Female Founder Initiative Botswana Propels At Empowering Women In Business By Chedza Mmolawa
“No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contribution of half its citizens.” – Michelle Obama.
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fter years of her capability in business was constantly undermined by her male counterparts, Cindy Matlapeng made a power-driven decision to prove her naysayers wrong by registering a non-profit organization dubbed ‘The Female Founder Initiative Botswana,’ with a sole mandate of empowering women in business. The idiom 'Dynamites Come in Small Packages' could not be more fitting to Matlapeng. She is a young voracious CEO and a leader in corporate women empowerment; at the age of 23, she founded her first company, 'The Office Team Cleaning Services,' where she is also the Managing Director. And three years after, she established a construction company called ‘Built Contracting and Associates Company.’ The Female Founder Initiative Botswana (FFIB) aspires to see women-led businesses succeed in alleviating
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poverty, gain prosperity and improve the economy of Botswana by the year 2039. It is based in Gaborone but offers its programs and services to the rest of the country. The Non-Governmental Organization aims to empower women in business through voluntary business discussions and mentorship programs. The organization also aims to source funds for women who have the ideas but lack financial support to start-up or expand their businesses. It’s first pilot program, Mosadi Khumo Entrepreneurship Program, launched in August 2021. ABOUT CINDY MATLAPENG TRC: May you kindly give us a background of who you are? CM: Most people are always shocked when they meet me in person because that's when they realize just how petite I am. Don't be fooled by my size! I am a strong-willed, ego-driven woman who is here to de-stigmatize any notion that women are not capable of building corporate empires. I am a 29-year-old
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