Economic Empowerment is about enabling people in need to become economically independent so they can lead self-determined lives. Despite economic growth in Eastern Africa, poverty rates remain very high, with rural populations and the younger generation in major cities particularly affected. Our work in this focus area is based on two initiatives: enterprise development and vocational training.

Based on the Basic Entrepreneur Training (BET) program’s success, the Hilti Foundation has decided to launch “Enterprise Scale Up”, a project focusing on those microentrepreneurs who have already gone through the base program with ambitions to invest and profitably grow their enterprises. Until 2027, the project will reach 20,000 farmers, helping them to improve their livelihoods and to contribute to local rural economy and social development through scaling up their farming-based enterprises in Kenya and Tanzania.

The project-based cooperation between the Hilti Foundation and Hand in Hand International started in 2017, when the powerful educational program in rural East Africa was implemented. The training teaches basic entrepreneurial skills, financial literacy as well as best practice on livestock farming.

Since 2017, more than 16,000 women and men in Kenya and Tanzania have escaped extreme poverty. Felista now leads a more self-determined life and has already diversified her micro-business to be even more resilient.

The Hilti Foundation has been working with Hand in Hand International for three years in implementing powerful education models to create small enterprises in rural East Africa. The goal is to create sustainable income and long-term jobs for the local people so they can afford a better live by themselves.