SWEDEN: HRH Carl XVI Gustaf tried a new emotional intelligence programme of our Change Leaders
HRH Carl XVI Gustaf tested Locker Room Talk brand new training program - virtual reality “Coach Journey”. It is a digital leadership program in emotional intelligence where the leader gets to step into a virtual locker room to face and deal with challenging scenarios with young people.
News from our Alumni in BALTICS
Theater for all families "Teatriukas" visited Lithuanian community Casa Lituana in Tenerife with a performance and a musical program.
Founder of "Our Pocket Hero" Simona Koncytė organized a fundraising campaign to deliver insulin and other diabetes products for children in Ukraine.
Simona has also won the main prize in Creative Business Cup competition in Kaunas, Lithuania - a trip to Copenhagen, Denmark where she will represent Lithuania at the largest European creative business festival. Learn more about Simona's story and products here.
Inese Grīnvalde, our Alumni from Latvia created a new service within her project - warm natural materials development sessions at "Laimes bļoda" (meaning - Bowl of Happiness). Warm-grain sessions are offered to any child and young person between the ages of 1.5 and 16 to reduce long-term stress, improve health, interpersonal relationships, and the ability to learn.
Young Folks LV opened a refugee center at the bus station in Riga. The center is open every day from 8 am to 12 am and offers all kind of help to newcomers: accommodation, meals and essentials.
Implementing different programs in GHANA
We closed the application period for the Jacob's Foundation Program with a lot of great applications. Excited about the programme and its potential impact, we are now proceeding to the Jury stage where the applicants will pitch their ideas.
Reach for Change, SE Ghana and SNV organized a Green Economy Training for Regional Hubs across the country to enable them to provide the needed support for entrepreneurs in the green space.
DENMARK: Days of Impact
Our Partnership Director, Marie-Louise Harritsø attended the Days of Impact Finals as panelist. She lent her knowledge on how to build the optimal ecosystem for Societal Change and contributed insights on how to support Impact Startups in Denmark and Northern Europe.
SENEGAL: Wins of our social entrepreneurs
Agora, one of our Innovating for Mothers laureates, won a grant of 1600 USD. This amount and all the funds they will raise during the current fundraising campaign will be used to purchase a car and have an opportunity to help pregnant women and young mothers in remote areas to have access to qualified medical help.
ETHIOPIA: Voice of Change project launch
At the beginning of May, we had our first interview with the Voice of Change radio series. Together with our Change Leader Erq Maed Radio Show and with the support of the Swedish Institute, we will shine a light on powerful stories of female entrepreneurs who are challenging gender norms and inequalities in Ethiopia.
Our first hero was the venture wizard Tigist Getachew, who co-founded ARAYA Venture Lab in a bid to create new perspectives and find home-grown solutions. Her story is a powerful message of resilience, determination and never giving up. The full recording of the interview, conducted in Amharic, and a short summary in English are available on the special webpage of the project.
BULGARIA: Selecting new social entrepreneurs for our Incubator programs
Springtime in Bulgaria was focused on finding and selecting social entrepreneurs for our two Incubator programs. The ninth edition of the Game Changers Contest sought innovative solutions, focusing on access to high-quality education ad employment. 85 applicants are currently in the process of selection, five will receive tailor-made capacity building support, seed funding and media coverage thanks to our partner Nova Broadcasting Group.
The pilot edition of our thematic Open the Circle Incubator sought 10 social entrepreneurs offering solutions for children and youth at risk of poverty and social exclusion. The winners will be announced in July and will receive two-year-long capacity building with a focus on impact management and business modeling, peer learning and seed funding.