FC Africa, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, brought together more than 150 stakeholders for the MESMER Learning and Impact Deepening Forum in Addis Ababa on 5 June 2026. The forum created a platform to reflect on four years of programme implementation, share lessons and identify practical ways to strengthen inclusive finance for young women and men across Ethiopia.
Four years of progress
The forum highlighted MESMER’s achievements over the past four years. The programme has:
- Supported more than 93,000 enterprises
- Enabled over 405,000 young people to access work opportunities
- Facilitated more than ETB 5 billion in financing
- Expanded digital Business Development Services
- Strengthened partner financial institutions and increased access for women, youth, persons with disabilities, internally displaced people and returnees.
Learning what works
Participants heard directly from young entrepreneurs, explored programme results through an interactive gallery, and joined discussions with partner banks, microfinance institutions and development partners.
Together, they identified the approaches that create lasting impact: combining finance with business development, psychosocial support, digital solutions and strong partnerships across the financial ecosystem.
Looking ahead
The forum concluded with a shared commitment to deepen MESMER’s impact by expanding blended finance, strengthening digital financial inclusion, supporting green finance, improving collaboration among stakeholders and developing stronger financial products for underserved entrepreneurs.
