Mastercard Foundation commits USD 3.2 million to Rescue Enterprises Through Production Repurposing to respond to COVID-19 in Ethiopia

Download the release in Amharic (PDF file)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, June 10, 2020 – Mastercard Foundation has announced a partnership with a consortium of 11 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Ethiopia to repurpose their factories to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) in the fight against COVID-19.

Mastercard Foundation will commit more than USD 3.2 million from the Mastercard Foundation COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Program which was created specifically to assist institutions and communities in Africa to withstand and respond to the short-term impacts of this pandemic, while strengthening their resilience in the long-run.

Find out more about the SMEs supported through this program.

The six-month Rescuing Enterprises Through Production Repurposing Program will enable the 11 SMEs to continue running their businesses and avoid having to retrench their 1,060 employees, the majority being young women. The contribution from the Mastercard Foundation will support the repurposing of factories and basic textile machines, as well as renting unused equipment to manufacture protective equipment for health care workers and masks for the general public. The SMEs within the consortium are: Enzi Shoes, FIF Trading PLC, Gaber Textiles, Habte Garment, KABANA Leather, Kootekett Leather, Mafi, Meron Addis Abeba, Sadula Business PLC, The Look Interiors, and Yefikir.

“In Ethiopia, like in many developing economies, SMEs make a significant contribution to local employment and to the overall gross domestic product through their exports. An economic downturn due to COVID-19, to which SMEs are especially vulnerable, hits developing economies at their heart. With small reserves and limited working capital, many SMEs would struggle to survive a prolonged period of reduced economic activity, so the timing of this partnership is critical,” said Alemayehu Konde Koira, Country Head, Ethiopia, at the Mastercard Foundation.

The program will also include the onboarding of an eCommerce marketplace to enable the SMEs to sell their products online which negates the impact of social distancing while increasing their  and resilience in the long-term. Kifiya Financial Technologies, an existing Mastercard Foundation partner, will lead the management of the fund; and provide the online platform and business support at no cost to the SMEs.

“We are excited to be able to extend our partnership with the Mastercard Foundation to enable SMEs to access markets and credit, if needed, through leveraging our eCommerce, eDelivery, and digital payment technologies. It is evident from this program that the Foundation’s strategy is comprehensive in its approach to match immediate challenges with long-term opportunities. The SMEs are equally excited at the prospect of being able to repurpose while transitioning to improved digital capabilities,” said Munir Duri, CEO and Founder, at Kifiya Financial Technologies.

The partnership has created a platform for strong collaboration between the SMEs consortium and is providing an opportunity for the companies to remain agile during these unprecedented times and to emerge resilient.

“We would have eventually had to close our doors, were it not for this program. Like most SMEs in Ethiopia, COVID-19 has severely impacted our business as our revenues are mostly generated from exporting, which was shut down in March. We are empowered and excited to be participating in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Semhal Guesh, CEO of KABANA Leather and Chair of the consortium.

Partnership with Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

The Mastercard Foundation is also responding to COVID-19 on a continental level. On June 4, 2020 the Foundation announced its partnership with Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Through its COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Program, the Mastercard Foundation is committing US$40 million to the Africa CDC’s Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing (PACT). These funds will be used to purchase 1 million test kits, as well as train and deploy 10,000 community healthcare workers and 80 surveillance rapid responders to support contact tracing as well as strengthen the Africa CDC’s capacity to oversee a continental response to the pandemic.

Media Contacts

Mastercard Foundation

Helen White, Strategy Lead, Program Communications
Telephone: +27 76 166 5372
Email:  hwhite@mastercardfdn.org

Kifiya Financial Technologies

CPA Joshua Kamwere
Telephone: +251 904 312 836
Email: jkamwere@kifiya.com

About the Mastercard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work.  It is one of the largest, private foundations in the world with a mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. The Foundation was created by Mastercard in 2006 as an independent organization with its own Board of Directors and management. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: www.mastercardfdn.org

About Kifiya Financial Technologies

Kifiya is a FinTech company providing payment, distribution and digitally enabled services enabling financial and non-financial transactions made simple, affordable, secure and within reach of consumers that provide small and large businesses means to transform the way they market, sell, provide service to and engage with their customers. We achieve that by building innovative technology based on financial infrastructures and efficient distribution touch points. The company’s solutions reduce operating costs for partners and customers, expand access to market, access to working capital and reach previously underserved areas, and improve the speed and efficiency of payment services.