They want to succeed. And we believe in women’s ability to succeed if we give them the means to do so. Which is why, since the end of 2015, we have supported women in difficulty. We train them in digital centers and help them to have a better life through the Amazing Women Awards.
Well done to them, for their courage and perseverance. They live in France, Madagascar, Côte d'Ivoire, Moldova, Tunisia...
Over 200 women have received a grant and coaching to help create their microbusiness and achieve their dream. Check them out!
Diversifying the range of crafted products
Ina, 35 years old, originated from the south of the country, married, mother of a girl, an artisan artist truly fond of knitting.
From regular to a mobile service
Nina is 47 and lives in Ungheni city. She is married and raises 2 children. After she had got vocational education and training (hairdresser, manicure-pedicure & make-up master, barber), Nina sought to consolidate her skills in this field.
3D prostheses that are changing lives!
Magdalena Zaraś took part in the Maker Woman project at the powered by Orange FabLab.
Throughout this project, she worked on a prototype for a mechanical hand prosthesis. Hand prostheses are expensive. This represents a challenge, in particular for parents of children, who have to replace prostheses as the child grows.
From a housewife to a businesswoman
My name is Natalia and I’m 41. Married, mother of 2 boys.
Serving others, despite her disability!
At 25, Audrey created an equine mediation service activity. Its services are intended for people with disabilities. As she is deaf, Audrey cannot do telephone prospecting to develop her business.
Thanks to the support of the Orange and 2nd Chance Foundations, she produced two videos presenting her profession and the services offered.
Sandra, a dedicated woman
Sandra Carmona, 35 (Spain), created a publishing house focusing on diversity and women’s issues, which will also be a school for writing and producing children’s literature.
Solange, working towards diversification
In Côte d’Ivoire, Solange Ahoure, 44, received training at the Digital Centre and was supported to develop her stationary sales and diversify her business.
“Setting up my own poultry farm”
Mariam Ayad Ghatas, 23 (Egypt), received training at the Digital Centre and was supported to develop her livestock farming and poultry sales at local markets. Her aim is to start her own farm.
Sana, a connected entrepreneur
At 56 years old, Sana Gharbi created a microenterprise making and selling cereal cakes, after learning how to use social media at the Béni Khalled Digital Centre (Tunisia).
Determined and driven!
Masy Rasoanasolo (Madagascar) has experienced considerable personal hardship with her four children. Determined, dynamic and driven, Masy went back to school to learn to read, write and count. After receiving training at the Digital Centre and learning about food technology, she has just created her own microenterprise making and selling prickly pear jams.
The potential of waste
Jagoda Podrucka, 23 (Poland), recycles plastic products and transforms them to demonstrate the potential of waste. With the help of the Digital Centre and the Warsaw Solidarity FabLab, she was able to develop her business making everyday objects (phone cases, lamps, etc.).
“This small business makes me feel fulfilled”.
Penda Mbaye, 23, from Senegal has created a small business dealing in office supplies and silkscreen prints and has even hired two female employees. Her business plans came to fruition with the help of the Orange Foundation and NGO, Staesen.
“My business is online"
Matilde Manzano Salazar, 46, from Spain, has created her own online website selling linen. Unable to run a bricks and mortar shop for health reasons, she launched an online business after receiving digital training and help with a business plan and market study from the Orange Foundation and the Fundacion Secretariado Gitano.
An innovation to help you breath properly
Anna Wojcik, 32, in Poland has benefited from the help of the Orange Foundation and NGO Robisz.to to make and sell an anti-stress aid for breathing problems linked to anxiety attacks. Two prototypes of the "breathing device" have been produced by the Orange FabLab in Warsaw. The device and its mobile app are being tested.
Ghzela, a gifted artisan weaver
Ghzela Bayar, 59, from Tunisia, has formed a business based on her wool carpet weaving workshop bringing in three women trained at the Digital Centre. She plans to buy a second loom and hire another woman by the end of 2019.
“I created my own business!”
Julienne Zawadi, 26, created a business selling eggs from her chicken coop in her village in DRC, with the help of the Digital Centre and the NGO, "Le Collectif Alpha Ujuvi".
“Setting up my own organic cassava farm”
Marie, 52, is a mother to 5 children. She has no formal education, but she works hard to improve her situation. She has set up an organic cassava farm, a popular product in Côte d’Ivoire. Her project is to develop her organic farm and help people in her village through our Amazing Women award.
Lea : « Opening my beauty salon »
Lea is 37 years old and lives in Clermond-Ferrand. She is a single mother and she is trained as a medical secretary, but so far can’t get a job and is struggling to make ends meet. Lea has decided to go for professional retraining and is now taking classes to become a beautician. With our Amazing Women Award she hopes to open her beauty salon and become financially independent.
“Helping gypsy women to receive digital training”
Elizabeth, 42, is from the gypsy community. “In my community, women leave formal education very early to get married and start a family. I want to continue my education and break the mould. I am working hard for this and I want to show my family that it can work alongside my gypsy culture.” Her project involves training gypsy women in digital know-how with our Amazing Women award with support from the Fundación Secretariado Gitano.
"Opening my restaurant, a dream to escape poverty"
Golekwang is 56. She is a single mother of 3 living in Ghanzi Bostwana, and has worked for a tuck shop for several years before it shut down. Since then, she has been struggling to find a job, while she has always been passionate about cooking. But it didn’t stop her from achieving her dream by opening her restaurant with our Amazing Women Award.
“Helping women in my village by opening a soap factory”
Diallo is 40 and has 4 children. With our Amazing Women award, she can create a soap factory in collaboration with women in her village. This activity will give them a fixed income to help them to become independent.
“Helping orphan children”
Nathalie Rose is 40, a single mother of a 13-year-old daughter and she also manages an orphanage of 30 children in Coyat. Nathalie has a difficult life with little money. Determined to get ahead, Nathalie opened a store as well as a pig farm with her meagre funds, but following a theft she had to stop. With our Amazing Women award, she hopes to be able to launch new projects: to build a fence, open a laundry and build a school for the orphanage’s children.
"Creating a bionic hand prothesis for disabled people"
With our Amazing Women Award, Magdalena’s project is to create a 3D bionic hand for adults and children that few can buy due to the high costs. Indeed, children need to change their artificial hand several times and often families can’t afford it. Magdalena’s project will be a huge relief for families that are affected by this disability.
“Creating a traditional community craft project to train Tunisian women”
Ines is 42 and has two children. She was a teacher before starting her Hkayat Lemina community project: a traditional Tunisian craft centre where everyone contributes their know-how. Her project? To train women who have little by helping them to sell their products. Thanks to our Amazing Women award, her centres have been set up in isolated regions in Jradou, Kerkennah, Zarzis and Bizerte.
"I want to help women find a job"
Archana is 44 and is volunteering at the NGO Vatsalya Trust Mumbai in India which is helping underpriviledged women. She is very involved in the non-profit sector and is also a volunteer at the Women’s Digital Center. She has undertaken many challenges by creating a center for children with special needs. With our Amazing Women Award she will now set up a platform for women who have attended the digital training sessions at the Women’s Digital Center to help them find jobs by connecting them to employers.
“Opening my own restaurant was my dream as a little girl”
Christine, 47, has worked in catering for many years. She now manages a small stall where she sells local products at the market. With our Amazing Women award, she wants to set up her own business and sell traditional Cameroonian dishes. Creating her own small business will allow her to be more independent and meet her family’s needs.
“I want to change my life and raise my children well”
Rasoa has a difficult life. She had a poor upbringing and lost her parents at 10 years old. She is now the single mother of two children aged 10 and 13, and she has a disability due to leg atrophy. With our Amazing Women award, Rasoa will get a fresh start by creating a artisan soap factory which will give her a stable income and help other women in the village by giving them employment. Rasoa hopes to change her life and educate her children.
“Creating an artisan soap factory to become an independent woman”
A 24-year-old single mother and the oldest of 8 children, Sarah received training at the Bukavu Women’s Digital Centre. With our Amazing Women award, Sarah wants to create an artisan soap factory to support her family’s needs. Sarah dreams of becoming an independent woman and raising her daughter well.
"Become more independent!"
My name is Christina, and I’m 46. I live in Nexon, a little town with a population of 2,500 in the Haute-Vienne region of France. I never got the chance to go to high school, because I had to quit school at the end of middle school. Since then, I’ve been a maid. I started out working in a hotel, then I worked in a hospital near Bordeaux. My life is hard these days because I’m unemployed and have 9 children to raise. My husband helps out, but he had an accident and his health has been poor ever since.
“To open my restaurant!”
My name is Yvette, and I’m 42. I was born in Nguelemendouga, a small commune in the central eastern region of Cameroon. Currently I live alone with my two children in Bertoua, a medium-sized town.
"My dream: to open a café bookshop!"
My name is Marianne Legrand, and I’m 52. I live in Auchel, a small rural town near Marck, Hauts-de-France. I have been volunteering in the medical sector since I was a teenager. I’ve always been interested in helping people and providing a service. After completing my baccalaureate, the logical next step was to study at a nursing school to continue along this path and create a career.
“I want to open a bakery!”
My name is Ruth, and I’m 39. I live in Bingerville, a district of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. I am a single mother with one child.
“To be independent, receive training and work!”
My name is Brigitte, and I’m 39. I have lived alone with my four children in Bormes les Mimosas for over ten years. Before my divorce, I was part of the gypsy community and we were constantly moving. Staying put suits me well, but I don’t have a job and my income is very low. It is difficult for me to raise my four children, two of whom are disabled.
“To get my driving licence to gain independence!”
My name is Soumia, and I’m 18. I was born in Morocco and I received part of my education there, until I was 17. I arrived in France at the start of 2016 and I currently live in Loches, Centre-Val de Loire. I am alone as my family rejected me, but I have not let that bring me down and I am still determined!
"I want to open a creche in Madagascar"
My name is Fatima, and I’m 21.
I was born in Madagascar, have lived in France since I was 16, and I have a little boy who I have raised alone.
For the last 6 months, I’ve had support from the team at the Initiatives au Féminin NGO in the Morbihan region of Brittany. Thanks to the NGO, I’ve been attending the "A chacune son métier" [A trade for everyone] course, for young women in Lorient’s working class neighbourhoods.
“My dream? To open a tailoring workshop!”
My name is Yvette, and I’m 52. I work as a self-employed tailor in Saint-Denis, La Réunion. I have two children with my husband, one of whom is severely disabled after contracting a disease in hospital. Since then we have fought to improve his quality of life.
"Help women in my region"
My name is Ikram, and I’m 34. I was born in northern Tunisia, in Zaghouan. I grew up there, and still live there with my family. Most women here make a living by producing home-made pastries and selling "Kaak warka," the famous local cake.
"More than anything I want to earn a living from my passion"
My name is Véronique, and I’m 46.
For over 25 years, I worked as a educator for people with disabilities in Lyon. Over the years, this experience taught me that it was hard to pursue a leisure activity if you have a disability.