Login

Lost your password?

Sign Up

Register

Login

Login

Lost your password?

Register

Monday, April 12, 2021
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion

Africa's
Investment
Gateway

The Exchange
  • Login
  • Register
Subscribe
This Month's Edition
Previous Editions
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
The Exchange
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
The Exchange
LOGIN

Why Social Entrepreneurs are vital to build a sustainable, equitable and resilient Africa

The need for support in crisis is a critical component

Opinion by Opinion
February 14, 2021
in Africa, Opinion
0
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

In a few months, COVID-19 has disrupted our lives, and we are yet to grasp the full extent of it. While the pandemic is global, it exposes current inequalities in Africa: the biggest impact will be on the most fragile countries – as well as on the impoverished, the uninsured, and the information-poor. Beyond the number of infections, deaths, jobs lost and the hit on national economies, COVID-19 will trigger a surge in extreme poverty on the African continent. Various studies have already predicted that an additional 12 million Africans will be pushed below the threshold of living with an income of less than USD 1.9 per day.

While it is easy to dwell on the challenges faced in an unexpected year like 2020, true entrepreneurs have a natural gift to focus on solutions, take action and find a silver lining to the crisis. Specifically, social entrepreneurs have a vital role to build the resilient, equitable and sustainable post-COVID Africa that we have started to imagine.

You may be wondering who social entrepreneurs are. This “rare breed” of entrepreneurs, still often unknown in spite of the rapid growth of the sector in Africa and beyond, combines a passion and commitment for long-lasting social change with the ability to find opportunities for innovation. In the midst of the crisis, many of them have taken additional risks despite their relatively small structures, have pivoted their models to continue delivering value to their clients or beneficiaries often by adopting new technology solutions, typically people at risk and groups highly vulnerable to a crisis in terms of health or income.

Social entrepreneurs are tackling chronic social problems ranging from access to healthcare and education, economic resilience to transparency or fighting fake news. Some examples particularly relevant as they address some of the problems triggered by the crisis include:

  • In South Africa, the Maharishi Institute that provides quality tertiary and has enabled over 17 000 people from disadvantaged background to access employment (97% of graduated have found employment) has closely worked with the Ministry of Education since the beginning of the crisis and started to develop a Pan-African model-based online learning.
  • In Zambia, as the global supply chains for essential products have been affected by the crisis, the Safe Motherhood Alliance is on a mission to manufacture and distribute 30,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for traditional birth attendants and pregnant women, using 3-D printing.
  • In Cameroon, Bridge Africa Ventures is bridging the digital divide that excludes small-sized producers from the benefits of digital infrastructure especially as markets have been disrupted. They are on a mission to enable 10 000 SMEs and agriculture players to make a living online, using the online marketplace and direct payment systems.
  • In Uganda, COBATI has developed a community-based tourism approach that allows people to use their culture and livelihoods to benefit from tourism. In times of COVID, they have been actively building awareness about safe behavior in communities.

Ashoka is one of the largest organizations supporting social entrepreneurs in the world and can be credited for the development of the sector over the last decades after our Founder coined the term “social entrepreneur” in the early 80ies. Our network includes over 420 social entrepreneurs who have improved the lives of over 18 million people in over 23 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. They have changed national policies and designed new models replicated by others, as their growth strategy is based on people positively impacted rather than revenues or profit.

While social entrepreneurs have been an inspiration during the crisis thanks to their leadership and creativity, most of them have also been significantly affected by the lockdown and the crisis. Based on an internal Ashoka study, 53% of social entrepreneurs anticipate a funding shortfall of over 40% this year. 33% are very concerned that funding is becoming more short-term and 26% that funding is moving away from their field. Only a small share of the relief initiatives has gone towards the sector.

Globally, the 60-member COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs, representing over 50,000 social entrepreneurs, has released an Action Agenda outlining 25 concrete interventions to support social entrepreneurship during COVID-19. In Africa, we have launched Changemakers United as a short-term response to provide advice, visibility, and connections to a group of 16 social entrepreneurs who tackle the various angles of the crisis.

Our hope is also that there will be a silver lining to the crisis, in that the role of social entrepreneurs as innovators for society will become obvious on the continent and that inspired by those extraordinary leaders, millions of Africans can discover their power as changemakers to create positive change in communities around them, in small or bigger steps. #United, we can reimagine and change Africa!

Pape Samb, Executive Director, Ashoka Africa, and Stephanie Schmidt, Partnerships Director, Ashoka Africa

For more information please visit: www.ashoka.org and https://changemakersunited.ashoka.org/africa/

 

Tags: AshokaBridge Africa VenturesCobatiPape Sambsocial entrepreneurshipsocial impact in africa
Opinion

Opinion

Opinions by contributors are views of respected thought leaders in the respective industries they operate in. The Exchange is a close partner with each of the various opinion contributors.

Related Posts

Africa Trade - AFCFTA - The Exchange - www.theexchange.africa
Africa

The dawn of a new beginning: the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement

April 6, 2021
African Unicorn - The Exchange (www.theexchange.africa)
Opinion

The Unicornization of African Fintech

April 1, 2021
Women access to digital finance
Africa

Empowering women farmers to access financing 

April 1, 2021
Next Post
Intra African trade

EABC Urges EAC Partner States to Harmonise Tax Regime

e-Commerce is a vibrant internet enterprises. Kenya is killing its internet and future success. www.theexchange.africa

Digitalisation best opportunity for AfCFTA, trade success

Covid-19 Impact on East Africa tourism sector 2020

Covid-19 Impact on East Africa tourism sector 2020




This months edition

Features

Let’s market East Africa as a single investment destination- EABC Pic
Countries

East Africa Business Council fast tracking Congo to join EAC

by Kawira Mutisya
April 2, 2021
0

The opportunities for trade in the DRC are huge for the EAC—the value of goods the country imported in 2019 stood at US$6.6...

Read more
Ethiopian Airlines- The Exchange (aviation)
Aviation

Propelling Africa’s Aviation sector to greater heights  

April 1, 2021
Flowers (Kenya Flower Council- KFC)
Agribusiness

Kenya-UK trade deal—silver lining from a budding sector 

April 1, 2021
Kenya Automates import export processes to boost efficiency AFA-IMIS platform (Source TMEA)
Countries

Kenya Automates import/export processes to boost efficiency  

April 6, 2021
Women access to digital finance
Africa

Empowering women farmers to access financing 

April 1, 2021

News

Banking
Industry & Trade
Investing
Money Deals
Regional Markets
Tech & Biz
Opinion

Countries

Kenya
Tanzania
Uganda
Burundi
Rwanda
Southern Africa
Ethiopia

More

My Account
Contact us
Advertise
About us
Help Center

Subscribers Center

E-paper
Premium Stories
Education Rates
Corporate Subscriptions
Weekely Newsletter

  • My account
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund Policy – The Exchange
  • Sitemap
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart

© 2021 The Exchange - Designed by Mediapix.

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Facebook
Sign In with Google
Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Sign Up with Facebook
Sign Up with Google
Sign Up with Linked In
OR

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Sign up to The Exchange Africa’s Newsletter and access Africa’s the latest investment trends, commentary and exclusives on the Continent. Sign up and access 5 free Premium articles!

Support Quality African Journalism!

To help give best experience, this site uses cookies as described in our Privacy Policy. By clicking on/or navigating the site, you agree to allow us to collect information through cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.