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CARE – Business incubation support of women and youth in Côte d’Ivoire
- Thomas
- Cote d’Ivoire
- February 1, 2026
Situation
Across Côte d’Ivoire, hundreds of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) supported by CARE Côte d’Ivoire help women and youth save for emergencies. Yet these savings are rarely viewed as capital for business creation. Seeing potential for economic empowerment and resilience—particularly for groups vulnerable to extremist recruitment—CARE, Proportion and PTI partners secured funding from United States
Assignment
Proportion was asked to guide market research on viable micro-enterprise opportunities, design an entrepreneurship curriculum for VSLA members, and strengthen the capacity of advanced entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.
Approach
Participatory market research—co-led with youth and women—mapped existing and new economic opportunities across communities. A two-tier entrepreneurship program was developed: an introductory course built on Proportion’s 5P model, and a 20-week incubation curriculum rooted in human-centred design. Twenty VSLA leaders were trained as facilitators, supported by an e-learning platform and video-based mentoring for ongoing guidance.
Result
Over 1,000 youth and women used the 5P model to shape meaningful business ideas, while 500 emerging entrepreneurs progressed through a customer-centred, prototype-driven incubation program. The top 100 now receive remote mentorship, building a stronger pipeline