Women entrepreneurs at the heart of the green transition

For four years, the ‘Awa Prize’ project has supported women entrepreneurs making a significant social and community impact. This international cooperation initiative, financed by Belgium and implemented by Enabel, aimed to support women’s entrepreneurship in Belgium’s partner countries.

Through three international competitions, the project supported 27 women entrepreneurs, awarding prizes ranging from 1,500 to 50,000 euros. Now, through a series of articles, witness the lasting impact the Awa Prize has on the women entrepreneurs supported by Enabel.

Women entrepreneurs shaping sustainable models

Local innovation is essential for developing solutions tailored to the realities of local communities. Businesses can play a key role, both in mitigating the effects of climate change and in implementing solutions to adapt to and combat climate change.

The stories of Edith Kouassi (Côte d’Ivoire), Kathia Gretta Iradukunda (Burundi), Laurianne Kamuyi (DR Congo), Leila Kateferi (Burundi) and Sandrine Ouoba (Burkina Faso) show just how the future can be shaped today, despite the tangible effects of climate change on communities.

Turning an invasive plant into a sustainable resource

In Burundi, Kathia Gretta Iradukunda runs Hyacinth Art House: a business that collects water hyacinth – an invasive plant threatening Lake Tanganyika – and turns it into handicrafts. This initiative helps to protect the ecosystem whilst creating local economic opportunities.

Winner of the 2022 People’s Choice Award, Kathia used part of her prize money to undertake training in marketing, social media management and basket-weaving techniques, thereby expanding her business’ product range and profile. She also invested in leasing additional retail space and developed new products.

These efforts have borne fruit: over the course of three years of support, Hyacinth Art House has forged 11 new partnerships with public and private organisations and NGOs, increased turnover and recruiting four staff members.

Organising waste management and raising awareness on a large scale

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Laurianne Kamuyi heads Belkin Services, the only company in Kinshasa offering a waste collection and recycling service to businesses and households. In addition to the collection work, numerous awareness-raising and training initiatives are being carried out nationwide.

Laurianne won 3rd prize in the Scale-up category in 2023 and trained 50 women as refuse collectors – a first for the country – thereby contributing to social inclusion and the professionalisation of the waste management sector.

The Awa Prize also enabled Laurianne to develop new collaborations, particularly through her participation in a number of promotional events.

Since, Belkin Services has grown from 5 to 50 seasonal jobs and from 2 to 7 permanent staff, with a sharp rise in turnover and the development of partnerships with local, international, public and private organisations.

To offer a clean alternative to domestic fuels

In Burundi, Leila Kateferi is developing, through KTF Concept, an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional domestic fuels. By recycling organic waste into biomass pellets, her company offers alternative fuels to charcoal, as well as efficient and safe stoves. With these, households can cook without causing pollution that is harmful to health and the environment.

Leila’s 2nd prize in the Innovation category in 2023 enabled her to fund a larger production facility, where she now can manufacture more fuel and stoves. This will help meet rising demand – and extend the environmental benefits of the KTF Concept.

“As well as enabling us to purchase equipment, the Awa Prize helped my business grow. Winning that prize really put our work in the spotlight and boosted our profile.”

Giving plastic waste a new lease of life

In Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Edith Kouassi founded Ecoplast Innov, a company specialising in the recycling and processing of plastic waste and used tyres into a variety of products, including wallets, decorative items and floor coverings.

Edith won first prize in the Innovation category in 2023. She used the support she received to fuel her growth: training her teams, developing targeted digital content to boost visibility and expanding her product range. Result: Ecoplast Innov is now tapping into new markets and increasing its sales.

“The Awa Prize helped me to restructure my business and explore new opportunities, such as crafts made from recycled plastic.”

Providing better nutrition for children whilst promoting local produce

In Burkina Faso, Sandrine Ouoba founded Doux Goûts, a company specialising in the production of jars of baby food made from fresh, organic ingredients. By prioritising local ingredients, her company offers healthy meals whilst supporting local agricultural supply chains.

As the winner of the 3rd prize in the Start-up category in 2022, Sandrine undertook an immersion placement at a Senegalese company in the same sector. She returned with new production skills, which she put to use to improve the running of Doux Goûts and strengthen its economic and environmental sustainability.

Greater circularity, greater impact

These initiatives demonstrate how businesses can play a crucial role in the fight against climate change and the green transition. By turning waste into resources, offering clean and accessible alternatives, or rethinking production and consumption patterns, the winners of the Awa Prize are developing practical solutions to the challenges faced by their communities.

By supporting these initiatives through the Awa Prize, Enabel has helped to foster the emergence of business models capable of addressing today’s environmental challenges, whilst creating sustainable social and economic value.