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MyOwnBusiness Institute

MOBI Partners in Africa

Photo of the first cohort of Twajali Empowerment Network students learning MOBI curriculum

Photo of the first cohort of Twajali Empowerment Network students learning MOBI curriculum

How MOBI Partners in Africa Are Building Opportunity with Entrepreneurship Education

MOBI Partners in Africa Empower Entrepreneurship in their Local Communities through Customized Programs Featuring MOBI's Free Curriculum

The My Own Business Institute (MOBI) in the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University continues to extend its reach to all corners of the globe, providing free online entrepreneurship education, and utilizing partnerships to customize our offerings to best fit the opportunities and challenges of individual communities. Our growing partnerships around the world are just one way Santa Clara University is fulfilling its Impact 2030 strategic plan and commitment to the priority of Reach on a Global Scale, as well as supporting the Leavey School of Business's Leavey PLUS (Partnership, Leadership, Unity, and Sustainability) strategic vision.

As we see our impact expand throughout Africa, we are inspired not only by the growing individual adoption of our courses, but also by the inventive ways our partners in Africa are serving their communities. Through their unique programming, MOBI Partners US-Africa Initiatives, Twajali Empowerment Network, tuiFUND, and the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus provide inspiring examples of ways entrepreneurship education can be tailored for the gifts, opportunities, and challenges of their communities.

Logos of the four featured MOBI partners in MOBI Partners in Africa blog post

MOBI Partners around the world truly make it possible for us to provide free entrepreneurship education to those who need and want it most, with accessibility and applicability for their specific audiences as the guiding forces of their vision and implementation,” said Trish Kalbas-Schmidt, Senior Director, Institute Relations and Program Development, for the My Own Business Institute. “Our partnerships are a continual source of inspiration and learning, helping us understand how best to serve others, building dreams, confidence, and opportunity through education.”

US-Africa Initiatives Builds Connection with African NGOs and Other Organizations
MOBI Partner US-Africa Initiatives (USAFI) strives to catalyze, convene, and connect US professionals with civic, nonprofit, and educational leaders in Africa to provide technical assistance and capacity building. USAFI takes the lead in establishing a global engagement network that is committed to sustainable and equitable solutions to challenging issues faced by these organizations. USAFI promotes MOBI’s free entrepreneurship education with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other groups throughout Africa.

Photo MOBI Trish Kalbas-Schmidt and USAFI Solomon Bellette

USAFI Founder and General Manager Solomon Belette (pictured right with Kalbas-Schmidt) said of the relationship, “We approached MOBI to seek and develop the partnership because of its commitment to help develop and strengthen social entrepreneurship in Africa and around the world by sharing information and resources that are free and readily available.” 

He went on to say, “Since USAFI chose to be a Collaborator partner, we have introduced MOBI to some of our African NGOs including a more recent connection with tuiFUND. This relationship bodes well for expanding the collaboration with the many institutional partners that USAFI works with in Africa.” 

Twajali Empowerment Network Complements Holistic Hospitality Training Program
Twajali Empowerment Network (Twajali) is a registered nonprofit organization in Nairobi that seeks to empower the marginalized youth of Kenya to create opportunities through a process including skills training, job placement, and personal development. Youth in impoverished communities and semi-urban areas can be susceptible to crime, drug abuse, and prostitution while searching for livelihood opportunities. Through holistic training and experiential learning methods focused on the hospitality management industry, Twajali aims to uplift Kenya’s youth to lead and inspire change in their communities.

Photo Twajali Instructor Teaching Students
“As an organization, Twajali aspires to create a world where marginalized youth from the slums are not only perceived as survivors but also as potential contributors to a more dynamic and resilient community,” comments Mary Mutua, Founder, Twajali Empowerment Network, on the organization’s website.

Photo Twajali Scene of Students at Desks
In November 2024, Twajali began its offline entrepreneurship training program with its first cohort of students learning MOBI’s curriculum in a customized 15-topic course. Twajali provided instruction in person with delivery methods that included group discussions, illustrations, and case studies to promote interactive learning. The entrepreneurship training will continue each Monday for 15 weeks. To reinforce the learning, the course quizzes were administered for each session during these meetings.

(Photos taken of the first training session were provided by Twajali Founder Mary Mutua.)

tuiFUND Encourages Growth and Investment in Sustainable Grassroots Initiatives
tuiFUND, also based in Nairobi, supports entrepreneurship development by promoting the flow of philanthropic funds and social investment toward grassroots communities in Kenya. tuiFUND aims to empower grassroots initiatives for sustainable growth and positive community impact through financial support and tech-enabled donor mapping, community partnerships, and programs for specific needs. tuiFund also provides valuable training to strengthen capacity for fundraising, sustainability, business acumen, and leadership.

tuiFund MOBI Program Image Screenshot
Through its partnership with MOBI and US-Africa Initiatives, tuiFUND has launched Introduction to ESG and Basic Business Literacy,” a two-part virtual course for nonprofit and social business leaders looking to integrate sustainability practices in their enterprises, design better programs/solutions, and consequently attract the necessary flow of funds for social and environmental impact. Part One of the course focuses on the basics of Environment, Society and Governance (ESG), how to integrate ESG practices, narrate impactful stories, evaluate ESG performance, and access green financing opportunities. Part Two of the course features MOBI’s entrepreneurship curriculum, including Getting Financial Controls in Place, Microfinancing Basics, Achieving Lowest Expenses, Developing Negotiation Skills, Making Ethical Decisions, and more.

According to its website, tuiFUND says of the program, “Grassroots consist of people who are directly affected by a problem and use bottom-up decision-making and collective action in many forms to address that problem. Because they’re directly impacted by local manifestations of global issues, they’re experts at local solutions in global contexts and are extremely aware of public sentiment and community needs. Therefore, by investing in the sustainability of the organizations, we build local communities’ resilience to respond to current and future challenges.”

Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus and the HILDA Project Uplift Women and Girls in Rural Nigeria 
This fall MOBI met with Sister Rosemary of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus. The Congregation of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus is an international Congregation of Sisters that commit themselves to the transformation of lives through their prophetic witness of vowed life, community living, participatory leadership, and apostolic ministry with a special option for the poor, women and children. 

Photo MOBI Team w HHCJ Sr. Rosemary (Vertical)
Sister Rosemary’s involvement with the Handmaids Institute for Livelihood Development Alternative (HILDA) Project led her to MOBI to explore ways we could support her mission to create economic opportunity for women and girls in rural Nigeria. (Pictured from left to right are Kalbas-Schmidt, Sister Rosemary, MOBI Director, Operations and Communications Jill Martin, and MOBI Executive Director and Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business Professor, Information Systems and Analytics, Drew Starbird, Ph.D.)

Sister Rosemary explained that while it is very common for people in Nigeria to support themselves through a variety of self-driven income sources, learning how to turn these endeavors into a livelihood through entrepreneurship training could help support not only individual opportunity but also economic growth for the community. 

Sister Rosemary explained, “Individuals might produce and sell products made with readily available resources—such as red oil from palm trees, fish pellets, pig food, or shells to help with erosion—for their own sustenance. Through entrepreneurship education, they could look beyond their own challenges and come up with new potentials, learn how to harness the resources they have, in a sustainable way, and create a livelihood.”

Photo MOBI's Jill Martin and HHCJ's Sr. Rosemary
She cited particular challenges in her mission to serve the women and girls of rural Nigeria because approximately half of the community is literate and half is not. Additionally, similar to many areas in Africa, internet access is not always available or reliable. As a test pilot, MOBI shared our library of MOBI On Demand video curriculum files on a hard drive along with the accompanying presentations and infographics. This solution allowed Sister Rosemary to travel back to Nigeria with an accessible format of MOBI’s entrepreneurship programming. (Martin and Sister Rosemary are pictured here when the materials were presented.)

Partners Fuel MOBI’s Dreams and Vision
MOBI’s mission to fuel dreams and confidence, empower individuals, and start businesses is deeply connected to the growing impact our partners are having across Africa. We believe in the transformative power of free entrepreneurship education and its ability to drive economic growth, especially in communities facing unique challenges. These partners in Africa exemplify this vision by tailoring our curriculum to meet local needs, from addressing the specific circumstances of marginalized youth in Kenya to empowering women in rural Nigeria. By working alongside dedicated organizations such as US-Africa Initiatives, Twajali Empowerment Network, tuiFUND, and the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus, we are not only broadening the reach of our courses but also honoring the ingenuity, resilience, and commitment of these partners to uplift their communities. We are grateful for these partnerships and the 100+ MOBI Partners around the world who fuel our dreams and vision every day. We are honored to contribute to the University’s Impact 2030 vision for Reach on a Global together with the priority of Partnerships that is central to the Leavey School of Business Leavey PLUS vision as well.

About the My Own Business Institute
The My Own Business Institute (MOBI) at Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business is the world’s leading provider of free online entrepreneurship education. MOBI students and alumni represent all 249 countries and territories recognized by the International Standardization Organization (ISO). MOBI partners with over 100 organizations and institutions around the world to bring free online entrepreneurship education to those who need and want it most. The MOBI curriculum and website are based on the work of Phil Holland, a successful entrepreneur and author of The Entrepreneur’s Guide. MOBI was generously gifted to Santa Clara University in 2014 by Phil and his wife Peggy, an accomplished school teacher and administrator, along with an endowment, valued at $22 million at the time of transfer, to ensure that the organization and its accompanying websites would flourish into the future and continue to support the vital social and economic contributions of small businesses worldwide.

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