The first cohort of the 2020 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) will consist of 28 participants from Windhoek who will receive the training virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 
In 2021, the AWE program will deliver additional training courses in Walvis Bay, Ongwediva and Keetmanshoop, while the US Embassy hopes to increase participation to more than 100 Namibian women annually.

United States ambassador to Namibia, Lisa Johnson, officially launched the AWE program on 18 November. The program was established in 2019 and provides women with the tools needed to create and grow their own business, raise capital, and effectively network with other successful business owners.  

“Women in Namibia have made outstanding achievements in the private sector, starting businesses in fields as diverse as software development, skin products, agriculture, hospitality, and business consulting. These businesses employ people and provide meaningful services that strengthen their communities, regions, and Namibia as a whole. The Academy of Women Entrepreneurs program will empower Namibian women to continue launching and growing successful businesses,” said Johnson during the virtual launch. 

The program will be facilitated locally by US exchange program alumni Claudine Mouton (SME Compete co-founder), Elzaan de Wee (Theatre Nights co-founder) and David Sebulon (Glowdom Foundation founder). 
The Academy of Women Entrepreneurs is a global program run by the US Department of State and currently empowers women entrepreneurs in more than 50 countries. The program was developed to support the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative, which is designed to support women worldwide in fulfilling their economic potential.