Anyone can be a gig worker

Co-created in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, Gebeya Inc., and its Consortium Partners, Mesirat is a 5-year, multi-phase program to create opportunities for 1 million highly skilled workers through creating, supporting, and nurturing 100 multi-sided gig and professional marketplaces (GPMs) across Ethiopia. “Mesirat” means “to work” in Amharic.
Mesirat
Entrepreneurship Program

Apply as an 
Entrepreneur

Are you an entrepreneur seeking comprehensive support to grow your business? Apply for the Mesirat Entrepreneurship Program to access a wide range of resources designed to help you achieve your growth goals.

Join Mesirat Mahber

Having trouble accessing resources for your business? Join the Mesirat Mahber community where you can get guides, resources and more!

Program Goals

10,000

Gig Jobs

Created per GPM

100

Gig and Professional

Marketplaces Supported in Ethiopia

1 Million

Youth in Dignified and Fulfilling work

13

Major
Industries

Our Success Stories and Impact

  • Mogzit

    We're immensely thankful for the Mesirat project's tailored support that has uplifted the Mogzit brand. Through targeted market research and crucial partnerships, like securing financial guarantees with banks for our caregivers, we have optimized our customer service and significantly expanded our reach, now serving 120,000 clients and employing 200 caregivers. This support has empowered us to build a resilient and trusted brand within the community.
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    YeneHealth

    Our engagement with the Mesirat Project has been a game-changer, enhancing our capabilities and extending our reach in the healthcare market. The project's assistance in developing an effective marketing strategy and connecting us with healthcare opportunities has been invaluable. Collaborations with institutions like the Ethiopian Medical Association have been crucial in aligning our services with local needs, helping us to empower African women more effectively in healthcare. We're deeply appreciative of the ongoing support that has so profoundly impacted our operations and market presence.
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    Lenat

    The Mesirat project was a transformative experience for us, as it changed our perspective on the gig economy in our country and our business potential. Through the program, we were able to connect with various large corporations and exchange insights. We are also creating various upskilling materials for our gig workers, which will enable us to deliver high quality service to our customers. Moreover, we are exploring new opportunities in different sectors by collaborating with the consortiums.
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  • Chap Chap

    The program has been very beneficial to our business especially in terms of onboarding more gig workers on our platform. The marketing support has allowed us to increase our reach to potential gig workers. There were different networking opportunities we have gotten and through that we were able to make connections and partnerships. We very much appreciate the opportunity and we look for further support in the program to create more gig opportunities for our gig workers.

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    TaskMoby 

    Partnering with Mesirat has been a journey of inspiration and support, helping us tackle internal challenges and expand our market reach through quality networking and expert consultations. The direct marketing and technological assistance we've received has significantly enhanced our capabilities, fostering growth and enabling us to create positive community impacts. We are excited about the future opportunities this transformative program will bring, as we continue to innovate and drive change in the gig economy.
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    Utentic

    We had a fantastic collaboration with the Mesirat team. They have been incredibly supportive, taking our questions and comments seriously and incorporating them into their support. This program has enabled us to set bigger goals and better structures for our business. The support we receive is helping us significantly in cost-cutting and reallocating our finances to other areas of our operation. Overall, this program has a positive impact on our growth, and we are curious to see what we can achieve. 
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Achievements

38

Startups
Onboarded

to date across 7 sectors

10,000 +
Gig workers

Recruited & on-boarded

3,088

Jobs created

60.26 % Female | 39.73%  Male

10,784

youth 
Upskilled

Youth Upskilled

45.95% Female | 54.04% Male

Co-created by

MASTERCARD FOUNDATION

The Mastercard Foundation is a private foundation that promotes financial inclusion and equitable access to work for young people in Africa and Indigenous communities. It operates independently and has offices in Africa and Canada. It is a registered Canadian charity with offices in several cities across Africa and Canada.

GEBEYA

Gebeya is a Pan-African SaaS-enabled talent marketplace that connects skilled professionals and companies. It provides upskilling, certification, mentorship, microlending, and work opportunities to professionals across 30+ countries. Gebeya's goal is to be the most reliable source of skilled talent that showcases Africa's competitiveness in the global gig economy.

Our Consortium

ACE ADVISORS

ACE Advisors is a management advisory firm that offers customized services to both the public and private sector. They specialize in public policy analysis, research, and capacity building. They will oversee monitoring and evaluation and conduct market research in the ICT and tourism sectors for a specific project.

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY (ACT)

American College of Technology is an accredited institution that provides training, job placement, incubation, and consultancy services to private and public organizations. The program is delivered in collaboration with various organizations, and ACT plays a leading role in localizing, curriculum development, and providing training and upskilling activities.

CENTER FOR ACCELERATED WOMEN’s ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT (CAWEE)

CAWEE economically empowers women entrepreneurs, with a focus on women exporters and marginalized women. Their role in the Mesirat project include selecting women for marketplaces, providing support services, proposing policy reforms, and ensuring sustainability. CAWEE's goal is to make the project Women and Youth Centric

SHEGA MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY PLC

Shega Media and Technology PLC is a prominent Ethiopian and African media and technology company that offers high-quality content, data, and research services. They provide media, communication, PR, research, stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and program management support, with a strong local footprint in Ethiopia's digital economy and private sector.

LAURENDEAU & ASSOCIATES (L&A)

L&A is a management consultancy that advises private sector, government, and international development institutions on digital advancement for low- and middle-income countries. L&A will contribute to Mesirat on government relations, policy design/advisory, program strategy, public/media relations, and entrepreneurship community engagement.

THE URBAN CENTER (TUC)

TUC is a firm that specializes in urban studies, offering awareness-raising programs, skill enhancement sessions, and site analyses. They use data to provide recommendations to developers, foster collaborative dialogues, and lead research for Ethiopia's Gig Economy Industry to drive sustainable and inclusive urban development for both public and private entities.