Since the beginning, our mission has been to support local social entrepreneurs to develop and scale solutions to problems faced by children and youth. This mission has not changed, though how we do it has evolved. As we move into our second decade, we will continue to pursue this mission through two main streams of work: capacity and ecosystem development for local (social) entrepreneurs. 

 

Capacity development - beating the odds

 

We have three distinct capacity development programs for local social entrepreneurs, each targeting a different stage of development:

 

  1. Innovation labs: Concept to early Proof of Concept stage
    We provide technical and, if relevant, financial support for concept stage social entrepreneurs to further develop their concept and test, refine and validate a minimal viable product in order to pilot their solution and become ready for next investment. 

  2. Incubators: early Proof of Concept to Early Growth stage
    We offer technical and, if relevant, financial support for proof of concept stage social entrepreneurs to enable them to prove that their solution has the intended social impact and that it is embedded in a financially sustainable business model

  3. Scaling readiness: Early Growth to Growth stage
    We provide technical and financial support for social entrepreneurs at early growth stage and high ambition to scale, to enable them to identify a viable model to scale their impact (impact scaling strategy), and to develop a plan for a scaling pilot.

 

Each program is based on three pillars of support:

  • Capacity development. We offer capacity development support focused on three development areas: Effective solution, Financial sustainability, Leadership, team, and operations. This is delivered through a mix of individual strategic planning, coaching, mentorship, peer learning and group sessions. 

  • Financial support. Access to appropriate funding at different stages remains one of the biggest barriers to social entrepreneurs as they develop their solutions and bring them to scale. We offer selected social entrepreneurs financial support to help them develop and deliver their solutions and to strengthen the capacity and capabilities of their team. 

  • Network. Having a strong network and gaining access to the right people and opportunities at the right time is one of the most crucial success factors for any organization. With so much competition and limited time, cultivating such a network can be tough, especially for early stage organizations without much of a track record.  We connect our social entrepreneurs to local and international networks to create opportunities for new learnings, partnerships, and funding.
     

To support us achieving our vision, we have also started to run two different capacity development programs to promote entrepreneurship and foster entrepreneurial mindset and skills:

  • Entrepreneurship Boot Camp. We provide training for youth (e.g. University and TVET students) and women to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, knowledge and skills that they need to start and grow a business. 

  •  Women and Youth Social and Economic Empowerment. We provide training and technical support to women and youth entrepreneurs to gain skills and knowledge to develop, refine and start or run a business idea and to gain access to funding.

Both programs are focused on the goal of job creation and improving livelihoods or support entrepreneurship in the green economy. 

 


Ecosystem development - improving the odds

Successfully growing or scaling a solution is almost impossible if you are working in a fragmented ecosystem.  In order to scale, good solutions will need support from a variety of actors in the public, private and/or non-profit sectors. 

We work to establish supportive local ecosystems for social entrepreneurs to increase their chances of success. Activities include:

  • support to establish social entrepreneurship associations

  • advocacy and thought partnership for improved policy

  • convening stakeholders and influencers

  • capacity building of other support organizations in the sector

  • awareness raising and education around social entrepreneurship. 

All of these programs are delivered through various projects that are further tailored to the specifics of the local context.