To help strengthen the capacity of women throughout Suriname to be active participants in the economy and better support their families, Counterpart hosted a one-week economic advancement training in Paramaribo. The workshop aimed to equip Surinamese women—including emerging business, civil, and social enterprise leaders—with the necessary skills to write business plans, develop successful products and services, conduct market analysis, and identify national and international private sector donors. Program graduates gained access to Counterpart’s Women’s Leadership global alumni network, securing invitations to participate in future Counterpart events and opportunities to learn from this robust network of women leaders and entrepreneurs around the world.
The training centered around the Business Model Canvas, a strategic management tool for creating a business model comprising nine components: customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships, and cost structure. This model enables quick idea mapping, problem identification, and team alignment, adjusting as markets change, fostering agility and sustainable growth.
Eline Graanoogst is the chairperson of the Nationale Vrouwenbeweging, or National Women’s Movement, in Suriname. She is a passionate supporter of women’s rights and gender equality and has worked in both the public and private sectors, using her law degree and MBA to help and support other women. Sharmaine Artist serves as the president of the KHOSE foundation in Suriname and serves her community as a dedicated social worker and program coordinator, empowering women and children from the hinterland of Suriname. Graanoogst and Artist are just two of the women entrepreneurs, business leaders, and change makers to take part in the workshop.
Supporting indigenous communities through social enterprise
Graanoogst helps indigenous community members to formulate and articulate their life plans, develop a mission and vision statement, brainstorm solutions, and take action to implement changes that bring these visions to life. With the Business Model Canvas, Graanoogst is better able to provide structure to this process. “It’s a sequential and clear way of thinking that you can apply in any situation,” she reflected following the training, sharing that the tool helped her to more easily identity challenges and value propositions, and better consider varying perspectives when developing solutions.
Graanoogst mentoring a group of women leaders in Suriname.
The training also helped Graanoogst to think about how to expand her work. “The goal of [my work with the National Women’s Movement] is for the local community members to bring positive change in their own lives,” she says. “The hope is that these plans will eventually be included in the government’s neighborhood developmental plans.” The training helped Graanoogst to work with her organization to share tools and techniques more widely within the community, inspiring other local women to establish their own successful social enterprises.
Mentoring women leaders in tribal communities
Sharmaine Artist holds degrees in mining and resource engineering and sustainable environmental management. Her organization, the Khose Foundation, provides project management and leadership training, with a focus on working with indigenous and tribal communities. She is known as a teacher, motivational speaker, environmental activist and social worker. She signed up for Counterpart’s training out of a desire to learn additional ways to scale and grow her business.
Artist said one of the most valuable skills she learned was how to generate revenue and look at the different indicators that can play a role in a value chain. The in-person workshop enabled her to network with other high-achieving women in Suriname. The conversations opened her eyes to different funding ideas, and the participants provided valuable feedback on her own business. Artist aims to “enable positive and sustainable changes, emphasizing the inherent value of women and youth in their roles.”
Sharmaine Artist, President of the KHOSE Foundation in Suriname.
When reflecting on her experience with Counterpart, Artist remarked, “I am definitely applying methods within my own business that I did not take into account before.” Building on the skills she learned in the training, she is now planning to utilize the Business Model Canvas to expand her organization and impact even more women within her community.
Expanding impact through economic empowerment
Through this training and others around the world, Counterpart aims to equip women with the skills to start, expand, and promote their businesses—ultimately advancing economic opportunities for women throughout their communities and countries.
Since the training last year, Graanoogst’s organization has taken significant steps by developing a one-on-one coaching program tailored to support young entrepreneurs in the early stages of their business journeys. This personalized approach is considered more impactful than larger workshops and she is currently seeking funding to ensure its continuation next year. Additionally, Graanoogst is collaborating with the Amazon Conservation Team to assist Amerindian villages in creating life plans that incorporate the Business Model Canvas and other tools that she learned about at the workshop. The collaboration focuses on addressing societal and cultural trends, socio-economic factors, and stakeholder analysis while encouraging communities to view themselves as both producers and clients.
Similarly, over the past several months Artist has implemented strategies to strengthen her foundation, focusing on financial management improvements and exploring new funding opportunities. She has also launched workshops for indigenous women. Inspired by her progress, Artist is exploring additional revenue streams, building partnerships with local businesses, and mentoring indigenous women to establish their own sustainable businesses.
