Building a successful business requires more than access to finance. Entrepreneurs also need the right knowledge, skills, networks and technical support to strengthen their businesses and prepare for sustainable growth.
Through the IYBA WE4A programme, women entrepreneurs working on climate and sustainability-related solutions in Africa are gaining access to targeted non-financial support through NYUMBA, a platform created by Goodwell to facilitate knowledge sharing, peer learning and connections among impact entrepreneurs.
NYUMBA: A Community for Impact Entrepreneurs
NYUMBA provides a space where entrepreneurs can access practical resources, learn from experts and exchange experiences with peers facing similar business challenges. More than a traditional training programme, it aims to build a supportive community where entrepreneurs can share knowledge, experiences and solutions.
Through online learning, expert-led sessions, practical assignments and in-person gatherings, participants have opportunities not only to strengthen their business capabilities but also to develop meaningful connections with other entrepreneurs and ecosystem actors.
Technical Assistance Through IYBA WE4A
Under the partnership with IYBA WE4A, NYUMBA is extending this technical assistance to women entrepreneurs driving climate transformation in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.
The programme supports entrepreneurs with targeted training and peer-to-peer learning to help them strengthen their businesses and prepare for future investment opportunities. By combining expert knowledge with practical learning and networking, the programme responds to the broader needs of entrepreneurs beyond financial support.
The training is delivered through a combination of online assignments, expert-led virtual sessions and in-person gatherings, creating opportunities for participants to learn, apply new knowledge and build relationships with peers.
The programme aims to support 100 women entrepreneurs by early 2027, creating a growing network of women entrepreneurs working towards more sustainable and inclusive businesses across Africa.
Meet the Women Entrepreneurs
The entrepreneurs participating in the programme represent a diverse range of businesses and sectors, but they share a common ambition: to build businesses that generate economic opportunities while contributing to climate and environmental solutions.
Through their stories, we can see how women entrepreneurs are turning environmental and social challenges into innovative business opportunities—and how access to knowledge, technical assistance and strong networks can help them take their businesses to the next level.
Meet some of the women entrepreneurs participating in the NYUMBA programme and discover the businesses and solutions they are building for a more sustainable future.
Mary Nyambura, Eco-Charge
Eco-Charge Ltd. is a women-led renewable energy company producing biomass briquettes from locally sourced agricultural residues and wood waste as a clean, affordable alternative to charcoal and firewood. This has opened a new income stream for many women working with Eco-Charge.
Founder Mary Nyambura elaborates on the impact Eco-Charge has on their suppliers: “We are able to plug in women into the supply chain. We are able to teach them how to source, how to load and also to bring it to our facility and we are able to buy [the materials] at the market rate. I am proud that we have been able to impact all the women that we have right now — and also going further to now doing a daycare for them. [We have] impacted more than a thousand women in our system, employed youth in our communities, and saved more carbon emissions.”
Juliette Njeru, Organic Fields
Organic Fields Founder Juliette Njeru didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur: “I just found myself pushed towards that direction, because having a background in horticulture, you engage with farmers more and then you get to realize that these farmers are going through difficulties; They are buying inputs at a very high price but then the yields are going downwards. So you get to feel like you need to know why is thishappening.”
Juliette decided that one answer to this question was to start a social-environmental enterprise which collects organic waste from local markets and turns it into organic fertilizer. Organic Fields now work with a wide network of farmers, trainers, and employees to process and use their product, building a more circular agricultural system and reducing food waste
Milicent Okumu, AgriFlex
Agriflex is a scalable Kenya-based agricultural input distribution company founded in 2023. The company is woman-led, climate-aligned, commercially grounded, and already showing promise within its market. Agriflex works with an extensive network of dealers, manufacturers, farmers, and trainers, emphasising climate adaptation and soil health.
Founder Millicent Okumu strongly believes in the power of systems and structure to provide farming solutions: “My background really inspired me a lot, at a personal level and at a professional level. I was able to be in the middle of it all, solving problems with different solutions every day to different customers. I realised “I am able to do it”; so then my entrepreneurial journey began.” Recently recongnised as one of Business Daily Africa’s Top 40 Under 40 Women 2026, Milicent shared more about her path to entrepreneurship – and specifically the agricultural field – on Linkedin: https://l1nk.dev/49xudpn
Céleste Tchetgen Vogel, eWAKA
eWaka Mobility Limited is a Kenya-based electric mobility and logistics technology company addressing the structural inefficiencies in last-mile delivery in Nairobi and across East African cities (Kigali-Rwanda).
“eWaka is a baby that was in gestation for 20 years!” founder Céleste Tchetgen Vogel observed. “During a trip to the Gulf of Guinea … I realised transportation was one of the key obstacles to not only people being able to move freely, but also goods. When you travel in Africa, people walk – and when they’re not walking, they’re stuck in traffic. It felt like a problem that was solvable … like a space where I could actually move the needle a little bit.” Founded in 2021, the company has deployed more than 1,500 electric vehicles to date, and has built a powerful tech-enabled mobility ecosystem.
Wanjiru Mambo, WedgeHut
Wedgehut Foods Limited is a woman-led business in Kenya, sourcing potatoes to transform into a range of fresh-cut, vacuum sealed products including chips, wedges, lyonnaise, cubes, and whole potatoes. The products are distributed through a cold chain logistics network, reducing food waste, improving access to high-quality produce, and providing market access to over 3,000 smallholder farmers.
Inspired by her experience of selling potatoes locally during the initial outbreak of COVID-19, WedgeHut founder Wanjiru felt her entrepreneurial spirit rising, and she began thinking about how to add value to the potatoes: “I did a lot of research on the potato value chain in this country, and it’s an untapped, niche market. … For me, it’s very personal. Both of my parents were agricultural extension officers, and farming put us all through school.”
Each woman featured here is a powerful force for change within their community and industry. We are thrilled to partner with NYUMBA to support them on their business and impact journeys; the knowledge exchange is sure to be valuable for all of us.
Do you want to know more about NYUMBA and our technical assistance capabilities? Please get in touch: nico@goodwell.nl