When Reach for Change launched its programs in Ethiopia in 2015, we were the first and only organization focusing solely on social entrepreneurship. There was a lot of work ahead to convince people that this phenomenon had the power to make a real, sustainable and lasting positive change on society. In 2016, the IKEA foundation joined as an anchor partner and this partnership was fundamental to our work to promote social entrepreneurship and improve conditions for children in Africa’s second most populous country.

“We know that social entrepreneurs have a deep understanding of their local realities. This ensures their solutions are relevant for the communities, families and children that they seek to benefit. The IKEA Foundation believes that helping social entrepreneurs in Ethiopia to succeed is key to creating a lasting positive impact. In partnership with Reach for Change, the IKEA Foundation supports social entrepreneurs so that thousands of children in Ethiopia can enjoy better health, better education and a brighter future”. 

- Patrick Obonyo, Programme Manager, IKEA Foundation

The Swedish companies, Kivra and Hogia, entered as new global partners in 2021. Their support enables us to accelerate the development of the business to achieve the Impact Goals for 2030; tenfold its social impact and reach 30 million children and young people, through support programs for social entrepreneurs. In addition to developing their positive societal impact through the partnership with us, Kivra and Hogia also challenge the traditional way of working with corporate social responsibility (CSR).The companies have chosen to give part of the revenue from their joint digital service for salary specifications directly to Reach for Change operations.

"We piloted our collaboration with Reach for Change in 2019 through the initiative Bridgit, a global network of female tech entrepreneurs, and it feels fantastic to now take the collaboration to the next level. What makes this partnership so strong is that we have a common ambition and view of how we work towards a more green and equal society; to use entrepreneurship and digitalisation as enablers. By combining our different competencies we can achieve greater change than by trying to do it separately." 

- Anna Bäck, CEO of Kivra. 

"Hogia and Kivra have a common core value in that digitalisation is one of the prerequisites for society to be able to develop in a sustainable and equal way. Thanks to our joint digitization project, we can invest in other initiatives that accelerate that development. More than two million Swedes receive a salary via Hogia's system, so the potential to "do good" is great."

- Bert-Inge Hogsved, the founder and CEO of Hogia

In 2022 together with the Jacobs Foundation we launched a two-year support program that envisions to positively influence the educational system in Ghana. This collaborative initiative supports local social entrepreneurs in education to strengthen their innovative solutions, in order to improve educational outcomes for more children. 

The collaboration with the Jacobs Foundation creates a tailored support program that meets the specific needs of the social entrepreneurs and their organization's development journey. Ten selected social entrepreneurs receive grant funding of up to USD 17000, business skills development, networking and media exposure. Their participation in the Scaling Readiness program strengthen their research capabilities and is an opportunity to become a part of the Jacobs network, where researchers, entrepreneurs, school leaders, and change-makers collaborate to create impactful education solutions. 

“We are delighted to see the diversity of EdTech solutions tackling the challenges of Ghana’s educational system and are convinced that the Scaling Readiness program with our partner - Reach for Change - will support the entrepreneurs to improve their products and reach even more children so that they can learn and thrive together."

- Cathrin Jerie, Program Manager at the Jacobs Foundation