SUVA – The United States Ambassador Joseph Cella welcomed over 70 Fijian women entrepreneurs today at the U.S. Embassy to celebrate the launch of the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a program designed to further enhance their business prowess. Six groups of 16 women throughout Viti Levu, will start workshops on July 29th consisting of online training paired with mentor facilitation.
The U.S. Embassy is proud to partner with both the Women Entrepreneurs Business Council (WEBC), and Makoi Women’s Vocational Centre to manage the AWE program. U.S. State Department’s funding (US$17,360) will provide opportunities for women to learn skillsets that can be directly and immediately applied to their business.
Ambassador Cella said, “The AWE program supports an evolving and expanding network of women entrepreneurs. This program facilitates local businesswomen to enhance the economic potential of their communities through innovative ideas and improved business skills.”
The 96 selected participants come from diverse backgrounds and levels of business expertise. Beyond learning in the academy, they will continue to be mentored and encouraged to share, learn, and network with other members of their group. The continued support of women entrepreneurs fosters ideals supported by the U.S. government. The U.S. Embassy looks forward to seeing participants of this program flourish into successful business leaders and seeing them and their graduation.