Women Rising: Stories of Resilience on Women’s Entrepreneurship Day

How Sofonie Dala and her startup Talentos Multiplus are Empowering Women to Break Cycles of Poverty and Build Sustainable Futures

Introduction

Celebrated every year on November 19, under the auspices of the United Nations, Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (WED) has become the world’s largest initiative dedicated to celebrating, supporting, and empowering women in business, leadership, and innovation.

This year, we highlight the work of Sofonie Dala, the founder of Talentos Multiplus, a startup dedicated to solving the world’s most pressing challenges through sustainable, community-driven models aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Her mission focuses on empowering women and girls living below the poverty line—helping them build dignified livelihoods, gain economic independence, and rewrite their stories.

In this special program, we share the stories of ordinary African women fighting extraordinary battles in the labour market. Many face “double burdens”—as mothers, caregivers, and breadwinners—often without support from partners, formal employment, or access to education. Many were forced to drop out of school, some became mothers in their teenage years, and many work long hours only to earn enough for breakfast and dinner.

Yet, despite these hardships, they continue to rise.

These are their stories.

1. Marta Gomes – Carrying a Family Alone

At 35 years old, Marta Gomes carries the weight of an entire family on her shoulders. A mother of five, her life was once anchored by a husband—one who sadly refused responsibility. He never registered their children, never placed them in school, and eventually abandoned them all in a rented house to start a new life with another woman.

With nowhere to go, Marta returned to her elderly mother’s home. Today, she supports seven people.

Because of a learning disability and delayed mental development, Marta dropped out of school as a young teenager. She became pregnant early in life after being exploited by an older man. She now washes clothes in other people’s homes—earning less than USD 20 per month.

Despite the odds, Marta continues to work with determination, hoping to give her children the education she never received.

We visited Miss Marta’s home and found her daughters and her elderly mother, who is not feeling well. There are four children, all teenagers, except for the eldest daughter from a previous partner, who is 20 years old. She is currently enrolled in school and is about to complete secondary education.

Half of the children are not studying. The third daughter, Marisa, was taken in by another family who enrolled her in a public school, where she is currently studying and living. 

Marisa is in Grade 4, but she shows significant learning gaps. She cannot read or write at the level expected for her grade or age. She is 15 years old and had never attended a formal, recognized school before and was never regularly

The children expressed sadness about the absence of their father, who abandoned them, did not enroll them in school, did not register them as citizens, and provided no material support. They left a message for their father: “We are hungry, we want to study, and we need our birth certificates and national IDs so we can be enrolled in school.”

Without identification documents, children cannot attend recognized schools in Angola.

Marta recently visited her third daughter, Marisa, who is currently being cared for by another family that enrolled her in school. Marta explained that she does not have the financial means to send her children to school and relies on the support of others to help raise them.

Since Marta has only daughters, we provided each of them with a free kit of reusable menstrual pads to help reduce their expenses and lessen their environmental impact.

2. Tatiana – Waking Up at 3 AM to Keep Her Children in School

Every night at 3 AM, long before dawn, Luísa wakes up to prepare corn pap which she sells to early workers in the streets. She is a single mother of four, fighting daily to keep her children fed and educated.

Carrying 50 cups of pap each morning, she risks her safety walking in the dark, but she does it so that her children never drop out of school.

Her resilience fuels her children’s dreams.

3. Luisa Dembo – Fighting to Keep Five Children Educated Without Support

Luisa is a mother of five. She has a husband, but one who offers very little support—emotionally or financially. As a result, Luisa bears responsibility for feeding the family and ensuring the children stay in school.

Luísa also resells supermarket goods that are about to expire, purchasing them at lower prices. On other days, she carries a basket of hygiene products—soap, toothpaste, detergent, deodorant—hoping to make a little more income.

But at the end of the day, the earnings are barely enough for food.

On particularly difficult days, she washes clothes or sells items on behalf of others just to survive.

Each day is a battle.

Each day is an act of courage.

When money is too short for a decent meal or school materials, Luísa improvises—selling goods, doing odd jobs, or relying on her sheer determination to carry the household through. She shared that her children do not study regularly due to lack of financial resources.

Her story is one shared by thousands of African mothers who shoulder entire families alone.

4. Doroteia & Henrita – Grandmothers, Entrepreneurs, Community Providers

Our last stories come from two brave grandmothers: Doroteia and Henrita.

Although they never completed school—dropping out to raise their children—their entrepreneurial spirit sustained their families and their communities.

Doroteia manages a small poultry business, selling fresh eggs and chickens to her neighbors.

Henrita cultivates vegetables and fruits, feeding entire households with affordable, fresh produce.

They are proof that age is no barrier to entrepreneurship and that rural women continue to form the backbone of local economies.

Conclusion – Connecting Their Journeys to the SDGs

These women represent the struggles and strength of millions across Africa. Their stories are deeply connected to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially:

• SDG 1: No Poverty – By empowering women, we break cycles of generational poverty.

• SDG 4: Quality Education – Their greatest dream is to keep their children in school.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality – Women’s economic empowerment challenges systems that marginalize them.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Fair employment, entrepreneurship, and skills development are essential for sustainable progress.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – Supporting vulnerable women ensures no one is left behind.

Through Talentos Multiplus, Sofonie Dala is building a sustainable, community-driven model that offers solutions, skills, and opportunities—helping women rise from survival to stability, and from stability to success.

Join Us: Launch of Our New SDG 8 Platform

SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth - By Sofonie Dala, Angola

Click here to join: https://sdg-8-decent-work-angola.blogspot.com/

We are excited to announce the public launch of our new platform dedicated to SDG 8 – “Decent Work and Economic Growth.”

Developed in 2024, this platform is now fully ready to serve communities across Africa and beyond.

It offers free, life-changing, and long-lasting content designed to:

• empower women and youth,

• support entrepreneurship,

• promote decent work,

• and strengthen community resilience.

We invite you to join us at the official launch and become part of a movement creating equitable economic opportunities for all.

Together, we rise.

Together, we build.

Together, we empower.