Our comprehensive approach includes world-class entrepreneurship development training, mentorship for coaching and support, vibrant community engagement, co-working spaces, and connections to investors, all aimed at addressing pressing social and environmental challenges in underserved communities.
In 2022, we collaborated with the Yunus Centre and the Yunus + You – The YY Foundation to launch the East Africa Social Business Ecosystem Builders project. Our goal was to introduce and promote the concept of social business in the region while identifying the unique needs and challenges within East Africa's social business ecosystem.
The journey began with a meticulous analysis to identify critical stakeholders involved in ecosystem-building activities across Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. We then created detailed ecosystem maps for each country, offering a comprehensive landscape view. Next, we facilitated four in-person meetings in each of these countries to bring together ecosystem builders and social business support organizations. These gatherings provided a platform for sharing best practices, discussing challenges and opportunities, and fostering collaborative connections among stakeholders.
This culminated in an in-person Ecosystem-builders dialogue held in May 2023 in the vibrant city of Nairobi, where entrepreneurship support organizations, universities, and other stakeholders came together to explore how different actors could collaborate toward strengthening entrepreneurship in the region. The journey continued with a capacity-building initiative to empower thirteen ecosystem builders from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Through this learning journey, they participated in a series of workshops, guided by our experts, to develop robust social business support programs tailored to local youth. Inspired by their newfound knowledge and vision, seven of thirteen non-profit entities applied for a matching fund of up to EUR 25,000 to execute their program activities. Following a rigorous selection process, we proudly announce that two organizations were chosen to receive this critical support as part of the East Africa Social Business Ecosystem Builders Project: Bridging Gaps in Uganda and Westerwelle Foundation in Tanzania.
Meet the Grantees:
Bridging Gaps: Bridging Gaps is dedicated to empowering local entrepreneurs and lifting them out of poverty through a human-centred approach. Their core focus is connecting entrepreneurs from underserved communities with private sector companies, providing them with the essential financial support needed to bring their projects to life. Through their project, ‘Incubating Refugee-led Social Businesses through Entrepreneurship Training and Community Microloans’, Bridging Gaps will empower 15 local entrepreneurs - half of whom are women, in the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement to start their social businesses in Uganda. Building on their successful approach of conducting entrepreneurship training, providing microloans, and offering mentorship and long-term coaching, this project will pilot Bridging Gaps’ first incubation programme, which will be designed based on the lessons learned from the East Africa Social Business Ecosystem Builders project. We are excited to back Bridging Gaps as they incorporate the Seven Principles of Social Business in their philosophy and support entrepreneurs in a refugee settlement in Uganda!
Westerwelle Foundation Tanzania: Combining local expertise and international networks, Westerwelle Foundation Tanzania is a one-stop centre to support entrepreneurship in Tanzania. In partnership with Westerwelle Foundation International, they offer fully equipped and easily accessible workspaces and run incubation and acceleration programs to help entrepreneurs from various sectors. Building on the success of a year-long pilot gender mainstreaming initiative for ten women-led startups in the green sector, the ‘AfroGreen ClimAccelerator’ program is designed to develop sustainable solutions and grow entrepreneurs’ access to markets through capacity building. With support from YY Ventures, AfroGreen ClimAccelerator will expand the programme's scope in its second year to include climate entrepreneurs of all genders, with a continued focus on gender mainstreaming. They will support fifteen youth-led startups in the green sector in their second cohort, and address the challenges they face when they want to scale their businesses. This year-long programme aims to create a supportive environment for green entrepreneurs, who can learn from each other, connect with industry experts, and grow their businesses rapidly.
