Our Initiative in
Entrepreneurship

We believe in empowering individuals so they can lift
themselves out of poverty.

In 2017, the Singal Foundation partnered with Village Enterprise to fund a village in East Africa for $25,000. Village Enterprise is a non-profit organization that equips rural Africans with the resources to create sustainable businesses. The organization focuses on the micro-enterprise sector. Established in 1987, Village Enterprise is active in the poverty reduction and micro-enterprise development fields, targeting people living below the extreme poverty level of $1.90 a day or less, especially women and youth.

Entrepreneurship

In 2016, the Singal Foundation donated $10,000 to Compassion Asia, a shelter home in Nepal for visually impaired and blind children. This area in Nepal is one of the least developed regions of the country. Until 2015, the home was only accessible via an eleven hour trek from the Jumla air strip. This shelter home gives these vulnerable children the ability to hope and dream again.

The Issue

767m

Worldwide live on less than $1.90

389m

Live in extreme poverty in Africa

589m

Live without electricity in Africa

30%

Youth are unemployed in Africa

40%

Cannot access clean water in Africa

60%

Youth between 15-17 are not in
school in Africa

Where We Work

Village Enterprise currently works in remote, rural areas of East Africa.

The Approach

Training:

The Village Enterprise one-year Graduation program provides groups of three entrepreneurs with seed capital, training and ongoing mentoring by a local business mentor. Examples of businesses include livestock, farming, small retail stores and restaurants, tailoring, and beekeeping.

Business mentors deliver nine months of business and financial skills training designed for participants who have little formal education and assist them in forming small enterprises of three budding entrepreneurs each.

Entrepreneurs at a Business Training Program by Village Enterprise

A Business Savings Group in Orkweswa Village

Business Savings Group:

At the beginning of the training, a Business Savings Groups (BSGs) of approximately 10 businesses (30 entrepreneurs) each is created. BSGs are a self-generating, self-managed form of microfinance that allow members to pool savings and access loans.

This allows them access to growth capital, provides a safe place for savings, and builds social capital. The Business Savings Groups serve as a safety net. It also provides members with ongoing protection against financial shocks and access to growth capital.

Seed Funding:

To light the fire of entrepreneurship, $150 micro-grants as seed capital are given to start each business. Participants in the program are given grants rather than loans as this allows them to take on the risk of starting a new business. A $150 micro-grant sparks the ingenuity of entrepreneurs who are willing to invest time and energy into improving their lives.

First-time entrepreneurs are more willing to take the risk of starting a new business venture if they don’t fear the high costs of failure and further indebtedness or loss of meager assets potentially caused by a loan default. Profits generated from their new enterprise can be used to address critical family needs (like food, medicine and school fees) and build capital and savings for their fledgling business, rather than to repay high-interest loans.

Two ladies celebrate receiving their business grant.

Entrepreneurs of the Sabwani Marinda Village funded by the Singal Foundation

Mentoring:

Business mentors guide each new group in selecting an enterprise that is best positioned to flourish, taking into account the team’s skill set, local market conditions, risk factors, and profitability.  Each business is assigned a local mentor and is organized into a Business Savings Group of 30 entrepreneurs to provide access to savings.

Multiple studies show that the Graduation programs lead to significant increases in household income, and that these benefits persist over a number of years. So far, Village Enterprise has started over 44,000 businesses and trained over 175,000 East Africans.

The Approach

Training:

Entrepreneurs at a Business Training Program by Village Enterprise

The Village Enterprise one-year Graduation program provides groups of three entrepreneurs with seed capital, training and ongoing mentoring by a local business mentor. Examples of businesses include livestock, farming, small retail stores and restaurants, tailoring, and beekeeping.

Business mentors deliver nine months of business and financial skills training designed for participants who have little formal education and assist them in forming small enterprises of three budding entrepreneurs each.

Business Savings Group:

A Business Savings Group in Orkweswa Village

At the beginning of the training, a Business Savings Groups (BSGs) of approximately 10 businesses (30 entrepreneurs) each is created. BSGs are a self-generating, self-managed form of microfinance that allow members to pool savings and access loans.

This allows them access to growth capital, provides a safe place for savings, and builds social capital. The Business Savings Groups serve as a safety net. It also provides members with ongoing protection against financial shocks and access to growth capital.

Seed Funding:

Two ladies celebrate receiving their business grant.

To light the fire of entrepreneurship, $150 micro-grants as seed capital are given to start each business. Participants in the program are given grants rather than loans as this allows them to take on the risk of starting a new business. A $150 micro-grant sparks the ingenuity of entrepreneurs who are willing to invest time and energy into improving their lives.

First-time entrepreneurs are more willing to take the risk of starting a new business venture if they don’t fear the high costs of failure and further indebtedness or loss of meager assets potentially caused by a loan default. Profits generated from their new enterprise can be used to address critical family needs (like food, medicine and school fees) and build capital and savings for their fledgling business, rather than to repay high-interest loans.

Mentoring:

Entrepreneurs of the Sabwani Marinda Village funded by the Singal Foundation

Business mentors guide each new group in selecting an enterprise that is best positioned to flourish, taking into account the team’s skill set, local market conditions, risk factors, and profitability.  Each business is assigned a local mentor and is organized into a Business Savings Group of 30 entrepreneurs to provide access to savings.

Multiple studies show that the Graduation programs lead to significant increases in household income, and that these benefits persist over a number of years. So far, Village Enterprise has started over 44,000 businesses and trained over 175,000 East Africans.

The Outcome

With a grant of $25,000 from the Singal Foundation, Village Enterprise trained 150 new entrepreneurs, started 50 new three-person businesses and transformed the lives of approximately 1,000 children, women, and men.

Get Involved & Make a Difference

Together, let’s create a future where everyone has a chance to succeed.