Supporting Africans
For Unity and Development - Supporting Grassroots Africa Support Themselves
SEA
A Leadership and public voice for Social Enterprise for and in Africa
Social Enterprise for Africa was formed on 31th October 2009 in Bradford UK. It is a peer-generated leadership voice and strategic development tool for the emerging social enterprise sector in UK for Africa.
Building the capacity and sustainability of NGOs in Africa
The NILE African Development Organisation Social Enterprise for Africa program was set up to help facilitate the redistribution of wealth from the largest economies to developing countries in Africa. This is achieved through the capacity-building of NGOs, creative entrepreneurial activity such as development of fairly-traded produce and support in fundraising, but also by bringing best practice in developing countries to the attention of larger partner organisations from Europe.
Social Enterprise for Africa is a consultancy program by The NILE geared towards the limited means of small NGOs, where support can often be gained through independent fundraising.
Social Enterprise for Africa program is results-based, focusing upon achieving sustainable change, where it is operating and working continuously until this change has occurred.
The NILE has a special relationship with ASHOKA-led Brosdi, who are achieving significant change in Uganda, by developing cooperatives for the poorest of rural-dwellers, allowing thousands of participants to escape from poverty.
Social Enterprise for Africa program is about developing its own new and creative projects, designed specifically to bring income into developing countries. It has a particular interest in bringing in ICT, not just for traditional reasons, but for groundbreaking new projects, unique to Africa or other developing areas, such as the "The Pillar of Hope" project. Click the links above for more information on any project.
Social Enterprise for Africa seeks unusual ways at bringing money from the economically-powerful West to disadvantaged countries.
We believe one of the most effective is by providing goods which can be sold directly for the development of African projects.
Using our website and other auction sites such as Amazon.co.uk and ebay, Social enterprise for Africa program is trying to develop a number of on-line items, which are available for purchase, either multiply or as "one offs". If you have any items such as books which you would like to donate to the project and which you would like listed on our website or the auction websites, then please contact us.
Membership of the Coalition is open to all social enterprises who meet the eligibility criteria (below). There is no cost. The Coalition is a lean development-oriented innovation-focussed network - it is a provider of services for member benefits, and it is a consultancy.
Members of the inaugural Leadership Council of the Coalition, and our founding Statement of Purpose below.
To join the Coalition, complete this online membership form
Statement of Purpose
2. The social enterprise sector in the UK for Africa is large and diverse but lacks a peer-generated leadership, a public voice, and shared tools for strategic development and innovation.
3. Social Enterprise for Africa will be a leadership vehicle and voice for social enterprises in the UK and Africa. Its governing body will be a Leadership Council comprising representatives from:
b. for-profits with a social purpose
d. indigenous businesses and social enterprises
4. The Coalition will be a leadership vehicle and public voice, a provider of services for member benefits. It will speak to governments and the general public on the value of social enterprise and engage them in the growth and development of the social enterprise sector.
5. The Coalition will advocate against government interference in the social enterprise field. It will not seek special industry assistance but will seek major regulatory reform in creating a favourable operating environment for social enterprise.
6. The Coalition will advocate for a key role for social enterprise in the break-up and reform of service delivery in health, education, housing, indigenous affairs, community services, rural affairs and environmental innovation.
Membership of the Coalition is open to all social enterprises that meet the following eligibility criteria:
Applicants for membership must:
1. Be an independent business;
2. Have traded for more than one year and earn 50% or more of its income from trading;
3. Allocate a significant proportion of profit for social or community or environmental benefit.
To join the Coalition, complete this online membership form.
The following table outlines the types of evidence that may be required.
| An eligible enterprise will: | Notes/Explanation |
| Be an independent business | An eligible organisation must be an independent business and not part of the public or charitable sector. If an auspicing body is a public authority (such as a municipality, health organisation, or university), or a community organisation (such as welfare agency, sporting club, or arts body) then evidence is required that the social enterprise is a separate trading entity with independent governance. |
| Have traded for a minimum of one year and earn 50% or more of its income from trading | The organisation must earn 50% or more of its income through trading (evidence from audited accounts may be requested). Trading is defined as ‘the direct exchange of goods and services’. This definition of trading excludes government grants, philanthropic grants and donations. |
| Distribute all or a significant proportion of profit for social or community or environmental benefit | Evidence may be required of how the business distributes profit. If the trading activity of the social enterprise is, in itself, socially beneficial (such as employment of disadvantaged people, or sales of produce of disadvantaged people), then direct reinvestment of profit in the business is socially beneficial. If income is distributed to individual members or shareholders who have a co-operative form of participation in the business, then this is, in itself, socially beneficial. If income is otherwise distributed to individuals, then evidence is required that at least 50% of profit is distributed for social or community or environmental benefit. If profit is earned through commercial trading activity specifically to generate income for another organisation or organisational shareholders, then evidence may be required as to whether this use is socially beneficial. Where investors receive a share of profits from a business, evidence may be required that at least 30% of profit is distributed for social benefit before returns are distributed to investors. |
Our Respect. Empower. Include. campaign will gather Africans and friends of Africa from diverse social and political backgrounds on a regional, national and international basis to develop a public leadership that can influence governments and public policy. It's agenda is based on a simple four point platform for empowerment:
We can help ourselves - self-help and mutual aid are important in recovery from addictions, mental illness, indigenous dysfunction, natural disasters, social isolation, and rural decline;
We can make decisions - self-directed services and personal budgets are the next step in empowering people in social support, health and education;
We can share in ownership - a capitalisation of ordinary Australians - enabling all of us to be owners not wage or pension serfs - is the key to equity and prosperity;
We can shape our economy - we need a re-localisation of economics, a break-up of corporate cartels, an end to corporate welfare, and a re-moralisation of markets;
Africans have disengaged from public decision-making on a massive scale. Our politicians are drawn almost entirely from the ranks of lawyers, trade union officials, and staffers for other politicians. Public policy is decided by vested interest pressure groups, provider and business interests, and career politicians. These groups have filled the vacuum in public citizenship.
Where are the mechanics, the nurses, the home makers, the social entrepreneurs, the families, the seniors, and the consumers in these processes?
The term 'civil society' refers to the relationships and associations that make up our life at grass-roots levels of society, independent of government (in families, neighbourhoods and voluntary associations). Our aim is to strengthen civil society and empower people within it.
Social Enterprise for Africa is a social innovation and public policy program. The powerful have their think tanks to help them - we need our think tank to help us. The Coalition is dedicated to empowering ordinary Africans in our roles as citizens, consumers, parents and carers, modest owners of assets, small business proprietors, and members of communities. We welcome people from all walks of life, and people who are members or none members of any organisation.
We want to strengthen Social Enterprise and curtail the power of elites, media moguls, bureaucrats, the big end of town, service providers and vested interest lobby groups.
Our core values are:
~ Self-help
~ Empowerment
~ Community
~ Inclusion
~ Relationships and Social Capital
~ Ethical Conduct
We invite Africans from all walks of life to exercise people power to renew our social traditions of working together, looking out for neighbours and strangers, offering a hand up rather than a hand out for those who need it, unpretentiousness, and inclusive, convivial community.
