the Democratic Republic of Congo with business education will provide over 300 women artisanal gold miners in the north- eastern region of the country’s Ituri Province with business skills training through IMPACT’s Artisanal Mining Women’s Empowerment Credit and Savings project, known by its French acronym AFECCOR. The project and training is in direct support of IMPACT’s research on women’s economic empowerment in the artisanal mining sector, along with studies from UN Women, detailing the commitment of women to innovate in areas that improve the long-term development and security of their own communities. It supports women and men in artisanal gold mining communities in establishing Village Savings and Loans Associations, providing training and monitoring as they grow their savings over a year. After one year, participants are empowered to invest their savings into new entrepreneurial activities – promoting local entrepreneurship and economic security. “Our research shows that access to secure savings and credit is a major barrier for women to have an equal opportunity as economic actors in the artisanal mining sector,” said Joanne Lebert, IMPACT’s Executive Director. ////////////////// New UK aid package set to improve quality of education in Tanzania Y oung people in Tanzania will be empowered to take control of their future prosperity through a new package of UK support, the International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has announced. International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt unveiled plans for the UK to work in partnership with Tanzania On her visit to the country, Mordaunt unveiled plans for the UK to work in partnership with Tanzania to help harness the potential of young people, who hold the key to unlocking the country’s economic growth. She has set out a package of UK support which will help improve the quality of education in every primary and lower secondary school across the country. This includes making sure that girls move on to secondary schools and that disabled children can access education. family planning methods. This will enable 800,000 women every year across Tanzania to have greater control over when and how many children they have. Mordaunt also visited a family planning clinic to see how UK aid will be scaling up its provision of modern, voluntary and safe “As Tanzania grows, it’s essential that young people and women are empowered to take control of their lives, education and 12 INTELLIGENTCIO health, fulfil their potential and play a role in the future prosperity of their country,” said Mordaunt. Mordaunt also travelled to Dar es Salaam port to see how the UK is sharing expertise to help Tanzania crack down on organised crime and corruption which hold back development. www.intelligentcio.com