SEA-Change Globalizer Nairobi

The SEA-Change Ashoka Globalizer Summit in Nairobi 2019 was the culminating point of an extensive Advisory Process for a group of Fellows working on poverty alleviation...
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The SEA-Change Ashoka Globalizer Summit in Nairobi 2019 was the culminating point of an extensive Advisory Process for a selected group of Fellows working on poverty alleviation and economic inclusion in Africa.

The Globalizer Program is an initiative that supports social entrepreneurs to spreads their impact more broadly by helping them strengthen and deepen their vision for systemic change.

The social entrepreneurs who participated in the program were encouraged to reflect on the strategies and leadership skills they need to scale their innovation and generate widespread impact in a world characterized by constant change.

This year, the program was carried out in partnership with Lefil Consulting and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation to support social entrepreneurs in Africa. It was a unique opportunity for innovative fellows addressing societal problems in the sphere of poverty alleviation and economic inclusion to look for opportunities to scale their impact with an entrepreneurial mindset while using creative funding strategies.

On February 21-23, these fellows convened in Nairobi, Kenya at the Globalizer Summit, where they presented their social innovations and strategies to an audience of business leaders and sector experts.

Day 1: Ecosystem – The main objective of this day was to create a strong ecosystem for leaders in the social sector by sharing inspiring insights and concrete “how to’s” of pioneer organizations, creating a safe space for connections between social and business leaders around Open Growth, Partnerships and Policy Change through the lens of poverty alleviation and economic inclusion.

Day 2: Accelerator – On this day, the Globalizer Fellows were matched with Strategy Thought Partners during a full day of one-on-one/two-on-one conversations to offer new perspectives on their model, strategic advice and key connections to help them refine their scaling plans.

Day 3: Fellows – This day brought together all the social entrepreneurs taking part in the program to discuss on the personal and organizational challenges they face while scaling their social impact.

Some of the Fellows who participated in the program were:

Sylvia Banda (Sylva Food Solutions) who is working to combat the low demand for locally produced, traditional food in Zambia by creating entrepreneurial hubs that guarantee markets for these goods and by fostering an appreciation for local food.

‘Gbenga Sesan (Paradigm Initiative) who is He is using information and communication techno- logy (ICT) to increase the employability of young people that want to remain in the labor market and increase the probability of success for those who chose to become entrepreneurs.

 Megan Mukuria (ZanaAfrica) Her hybrid social enterprise gives access to young girls to menstrual and reproductive education and to high-quality sanitary pads while leveraging the market. Moreover, she leads policy and advocacy in order to support global girlsʼ access to education on menstrual and health. 

This article is written by Santiago Del Giudice, Consultant, Ashoka Globalizer| You can download the full report for the Globalizer here