May 26, 2025
MONICA KAYOMBO, Lusaka
SHE Rebuilds the World (SRW), an organization dedicated to empowering women globally, has continued to reach out to women, and last week, 112 ladies from Namibia graduated from the Business Development Lab course. SRW Founder, Prof. Ieva Jākobsone, said the 14-week intensive entrepreneurship course, facilitated by Riga Business School and Professor Mike Wells, was a crucial milestone in setting the stage for SRW’s sustainable success in the future.
“Although there is still one program (Financial Literacy) in Season three ongoing until mid-June, I find Season three of this women’s economic empowerment project a crucial milestone in setting sustainable success of SRW for the future,” she said. Prof. Jākobsone noted that SRW is currently in its third season, having shared knowledge on entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy, design thinking, and leadership across beneficiary countries in Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Rwanda, with over 1,000 participants and nearly 950 official graduates since 2022.
“The best news continues to spread, and our activities have also reached ladies in South Africa and Kenya. This referral of our programs from our alumni to their friends in other countries is a true testament to our strengths and sisterhood,” she added. She emphasized that the impact of the program is massive, backed by the SRW business survey conducted in February 2025 with almost 300 respondents.
According to the survey, 39.5% of respondents are considering opening a new business, 19.2% have opened a new business, 31.2% have developed new products and services, and 22.5% are developing new collaborative initiatives with their SRW sisters in other African countries. In Season three, SRW has strengthened its program portfolio to make it more practical than theoretical.
Prof. Jākobsone explained that SRW assesses the needs of participating countries’ stakeholders before deciding to intervene and help participating ladies contribute to their countries’ economic development based on gender inclusiveness. The SRW Season three project focuses on technological and digital fluency in entrepreneurship, comprising programs such as Entrepreneurship/Business Development Lab, Digital Literacy, Financial Literacy, Train the Trainer, and Women Leadership.
The entire program is based on the needs of collaborating partners, combining African and European knowledge, excellence, and skills. “For the Season four project in Namibia, we are excited to work with the Namibia Investment and Promotion Development Board and women’s organizations to prepare and deliver a specialized program for women in the energy sector, including oil, mining, and artistry, to complement their technical industry knowledge with entrepreneurial skills,” she said.
Prof. Jākobsone added, “Our work will be properly done when we are no longer needed. I am delighted that Season three has been a turning point in our collaboration with our partners and alumni regarding project ownership. This year, with the assistance of our national partners, Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board and Business Financial Solutions, we ventured onto our regional path.”Last October, SRW launched regional business skills boot camps in the Oshana and Erongo regions of Namibia, conducted by SRW’s Namibian trainers who understand the hardships faced by their fellow women.
