The MESMER (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Recovery and Resilience) Program, launched by the Mastercard Foundation in collaboration with First Consult, aims to support 72,200 MSMEs in Ethiopia. The program, with a budget of $48.9 million, is designed to enhance the resilience and growth prospects of these enterprises through three main strategies: facilitating credit access, providing technical assistance to financial service providers, and offering demand-driven business development and psychosocial support services.

The MESMER program is particularly focused on enterprises in conflict-affected regions, women, and young people. It will also expand its reach to rural areas through technology-enabled interventions. The initiative builds on the success of the Mastercard Foundation’s COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Program, which supported MSMEs with grants and soft loans during the pandemic​ (MESMER)​.