Gebeya Inc the SaaS-enabled, Pan-African marketplace and the Mastercard Foundation have announced Mesirat, a five-year program that will equip 100 entrepreneurs in Ethiopia with their own multi-sided gig marketplaces. “Mesirat” means “to work” in Amharic.
Powered by a $48 million partnership, the two organizations and several other consortium partners will leverage their combined experience and expertise to co-create and replicate Gebeya’s model 100 times in tourism and hospitality, agriculture, education, construction, healthcare, commerce, manufacturing, Information Technology (IT), professional services, transport, the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and entertainment sectors.
Mesirat will also empower entrepreneurs—especially young men and women—to launch and fully run their own gig marketplaces successfully across Ethiopia. This innovative partnership will equip two million young people with market-facing skills and enable one million of them (70 percent women) to find work.
The new partnership aligns with the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works Strategy to enable 10 million young men and women to have access to dignifying and fulfilling work by 2030, and equally speaks to Gebeya’s commitment to creating upskilling and employment opportunities for Ethiopia’s young people by leveraging digital technology.
“This is a new era for Ethiopia, and we’re so pleased to be part of it,” said Amadou አማዱ Daffe, CEO and Co-Founder of Gebeya. “One of Gebeya’s focus areas is accelerating the adoption of the gig economy across Africa. With Mesirat, we will equip Ethiopia’s next generation of entrepreneurs with the technology and support they need. We are confident that we have the roadmap to success.”
“Women and youth have long been Ethiopia’s backbone,” said Menna Tafesse Garedew, MPA, Program Director of Mesirat. “Now we are putting them front and centre with a serious dedication of time and resources to revolutionize Ethiopia’s employment landscape sustainably. Let’s get to work.”
