Road to Growth in Guyana

Our seven-week intensive Road to Growth programme has run in Guyana since 2021 with the support of our partners.

Guyana is transforming rapidly. It is one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a GDP growth rate of more than 20%. Much of this growth can be attributed to the strong entrepreneurial spirit of Guyanese women and the government’s commitment to supporting them.  

Guyana has a huge number of women owned businesses, but our research identified a demand for business training and skills development to support women entrepreneurs in growing and sustaining their businesses—that’s where Road to Growth comes in! 

We have run our seven-week intensive Road to Growth business training programme in Guyana since 2021 with the support of our partners, the ExxonMobil Foundation and ActionINVEST Caribbean Inc. 

Why did we bring Road to Growth to Guyana?

105th where the country ranked out of 156 countries in economic gender equality when we started Road to Growth in 2021. It now ranks 53rd.

When you support a woman entrepreneur ...The effects reverberate from the individual out into the world. Carlotta John, Road to Growth alumna from Guyana

20% the rate of Guyana's economic growth

Road to Growth is one of the Foundation’s five flagship programmes. The intensive seven-week business management programme equips women entrepreneurs in low and middle income countries with business skills, financial literacy, networks and confidence so they can achieve business growth. The programme also presents the women who participate with networking opportunities within the group, which serves as a highly successful professional and personal support system. 

In Guyana, Road to Growth takes place entirely in person, as personal connection is a pillar of the country’s culture. We found that offering an exclusively in-person training has led to a 20% increase in completion rate from participants. 

So far, 121 Guyanese women have participated in Road to Growth. We will carry out a full external evaluation of Road to Growth in Guyana in 2023 and look forward to sharing our insights. For now, here are the fantastic results we’ve seen from a survey of recent participants: 

72% of participants reported an increase in business profit last year

I have learned so much... I have seen significant growth in my business as a result. Nakaida Belle-Lindie, Managing Director at HKBL Construction, and Road to Growth participant

79% of participants increased their business’ revenue last year

Now, we’re taking our support a step further by expanding the programme to more remote areas and opening it up to women whose businesses are not yet registered, as this is more common in Guyana. This will allow us to reach more Guyanese women entrepreneurs than ever before.

Road to Growth: an intensive business management and investment readiness programme

Road to Growth is one of the Foundation's five flagship programmes, which also include Road to Leadership, Road to Finance, HerVenture and the Mentoring Women in Business programme. The programme is delivered over seven weeks, covering a new topic every week. Road to Growth is currently delivered in Nigeria, Kenya and Guyana.

Find out more!
Ekaete-Augustine Edet, a Road to Growth trainer, speaks during class at the Enterprise Development Centre, Lagos Nigeria, on 27th January 2021. The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women continues to support women entrepreneurs across many African countries, including Nigeria, through their blended learning programmes, like Road to Growth and HerVenture.

Our partners

Road to Growth in Guyana is supported by our partner the ExxonMobil Foundation, and delivered with our partner ActionInvest Caribbean Inc.

ExxonMobil Foundation logo
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Read stories of Road to Growth participants in Guyana