Empowering women, changing lives

From page 14 start this and get some kind of brand, a Guyanese brand,” she related.

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While Lisa is confident that her business will grow exponentially in the coming years, she admitted there were hurdles she first had to cross

“I had a domestic machine and those machines are basically just to sew fabric materials, which would be clothes, and I had a very hard time using those on the faux leather to make the bags.”

The initiative provided her with the necessary tools to establish her business, including how to create a business plan, how to register her business, and how to secure cash grants and start-up loans

The comprehensive programme also provides training to women in both the manufacturing and service industries

Similarly, Marcia Trotz recognised a need in the local market for spas and is working towards closing the gap

“I went to Trinidad and I explored and realised that spas are outnumbering salons in Trinidad So, I was like, wow, spa would be very good in Guyana,” she recounted

After her return to Guyana in 2018 , Trotz experienced a few challenges when transitioning from Modfin’s Salon to Modfin’s Salon and Spa

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she started losing clients Nevertheless, sheer perseverance and determination helped her overcome this stumbling block

“I said, you know what, I have to catch the clients that home, home-based, so I started doing home services like a home service.”, she recollected

Marcia expressed gratitude for being part of the WIIN programme and added that the support she received played an integral part in the successful reestablishment of her business

“I was very pleased to be a part of the WINN programme, helping young women especially, and that was good, the course was very good,” she said

“They teach women what to do in your business, how to prepare a business plan, how to actually start growing back Like I said, after the pandemic, I actually needed that,” Marcia recollected

These women are just a few examples of the many success stories emerging from the WIIN programme

The impact of the programme extends beyond the success of their established businesses

They have become role models to their children, and women in their respective communities and continue to break barriers for women across the nation

The Women Innovation and Investment Network was launched by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security under the theme “Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs, Empowered Today.”

Since the programme’s 2021 introduction, it has seen a large increase in participation, recording over 10,000 applications in the past year

For more information on how to access these courses, visit the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s Facebook page, or call 229-2751 or 229-2842. (DPI)