321 Coastal Kenyan Entrepreneurs Trained through a Sinapis-GIZ-EU Partnership

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Throughout 2022, Sinapis managed GoBlue Now, a two-year partnership with GIZ (the German Agency of International Cooperation), and the European Union (EU). Based in Mombasa, Kenya’s second-largest city, the dynamic partnership offered the Aspire course, Entrepreneur Academy, coaching, and workshops for early and growth-stage entrepreneurs living in six districts along the Kenyan coast. As the majority of the population in this part of Kenya is Muslim, Sinapis offered a slightly adapted, “purpose-driven” version of our Kingdom business training. This more relatable curriculum was still delivered by experienced trainers who passionately share Sinapis’ mission to make disciples through the power of entrepreneurship. We equipped a total of 321 men and women working in “blue” value chains, including aquaculture, coastal tourism, vessel repair, and maritime transport and logistics, by the end of 2022.

The Sinapis-GIZ-EU partnership is timely and crucial to the future of the Kenyan coast. “Unemployment is highest in this region,” says Coastal Program Manager Robert Wahome. Unemployment rates for Mombasa youth are especially high, with estimates topping 41%. An impressive  66% of entrepreneurs who enrolled in GoBlue classes were between the ages of 18 and 35 — a win for Kenya’s coastal economic ecosystem.

Part of Sinapis’ vision for the GIZ and EU  collaboration was not only to train entrepreneurs to grow thriving businesses but to establish a community of supportive alumni relationships. Since 2018, over 40 alumni had previously been trained by Sinapis on the coast prior to the start of the Sinapis-GIZ-EU initiative, and the project gave Sinapis the opportunity to engage them afresh. Last November, we organized a GoBlue Now Alumni Networking Event that brought together alumni from around Mombasa, as well as representatives from partner organizations. With a total projected participation in the Sinapis-GIZ-EU partnership estimated at 530 individuals, Sinapis exceeded its goals and plans to offer coastal programs in the future. These include another round of Aspire classes as well as modular training with both Kingdom-based and purpose-driven curricula. A new class designed for the region’s hearing-impaired population is also underway.

What graduates are saying:

“I chose Sinapis Entrepreneur Academy, sponsored by GoBlue, because there was a need to reorganize the way that I do my business … I had challenges that I was facing … and when the course came through, and I saw some of the programs had solutions to my business, then I went for it.”
— Geoffrey, a crab exporter, and GoBlue Entrepreneur Academy graduate

"When reviewing cost and accounting, one thing that became clear was that I needed to cut down on costs. I moved my office from the town center to a new space in a residential area and was able to cut costs by half."
— GoBlue Aspire graduate

"As a business, we have benefited from the GoBlue training by Sinapis. I undertook the Marketing and Sales module, and that has enabled me to improve how I relate with my customers, how I acquire my customers, and how I am able to service them"
— Munyua Mwenga, a GoBlue graduate who practices farming on the coast

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