INVESTING IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Entrepreneurship is one of the strongest pathways out of poverty.
In a region where one in five teenagers are not taking part in any form of employment or training, we are bridging this gap by empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs.
With access to vocational and business skills training as well as investment capital, young people can make the most of their talents, develop market-relevant skills and access business pathways with measurable success.
We know that for children to thrive, they need stability at home. That’s why we invest in their caregivers too, building the skills of parents and guardians in community banking, finance and business so they can start exciting small enterprises that unlock countless benefits for their children.
We ensure that some of the most isolated and vulnerable children – those living without a parent or guardian – also gain access to these crucial opportunities.
INVESTING IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Entrepreneurship is one of the strongest pathways out of poverty.
In a region where one in five teenagers are not taking part in any form of employment or training, we are bridging this gap by empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs.
With access to vocational and business skills training as well as investment capital, young people can make the most of their talents, develop market-relevant skills and access business pathways with measurable success.
We know that for children to thrive, they need stability at home. That’s why we invest in their caregivers too, building the skills of parents and guardians in community banking, finance and business so they can start exciting small enterprises that unlock countless benefits for their children.
We ensure that some of the most isolated and vulnerable children – those living without a parent or guardian – also gain access to these crucial opportunities.
HOW WE DO IT
Our investments generate opportunities for young people and caregivers to learn practical skills, grow businesses and lift themselves out of extreme poverty.
HOW WE DO IT
Our investments generate opportunities for young people and caregivers to learn practical skills, grow businesses and lift themselves out of extreme poverty.
TEACHING VOCATIONAL SKILLS
We support out-of-school teenagers with hands-on training in trades like tailoring, carpentry, and mechanics – while equipping them with essential business and finance skills to turn learning into livelihood.
KICKSTARTING NEW ENTERPRISES
We provide graduates with the tools, materials, and start-up support they need to launch their own businesses and connect them to internships so they can gain real-world experience.
BOOSTING INCOMES
We empower children living without a parent or guardian to build independence by giving them the equipment, training and mentorship they need to start earning quickly and sustainably.
DEVELOPING SAFETY NETS
We train young people to invest wisely in agriculture and livestock – creating reliable, long-term assets that strengthen their financial resilience.
BOOSTING INCOMES
We empower children living without a parent or guardian to build independence by giving them the equipment, training, and mentorship they need to start earning quickly and sustainably.
DEVELOPING SAFETY NETS
We train young people to invest wisely in agriculture and livestock – creating reliable, long-term assets that strengthen their financial resilience.
ACCESSING FINANCIAL CAPITAL
Through our Village Investors Program (VIP), we support older children and caregivers to form community banking groups where they can access small loans and grow capital.
BUILDING BUSINESSES
We train VIP members in practical business and finance skills so they can use loans to launch and grow small enterprises, save for the future, and invest in their families’ wellbeing.
OUR IMPACT TO DATE
Out-of-school teenagers trained in vocational skills and running their own businesses
Children living in Child Headed Households earning sustainable incomes
Parents and guardians saving and loaning with the VIP and growing their own enterprises
Saved and re-invested by VIP groups across Sub-Saharan Africa
RISING ABOVE THE $3 A DAY POVERTY LINE
A daily income of $3 a day – known as the international poverty line – represents the minimum daily income needed to afford the essentials of life: food, safe water, shelter, clothing, healthcare and education. Supporting older teenagers, parents and guardians to access training, skills and opportunities to lift themselves above this line is a key aim for us. Find out more about the line by reading our blog.
“Life before was so difficult. I would regularly sleep on an empty stomach. But through the carpentry training, I now have a business I can call my own that helps me provide for my family.”
Having dropped out of school early to support his family, the only work Charles could find was unreliable labour jobs that didn’t provide enough to live on. His younger siblings often went hungry and left school too.
Everything changed when Charles took on a carpentry course through our Vocational Training Programme. Learning his trade, he graduated earlier this year and received the tools he needed to start his own business.
Today, Charles runs his own furniture workshop, earning $6 on most days. His income means his siblings are back in school, his family has enough to eat and he can look to the future with hope.
“Life before was so difficult. I would regularly sleep on an empty stomach. But through the carpentry training, I now have a business I can call my own that helps me provide for my family.”
Having dropped out of school early to support his family, the only work Charles could find was unreliable labour jobs that didn’t provide enough to live on. His younger siblings often went hungry and left school too.
Everything changed when Charles took on a carpentry course through our Vocational Training Programme. Learning his trade, he graduated earlier this year and received the tools he needed to start his own business.
Today, Charles runs his own furniture workshop, earning $6 on most days. His income means his siblings are back in school, his family has enough to eat and he can look to the future with hope.
OUR ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS
OUR ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
PROGRAM
Teaching young people business and entrepreneurial skills.
CHILD HEADED
HOUSEHOLDS PROGRAM
Establishing support networks and economic opportunities for children living alone.
VILLAGE INVESTORS
PROGRAM
Economically empowering those who care for vulnerable children.
