The Fonds Souverain d'Investissements Stratégiques (FONSIS), via its WE! Fund, is stepping up its support for women entrepreneurs by investing CFA 750 million in two leading companies in the agri- food sector: PRESTIGES Catering and ESTEVAL. The aim of these investments is to support innovative SMEs, while accelerating their economic and social impact in Senegal.

PRESTIGES Catering, founded by Maïmouna Dior Fall, specialises in contract catering, with a focus on promoting local produce. It provides services to companies, schools and medical establishments, as well as offering services for events and frozen products for supermarkets. This investment will enable the company to triple its daily production to 6,500 dishes by 2026, thanks to a modern industrial unit that meets international standards. This expansion will create new jobs, particularly for women, and strengthen local industries.

ESTEVAL, run by Valérie Hélène Quenum, processes tropical fruit and local cereals into organic and natural products. The investment will facilitate an industrial transition, tripling its daily production to 3,000 litres of juice this year. ESTEVAL works in partnership with local producers to add value to Senegal's agricultural resources, helping to structure value chains and meet growing demand on local and international markets.

These investments underline the potential of women-led SMEs in the agri-food sector and their contribution to the national economy, particularly through job creation and the promotion of local products.

About the WE! Fund

The Women's Economic Empowerment Fund (WE! Fund), set up in November 2019 by FONSIS and UNCDF, aims to promote the economic empowerment of women in Senegal. The fund finances gender-sensitive projects and supports initiatives with a high socio-economic impact, while promoting inclusive and sustainable growth through strategic investments.