Thirty women market traders on the island of Maio have begun the “Bendi Max” project, a two-month training course in digital and business skills intended to improve the management of their businesses and increase their income. Maio is the pilot island for the initiative.
The aim is to reach 250 women traders on four islands: Maio, Fogo, Santiago and São Vicente. The programme includes training and national and international mentoring focused on digital tools to promote products, reach new markets and create income opportunities.
As Maio has no municipal market where the traders are concentrated, the activities take place alongside the participants at their places of work. “We want them to see the business as an ambition for growth and not just survival,” said the project manager, Monica Pereira.
The project is run in partnership with the Ministry of Economy, Trade, Industry and Digital Transformation, Pró-Empresa, Cabo Verde Digital, Maio municipal council and the United Nations, under the “Maio Transforma” initiative.
