BLOOM
Building Leadership, Opportunities and Options for Marginalized Women and Girls in Rwanda, Somalia and Tanzania
Program details
Across Rwanda, Somalia (Somaliland), and Tanzania, many adolescent girls and young women are working toward brighter futures while facing barriers that can make education, skills training, financial services, and employment harder to reach. Poverty, displacement, disability, restrictive gender norms, gender-based violence, and limited economic opportunities can stand in the way of their goals.
BLOOM Africa works alongside these young women to help them build skills, confidence, and access to meaningful economic opportunities. The project also works with families, communities, institutions, and local systems so young women are better supported as they pursue dignified work, entrepreneurship, and financial independence.
Focus:
Overview
Africa has one of the world's youngest populations, creating enormous potential for growth, innovation, and community transformation. Yet many young people continue to face barriers to education, skills training, employment, and financial services. For adolescent girls and young women, these barriers are often made worse by discrimination, unequal access to resources, and limited participation in decisions that affect their lives.
BLOOM Africa supports young women to gain practical skills, access financial and business services, and move toward meaningful employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. By working with young women as well as the people, institutions, and systems around them, the project helps create more inclusive pathways to stronger livelihoods and greater economic empowerment.
How BLOOM creates change
Creating a more inclusive enabling environment
BLOOM works with families, community and faith leaders, men, youth and women’s groups, and government stakeholders to challenge harmful attitudes and practices that limit economic opportunities for women and girls. Through approaches such as community dialogues, youth and women-led advocacy, Channels of Hope Restore and MenCare, the project encourages positive social change and stronger community support for young women's economic empowerment.
Expanding access to financial and business services
The project helps youth build financial literacy, join savings groups, access financial products and services, and connect with entrepreneurship support. In Rwanda, the project supports the development of a digital tool designed to help assess savings behaviour and determine when youth savings groups may be ready to access formal financial services.
Strengthening skills development and employment pathways
BLOOM works with technical and vocational education and training institutions (TVETs), employers, private sector actors, and governments to improve access to practical, market-relevant skills and safe, more inclusive training environments and workplaces The project places special emphasis on opportunities in the green and digital economies, including climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, digital media, ICT, and entrepreneurship.
Progress to date
BLOOM is still in the early stages of implementation, but meaningful progress is already underway. In its first year, the project focused on building a strong foundation through participant enrollment, local partnerships, community engagement, and the formation of savings groups.
Early progress includes:
- 6,666 youth enrolled in project activities, representing more than one-quarter of the project's overall target
- 903 community structures mapped and engaged to support gender equality and women's economic empowerment
- 201 Savings for Transformation groups established across Rwanda, Somalia, and Tanzania
- More than 3,600 participants trained in savings methodologies, leadership, governance, and financial management
- Gender equality and women's economic empowerment campaigns reached 1,665 people, significantly exceeding planned targets
In Rwanda, Savings for Transformation groups have collectively saved more than 21 million Rwandan Francs, helping participants begin investing in livestock and small businesses that can strengthen income generation and financial resilience.
For participants like Priscillah Mutachoka, a 24-year-old single mother from Rwanda, these opportunities are helping create a path toward greater confidence and economic independence. After experiencing social isolation and financial hardship, Priscillah joined a BLOOM-supported savings group where she gained financial skills, peer support, and renewed confidence in her future.
“When I joined BLOOM, I realized I was not alone. I met other young mothers like me, and that gave me courage. I am no longer ashamed. I now see myself as a capable woman.”
Today, Priscillah saves regularly, pursues income-generating activities, has enrolled her child in early childhood education, and plans to start a tailoring business.
Partners
BLOOM Africa is led by World Vision Canada and implemented through partnerships with World Vision Rwanda, World Vision Somalia, and World Vision Tanzania. Local implementing partners include Bank of Kigali Foundation, African Evangelistic Enterprise, Shaqodoon, KIWOHEDE, and BabaWatoto.
The project also works closely with government institutions, TVET providers, financial service providers, private-sector actors, youth organizations, women's organizations, and organizations representing persons with disabilities to strengthen opportunities and create more inclusive economic systems for young women and girls.
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