Friends of P.R. commits to develop 1K women, girls in entrepreneurship education
Friends of Puerto Rico, a Washington, D.C. based nonprofit, announced its commitment with the Clinton Global Initiative by the Clinton Foundation to invest in the future of 1,000 women and girls in Puerto Rico by expanding their SEEDS program and launching AMIGAS, a new women’s entrepreneurship program.
Through the commitment AMIGAS and SEEDS: Entrepreneurship for Women and Girls, the nonprofit aims to create opportunities for women and girls through entrepreneurship education based on of agriculture and mentorship to ease poverty and strengthen the resilience of the communities in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, nonprofit officials said.
The Friends of Puerto Rico program, SEEDS, launched in 2019 with 100 students will undergo an expansion to support 500 girls to engage in mentorship and participate in a year-long program that will teach them how to run an agricultural-focused business from the ground up.
Through the launch of AMIGAS, the nonprofit will engage 500 women in intensive business courses that include basics of finance and access to finance and investors. The two initiatives will impact 1,000 women and girls with entrepreneurship education and will create 200 women-led businesses in Puerto Rico.
The commitment emerges from the lack of opportunities for women and youth, who are disproportionately impacted by economic disadvantage, even with the many entrepreneurship driven initiatives focused on supporting Puerto Rico, particularly after the 2017 hurricane season, the nonprofit said.
Friends of Puerto Rico attended the CGI Action Network in San Juan Feb. 18-19 to join the discussion on accelerating the recovery after natural disasters and promoting the resilience in the region.
Friends of Puerto Rico is seeking private foundations with the interest of providing support to grow the programs through advisory and financing.
