Samira Zakaria

2023 IVLP Impact Award Project: Accelerating Young Women Entrepreneurship in the Tamale Metropolitan District Ghana

Samira Zakaria is an experienced marketing and public operations manager for the Global Dreams Hotel. Her aim is to attract and retain clients through the provision of first-class quality and affordable accommodation to corporate institutions for conferencing. She handles the preparation of strategic marketing plans for the approval of the board.

IVLP Impact Award Project: Accelerating Young Women Entrepreneurship in the Tamale Metropolitan District 

Samira's project trained more than 100 young, educated women on effective micro-entrepreneurship and helped them set up their own micro-enterprises. The hybrid training workshops, seminars, and networking events focused on specific topics such as how to access seed funding and how to identify resource networks while also providing participants with long-term business mentorship. Samira's project helped each participant create their own sustainable business startup, and by the end of the project, everyone had set up a business bank account and officially registered their businesses.

"[This project] has been the highlight of my year. It equipped me with valuable skills in business organization, effective networking, and adding value to my seamstress business." - Project Participant

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Samira was a participant in the IVLP Project Women and Entrepreneurship organized by the U.S. Department of State and FHI 360.

Samira's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "I decided to impact...my community [because of] the benefits and vast knowledge acquired during my stay as a participant of the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP). This, in my opinion, [will] empower the young and vulnerable women in my community."

U.S. Communities Visited

Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; Manchester, NH; Akron, OH

Country: Ghana

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