One of the primary objectives of ‘Travel for Impact’ is to identify and document effective and innovative social enterprises by women

​

The project was started in January 2013 through extensive research done on social enterprise in Africa. It was discovered that although much aid is given to AFRICA, through misappropriation and rigid funding terms, not many of the funds actually reach the people that really need them.

​Over the past 60 years at least $1 trillion of development-related aid has been transferred from rich countries to Africa. Yet real per-capita income today is lower than it was in the 1970s, and more than 50% of the population -- over 350 million people -- live on less than a dollar a day, a figure that has nearly doubled in two decades.

​

The most obvious criticism of aid is its links to rampant corruption. Aid flows destined to help the average African end up supporting bloated bureaucracies in the form of the poor-country governments and donor-funded non-governmental organizations.

As recently as 2002, the African Union, an organization of African nations, estimated that corruption was costing the continent $150 billion a year. With few or no strings attached, it has been all too easy for the funds to be used for anything, save the developmental purpose for which they were intended.

​

And in spite of this, there are individuals and groups of women that have set out determined to change their circumstances and those within their communities with little or limited resources. They have started schools where they charge the minimum of tuition to educate girls and thus promote the girl child, they are investing their limited resources in collective agro business, they have started SACCOs (A Savings and Credit Co-operative (SACCO) is a democratic, unique member driven, self-help co-operative. It is owned, governed and managed by its members who have the same common bond. These members agree to save their money together in the SACCO and to make loans to each other at reasonable rates of interest. The members are the owners and the members decide how their money will be used for the benefit of each other.)

​

There are far more obstacles faced by entrepreneurs regardless of gender, and doing business across much of Africa has been called a nightmare. In Cameroon, it takes a potential investor around 426 days to perform 15 procedures to gain a business license. What entrepreneur wants to spend 119 days filling out forms to start a business in Angola? He's much more likely to consider the U.S. (40 days and 19 procedures) or South Korea (17 days and 10 procedures).

​

Working within this environment and together with various community based projects, we are the voice for social enterprise in Africa through a collection of stories. We do research, provide information and tools, share knowledge, build networks, raise awareness and campaign to create a business environment where social enterprises can thrive.