Seed Initiative · Step 3
From a skill to a business of her own.
A skill without capital stays a hobby. Graduates receive start-up funding in stages, with a mentor beside them for the first year.
- Or credit history needed
- No collateralOr credit history needed
- Released against a plan
- In stagesReleased against a plan
- Of monthly mentoring
- 12 monthsOf monthly mentoring
How it works
Staged, not a lump sum
Capital arrives as the business is ready for it — which is why it lasts.
- 1
Eligible on graduation
Open to every Skills graduate. No credit history, collateral, or guarantor.
- 2
A one-page plan
With a mentor: what she'll sell, to whom, at what price, and what the first purchase covers.
- 3
First disbursement
Funds for inventory or equipment — paid to suppliers directly where possible.
- 4
A year of mentoring
Monthly meetings on pricing and records. A second disbursement follows when on track.
What changes
“The seed money was not charity. It came in stages, and I had to show my book each month. That is what made it feel like a business and not a gift.”
Miriam O. · Petty Trading
Before
Selling occasionally from a tray; no fixed stock, no savings.
After
Operates a fixed provisions stand; keeps a daily ledger; has reinvested twice.