Empowering Youth with Disabilities through Inclusive Entrepreneurship
Overview
The We Can Work partnership takes a systems and mindset change approach to transform the lives of at least 1,000,000 young women and men with disabilities, enabling them to access dignified and fulfilling work across seven African countries: Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal. Since 2023, AccessEnable has been at the forefront of advancing inclusive entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for young persons with disabilities in Rwanda through the We Can Work (WCW) program, a flagship initiative funded by the Mastercard Foundation and implemented in partnership with NUDOR (the National Union of Disability Organizations of Rwanda) and other partners across Africa.
As the Entrepreneurship Advisor (EA) for Rwanda, AccessEnable provides strategic and technical leadership to strengthen pathways for young persons with disabilities to start, grow, and sustain their own enterprises.
AccessEnable’s work under the program focuses on:
Identifying and strengthening Entrepreneurship Support Organizations (ESOs) to build their capacity to serve youth with disabilities.
Leading the Disability Inclusion Scorecard (DISC) assessment to measure and improve inclusion within partner organizations and entrepreneurship programs.
Validating and reviewing the entrepreneurship curriculum used for youth training, ensuring it integrates disability inclusion principles and practical business skills.
Overseeing the We Can Work Academy and training activities, ensuring quality delivery across the START and GROW tracks for youth entrepreneurs.
Enhancing access to finance by engaging financial institutions, microfinance actors, and impact investors to design inclusive financial products and reduce barriers to credit for entrepreneurs with disabilities.
Leading monitoring and evaluation to measure learning outcomes, track enterprise performance, and capture lessons for scaling.
Supporting the design of the Alumni Empowerment Strategy, connecting trained entrepreneurs to mentorship, finance, and business networks.
From Skills to Sustainable Livelihoods
Through We Can Work, AccessEnable bridges the gap between training, financing, and enterprise growth. By linking young entrepreneurs to accessible financing opportunities, business development services, and inclusive mentorship, the program ensures that every trained youth can move from an idea to a viable, income-generating business.
This approach reflects AccessEnable’s belief that young persons with disabilities are not passive recipients of aid, but innovators and job creators capable of transforming their communities and economies.
Partnership for Inclusive Growth
AccessEnable works closely with the ESO, NUDOR, CrossWise Works and other partners to embed disability inclusion across Rwanda’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. Together, the partnership engages policymakers, ESOs, and the private sector to ensure that inclusion becomes an integral part of Rwanda’s economic development agenda.
By fostering collaboration between government, organizations of persons with disabilities, and financial institutions, the program is paving the way for inclusive access to finance and entrepreneurship as a driver of equitable growth.
