"The difference between rich and poor is not wealth, but opportunity. The poor are the world's greatest entrepreneurs. Each day they must innovate in order to survive."
Nobel Peace Laureate, Professor Muhammad Yunus
Example: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs
"Degg Naa La" provides long-term financial and business education to hundreds of young women in Dakar, Senegal to help them start their entrepreneurial journey. Our beneficiaries are primarily women aged 18 to 35 who are currently earning less than $2.15 USD per day or 50,000 XOF per month. Supported by the L'Oreal Fund for Women and the Grameen Microcredit Agricole Foundation, our local team coordinates a team of experts and facilitators to run training and capacity building sessions in a variety of business topics. The programme provides education, support and financing to support local women entrepreneurs to design, launch and grow their social businesses.
Example: Transforming Cities
Our "Transforming Cities" initiative develops social business and wellbeing centres in some of the most disadvantaged communities around the world, supporting local people to develop local solutions to local problems. In Bangkok, we are working with UNESCO, the International Federation of Muay Thai Associations (IFMA) and local partners to establish a new community owned facility in Klong Toey, the city's largest slum. The facility will provide Muay-Thai and multi-sport provision for local people whilst creating jobs and new health and social services to serve the community whilst generating sustainable revenues.
Example: Harnessing entrepreneurial students
Yunus Social Business Centers are here to introduce and simplify the concept of social business to everyone - students, professionals, academics, and researchers. They are generally established by academic institutions with undergraduate and graduate students and by reputed research organizations. The goal is to make social business accessible to the youth, policymakers, business leaders, and individuals who can make a difference.
Example: Mobilising Youth Leaders
The 3ZERO Club initiative is a global programme designed by Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus to bring young people together on his mission of creating a world of three zeros — zero net carbon emission, zero wealth concentration for ending poverty, and zero unemployment. The programme calls for young people all over the world to come together in groups of five, and join a global network of "clubs" that make a 3Zero commitment and receive extensive training, support and access to global leadership training.
Example: Building entrepreneurial capacity and support
The East Africa Social Business Ecosystem Builders Program - initiated by our partners at YY Ventures and Yunus Centre - aims to increase the capacity of the existing ecosystem builders in East Africa by giving them access to new knowledge, technical skills, and network. The program supports a cohort of ten social business support organisations through a series of workshops and experiences that help each organisation to design their own social business support programs with expert coaching and guidance, and the opportunity to apply for a matching fund of up to EUR 25,000 to implement their program activities.
