At an Afternoon Coffee

“At an Afternoon Coffee / قهوة بعد الظهر” is a podcast series born from the critical need to support women continuing to run businesses under extremely difficult conditions amid the ongoing conflict in Sudan. This unique cross-border collaboration—produced by GIZ with a German team leader and implemented by an Egyptian company—was created as part of a project to improve economic opportunities for Sudanese women entrepreneurs. Its primary goal is to empower Sudanese women by sharing stories of strength and determination from accomplished female role models.

The series addresses the profound challenges these women face: after breaking norms and building successful careers in a conservative society that often views women's work as secondary, they were confronted by a civil war that destroyed everything. Now, they must rebuild it all in a new country, navigating a different culture and difficult economic conditions.

To capture these stories, the project selected ten Woman Business Role Models with inspiring success stories, representing different age segments and business categories to provide inspiration to a wide audience. Through a friendly, in-depth conversation, the podcast creates a safe space where guests can comfortably share their life stories, from their first steps to their current milestones. The interview questions were customized to inspire the audience and carefully designed to highlight each guest's unique journey, challenges, and achievements.

High-quality production is central to the mission. Interviews are conducted by an experienced professional with a deep understanding of Sudanese culture and the current circumstances. Episodes are professionally edited and mixed with introductory music and sound effects to enhance the listening experience. To ensure broad accessibility, nine episodes were produced in Arabic and one in English.

The podcast is distributed on major platforms like Spotify and Google Podcasts to maximize reach, complemented by a dedicated webpage and social media strategy to foster a community. Ultimately, "At an Afternoon Coffee" aims to drive positive societal change in gender equality and the economic empowerment of women in Sudan.