Mauritius Research and Innovation Council Funds Future Females Invest to support Mauritian Women Entrepreneurs to Thrive
From left to right: Zulaika Sunthbocus, Founder Spoon Consulting and Future Females Invest Board Member, Aysha Julie, Founder
Future Females Invest, Honourable Deepak Balgobin, Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation and Nousrath Bhugeloo, Board Member Future Females Invest
Future Females Invest (FFI) has been awarded a grant from the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) to “Ready to Thrive” a platform for women entrepreneurs in Mauritius to help them navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and aftermath. Ready to Thrive provides women entrepreneurs with access to useful, relevant and easy to use resources, world class virtual training, talent marketplace, market opportunities, connections to other women entrepreneurs and mentor matching all in one place.
The funding will enable FFI to build, test and launch Ready to Thrive (RtT) which will help to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19 on Mauritian business women by providing increased access to business and financial networks, support to digitally transform businesses an pivot, building infrastructure capacity, creating jobs, contributing to economic growth, developing the skills and knowledge of women and growing businesses led by women.
Aysha Julie Founder Future Females Invest.
Aysha Julie, of Future Females Invest (FFI) said “We have seen how COVID-19 has directly affected society, the economy and everyday lives. Women are disproportionately affected and experience from previous pandemics and economic shocks is clear: women’s economic security, businesses and participation will be the worst. We are delighted that the MRIC has recognised how critical it is to include women’s economic empowerment as an essential component of COVID -19 responses through the financing of Ready to Thrive.”
Dr A Peedoly of the MRIC said “As women play an essential role in the value creation of the Mauritian economy it is important that support for women entrepreneurs continues and is easy to access, relevant and useful. With the backdrop of COVID 19 there has never been a better time for women entrepreneurs to adapt and implement a digital transformation plan and Ready to Thrive will help them to do this”.
Aysha Julie being presented the award by Honourable Deepak Balgobin, Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation
The funding was announced in the presence of the Honourable Deepak Balgobin, Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation at the Trianon Convention Centre on Thursday 6th August.
Mauritius has successfully eradicated COVID-19 from the island following a strict lockdown and closure of borders and is operating a new ‘normal’. In April, during the lockdown a Special Call for Proposals was launched by the MRIC to encourage entrepreneurs, academics, researchers, enterprises and start-ups implement short- and medium-term projects that aim at improving and accelerating the Government’s response to the challenges posed by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and eventually contribute to counter the impacts and planning beyond of this deadly pandemic.
Support under this Special Call was targeted on two fronts, namely:
I. Technology-based products and services; and
II. Social and policy measures
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