He never let go of his homeland and the fate of his fellow human beings. That is why the native Cameroonian returned to Africa in 2018 and founded Kabakoo Academies in Mali to combat the high level of youth unemployment in West Africa. Kabakoo’s students identify local problems and acquire the relevant skills to solve these problems on the ground.

Kabakoo Academies has developed an unconventional learning programme that focuses on local impact and the integration of local knowledge with modern technologies. Kabakoo’s approach is problem-orientated: Learners work on solving social or environmental challenges that they have experienced themselves. Kabakoo provides them with technology-based tools, their own app, local trainers and a global cooperation network.

A new form of learning is revolutionising the African education system. Young people are empowered with innovative learning opportunities to build thriving communities and ecosystems and to shape a new, hopeful and sustainable Africa together.

Learners acquire skills in innovative areas such as rapid prototyping, robotics, programming & web design or in areas such as biotechnology and regenerative architecture. By doing so, they create pioneering projects and sustainable livelihoods for the local population. With support from Kabakoo trainers on site and mentors worldwide, the students develop viable business models, for example the sustainable utilisation and marketing of shea butter, an easily available local raw material. Other teams are working on new solutions for an automated irrigation system in local agriculture, a low-cost tool for monitoring local air quality, a new approach to municipal waste recycling or the development of low-cost prostheses from the 3D printer.

For these and other innovations, Kabakoo was recognised by UNESCO as one of the most pioneering learning organisations and selected by the World Economic Forum as a global pioneer for the future of learning. Since its launch in 2018, Kabakoo has mentored more than 3,000 young people in West Africa who are now working to create thriving local communities and ecosystems.

Today, Tasnim leads the High Atlas Cultural Landscapes (HACL) Programme with our partners Global Diversity Foundation and Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihoods Association. The programme’s focus on biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods aligns with Tasnim’s mission to support community-led development and environmental justice efforts across Morocco. She has built a strong team of conservationists, economic experts and cultural practitioners who develop sustainable livelihood pathways in the High Atlas alongside and together with local, mostly women-led, cooperatives.

Together we enable indigenous groups in Morocco to create sustainable livelihoods through the innovative production, processing, and marketing of local products. At the same time, this revitalises the biodiversity and cultural landscape of the High Atlas.

A world where regenerative solutions flourish and connect, overcoming the destructive status quo and enabling new, sustainable relationships between people and nature.

Tasnim and her team support local cooperatives in developing innovative value-added products and services, implementing regenerative practices, and acquiring solid entrepreneurial skills.

In addition, the cooperatives receive training in digital marketing and receive support in the certification and distribution of their products through the creation of their own “High Atlas Harvest” label.

An example of this is the “Aswik” cooperative, which grows walnuts and offers various product varations – from whole nuts in the shell to walnut oil. Walnut pieces – a byproduct of processing – have not been optimally utilized so far. Aswik is therefore experimenting with the production and marketing of energy bars made from these pieces.

The “Taghia” cooperative is planning an ecotourism project for visitors who want to explore the beautiful surroundings of Zaouiat Ahansal and learn more about saffron cultivation. They can plant saffron bulbs, witness the processing and packaging of saffron, and enjoy local Taghia products such as saffron tea.

The partnership with the ChanceMaker Foundation enables the program to expand to 200 cooperatives between Imilchil and Agadir, a 30,000 km² area. Through the sustainable production and innovative marketing of products and services, fair incomes are generated for up to 5,000 households, and the biodiverse landscape of the Atlas Mountains is preserved.

Living in a refugee camp, Emile witnessed daily challenges and issues including a lack of quality education, early marriages, substance abuse among youth, discrimination, and unemployment. Eventually, he joined our ChanceMaker-Partner Social Innovation Academy (SINA) and discovered that his past struggles could become a source of purpose. He found the motivation to help others facing similar realities and to turn challenges into opportunities.

Starting as a participant of SINA’s social business incubation programme, Emile gradually took on more responsibilities and grew into a core team member. As such, he helped replicate the SINA model in Kampala to serve urban refugees. Since 2021, he has been a leader and director within SINA Global, supporting new teams to establish SINA Communities and helping the wider ecosystem achieve its highest possible impact.

Having lived the realities many young people face, Emile deeply understands the barriers created by displacement and poverty. He believes young people are essential to building a more just and equitable society, and he is committed to helping them unlock their potential and lead change in their own communities.

The Social Innovation Academy (SINA) enables disadvantaged young people – including refugees, orphans, former child soldiers and young people from extreme poverty – to set up their own social enterprise. Through individual learning modules, personal development and independent action, the participants launch sustainable businesses that solve social and ecological problems. The 23 SINA communities (22 in Africa, 1 in Nepal) are now run largely independently by the participants, who are aged between 16 and 27, according to the principle of ‘freesponsibility’ (freedom and responsibility).

Young people can realise their full potential and become the change they want to see in the world.

Each ‘SINA Scholar’ creates their own curriculum based on the roles they have taken on in the SINA community. Participants take on responsibility, make decisions and manage accounting, logistics or public relations. As a result, they gain valuable practical experience and grow personally and professionally, which will help them to manage their own social enterprises.

In the community, new ideas and teams for setting up social enterprises gradually emerge. Traumatic experiences and successfully overcome challenges often serve as the impetus for the foundation of a social businesses to solve social and ecological problems. SINA supports the participants with mentoring, design thinking, the lean startup approach and target group development. Former SINA participants who are already successfully running their own social enterprises pass on their practical knowledge.

The aspiring entrepreneurs then refine their ideas in boot camps in order to develop resilient business models and qualify for the SINA Accelerator programme. Here they receive training and seed capital to maximise business growth, job creation and the social and environmental impact of their startup.

To date, SINA Scholars have founded over 150 social enterprises and created thousands of jobs.

They started a preparatory primary school for blind children, a medical massage training clinic for blind youth and adults, a braille printing press, and an ecological training farm in Tibet together in 1998.

In 2005, Sabriye and Paul finally founded “kanthari” in Kerala, South India – an institute that trains people who – like them – are driven by the passion to make the world a better place through concrete action.

kanthari is an international institute for “Social Impact Leadership.” What makes it unique is that all participants have faced or are currently facing the very problems they aim to solve. Former child soldiers develop ideas here on how they can contribute to peacebuilding in their home countries. Former drug addicts and victims of domestic or sexual violence work on initiatives to protect others from a similar fate. Other participants have experienced the effects of climate change firsthand and design measures for sustainable living in their communities.

A world changed by ethical visionaries, characterized by integrity, equality, and empathy.

280 change-makers from 55 countries have been trained at the kanthari institute since 2009. The unique “Journey in five acts” curriculum developed by Sabriye and Paul offers an intensive, hands-on learning experience that pushes participants to exceed their limits.

The twelve-month, scholarship-funded programme takes place primarily on the beautiful green kanthari campus in Trivandrum. There, participants from around the world grow into leaders for social and environmental change in creative workshops facilitated by international mentors. Through innovative learning modules, such as “Tansalesea,” a fictional country, the kantharis’ projects are rigorously tested. They must defend themselves and their projects before a critical audience and respond to fictitious sponsors, preparing them for real-world challenges.

As a result, over 180 sustainable initiatives have improved the lives of 50,000 people so far. The “kantharis” are committed to positive change in their communities as activists, founders, or inventors. They establish social enterprises, create relevant educational opportunities for their communities, invent sustainable products that simplify the lives of people with disabilities, or use art as a means of promoting peace.

The desire to create new opportunities for his people, who are still particularly affected by the impacts of the civil war, and to contribute to the reconstruction of the heavily neglected eastern coastal region of Sri Lanka, led Aravinth, along with Kishoth Navaretnarajah, to found the DreamSpace Academy in Batticaloa. This area is home primarily to the Tamil minority, who suffered greatly during the war. Through the initiative of Aravinth, Kishoth, and their team, young people from underprivileged communities in Sri Lanka are supported in building a better future through education, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

The goal is to build a self-sustaining ecosystem for local and international innovators in Sri Lanka. Through collaborative learning, innovation, entrepreneurship, and production, Sri Lanka aims to become the leading center for social and technological innovation in South Asia.

The DreamSpace Academy operates state-of-the-art, transdisciplinary, and regionally unique “learning labs” in areas such as software & IT, media, music, mechanics, electronics, and biotechnology. These labs are led by young adults aged 20-30 who themselves come from disadvantaged backgrounds and have been trained by the DreamSpace Academy. Their expertise is complemented by a network of international professionals.

The DreamSpace Academy offers regular workshops that provide participants from the region with in-depth knowledge and skills in the respective disciplines of the learning labs. In addition, long-term programs such as the “DreamSpace Lifecycle Initiative” are offered, enabling disadvantaged young people to turn their ideas for solving ecological or social problems into viable business models. Local entrepreneurs with existing business models are also supported in building and growing their businesses.

To foster creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation from an early age, the DreamSpace Academy also conducts workshops in underfunded public schools in rural areas.

To fund the free programs and activities for participants and maintain the learning labs, the DreamSpace Academy relies on donations and the creation of its own startups, which channel a portion of their profits back into the organization.

She began her career in the NGO sector, spending eight years at a Romanian organisation supporting young people in difficult life situations. Over that time, Mihaela grew from a trainer into a managing director, leading programmes in education and vocational orientation for vulnerable youth, particularly young people from Romania’s child protection system. This work shaped her understanding of social vulnerability, the absence of support structures, and the heightened risk of becoming a victim of violence, exploitation, or human trafficking.

Since January 2025, Mihaela has been working at our ChanceMaker-Partner International Justice Mission (IJM) as an Advocacy and Survivor Leadership Engagement Specialist. In this role, she is building the Global Survivor Network (GSN) in Romania, a network of people who, drawing on their own experiences of human trafficking, are able to bring vital perspectives into communities, public debates, and policy processes. At the heart of her work is a core conviction: those who have experienced exploitation should not only receive support, but also be given the opportunity to actively shape change.

In August 2025, the five founding members of the Romanian GSN met in person for the first time. Even at this initial gathering, it became clear what power lies in a protected space where those affected feel understood without having to explain themselves. Together, they are working to transform difficult experiences into forward-looking action.

Mihaela finds her direct collaboration with survivors particularly meaningful. At the same time, she sees how significant the ongoing challenges remain, especially where victim-blaming, a lack of sensitivity, or structural weaknesses in the justice system make genuine accountability difficult. This only strengthens her determination to ensure that survivors are heard, that cooperation between the state and civil society is deepened, and that more people in situations of exploitation find the courage to seek help.

Romania is one of the EU countries most severely affected by human trafficking, a situation that has worsened since the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Through transnational cooperation and the strengthening of legal systems, concrete steps are being taken to combat human trafficking and protect those at risk. IJM advocates specifically for legislative reform, works closely with political and civil society actors, and promotes consistent prosecution of perpetrators alongside long-term protection for survivors.

A central component of this joint project against human trafficking in Eastern Europe is the establishment of the Global Survivor Network in Romania. The GSN is a worldwide initiative that connects survivors of human trafficking and brings their perspectives into social and political processes. In Romania, this is creating a space in which survivors strengthen one another, translate their experiences into constructive action, and contribute to developing public awareness, support structures, and the broader policy framework.

Ending human trafficking in Europe.

IJM is actively engaged in Romania to strengthen legislation against human trafficking and improve protections for those affected. In cooperation with policymakers and civil society organisations, IJM advocates for legal reforms that hold perpetrators more consistently accountable and provide long-term security for survivors.

As part of a comprehensive initiative with the parliamentary commission, legislative amendments have already been passed that establish stricter penalties for human trafficking, child trafficking, modern slavery, and the online sexual exploitation of children, while also excluding the possibility of suspended sentences in such cases.

To combat transnational human trafficking effectively, IJM also trains law enforcement agencies and partner organisations in trauma-informed approaches and multidisciplinary collaboration. At the same time, IJM supports individual cases and existing anti-trafficking programmes, and analyses cross-border as well as domestic cases.

The Global Survivor Network further integrates the perspectives of survivors into the work of the project. In Romania, survivors are being connected, empowered to advocate for themselves, and encouraged to contribute their experiences to the ongoing development of anti-trafficking measures. In this way, the Survivor Network adds an essential dimension to the legal, political, and civil society work of the project: the perspective of those who have lived through exploitation themselves.

At the same time, he discovered an astonishing variety of traditional rice varieties in areas just 100 kilometres from his home town of Kolkata. Most of them were virtually unknown in the city, as they were maintained by female farmers in small fields.

To support these farmers, Sujoy and his non-profit consultancy Soceo developed sustainable approaches that combine positive social and ecological development. This enables small-scale producers to earn a better income while contributing to an intact natural environment and a sustainable world.

Soceo cooperates with various organisations in West Bengal (India) to support smallholder farmers – the majority of them female – in their switch towards organic farming. The aim is to incentivise them to produce in an environmentally friendly way while receiving fair prices for their products. To this end, Soceo is working on several levers, from training in effective organic farming and training in high-yield processing of the produce to creating direct market access for the farmers.

To create a better future and a more sustainable world with expertise, joy and purpose.

Soceo pursues a holistic approach to support smallholder farmers in their sustainable transition to organic farming. The approach includes components such as production planning, targeted training, continuous support and business stabilisation.

It is based on the following five pillars:

(1) Selection of suitable plants and cultivation methods tailored to the needs of environmentally conscious consumers

(2) Training in the processing of products to create added value

(3) Comprehensive quality training to ensure the products are purchased at a fair price

(4) Business development training to better understand market dynamics and identify the right buyers

(5) Introduction of robust revenue systems and basic financial evaluation models to track performance and identify growth opportunities in the market.

The initiative targets 1,800 female smallholder farmers in three strategically selected areas of West Bengal with high potential for the development and processing of fair agricultural products.

Soon after, Nomawethu joined the team of our partner AMANDLA to coordinate activities at the first safe-hub in Khayelitsha. Since 2012, she has held various positions and helped building signature programmes such as life skills training and the PlayMaker programme. Today, she leads national operations across 11 Safe Hubs across South Africa, enabling disadvantaged young people from the townships the opportunity to realise their full potential.

Education, entrepreneurship, sports and health: the AMANDLA Safe Hubs in South African townships will create fair opportunities and new possibilities for up to 200,000 young people in the coming years. The model focuses on holistic support and helps disadvantaged children and young people to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and transforms neglected communities into places of hope.

A world of equal opportunities in which young people can realise their full potential and achieve their dreams – regardless of their background.

Safe Hubs are more than just educational and sports campuses – they are places of equal opportunity where young people can realise their full potential. Through integrated programmes in the areas of education, health, entrepreneurship and employability, Safe Hubs address the root causes of poverty, unemployment and inequality.

The Safe Hub model brings together partner organisations from the education, social enterprise and health sectors to provide participants with free opportunities to flourish and develop. These include psychosocial support, the special ‘EduFootball Programme’ to teach values and soft skills through sport, and business incubation courses that serve as a springboard for start-ups from the townships.

Another important part of the Safe Hub infrastructure is the Digital Lab, where young people not only develop relevant media skills, but also learn programming languages or receive further training in online marketing.

In addition, the safe hubs contribute to social and economic inclusion at community level by supporting health, environmental protection and local economic development.

In search of alternatives, Manish and his wife Vidhi founded the ‘unschooling movement’ ‘Shikshantar’ in Udaipur, which is committed to a holistic approach to education. The term ‘unschooling’ refers to a learning philosophy and movement in which learners of all ages take their education into their own hands and decide for themselves what, when and how they learn, instead of following a traditional curriculum or school system. Instead, the learners’ natural thirst for knowledge and individual curiosity take centre stage. Since the birth of their daughter Kanku, Manish and Vidhi have been following the path of self-determined learning together with her.

Today, Manish is a leading global voice for the revitalisation of local knowledge systems and the design of holistic educational programmes. One example of this is his Farmversity initiative, which trains indigenous youth in rural India to become leaders in organic farming through hands-on training and the acquisition of social skills. As such, it is part of the Ecoversities Alliance, a trans-local community of over 200 transformative learning spaces from around the world.

The “Farmversity” enables disadvantaged young people in the Jhadol region to become pioneers in organic farming and social entrepreneurship. By revitalising local agriculture through organic farming methods, providing hands-on learning opportunities tailored to the local context and restoring healthy ecosystems, the Jhadol region has the potential to become a model region for sustainable change across India. The Farmversity is laying the foundation for this.

Through its comprehensive programme, the Farmversity provides the younger generation with valuable knowledge, expertise and a deep appreciation for the principles and practices of sustainable agriculture. Participants acquire skills in areas such as native plant cultivation, soil and water regeneration, animal husbandry, healthy nutrition, food processing, marketing and communication, and social entrepreneurship.

After the three-month programme, they can return to their family farms and convert them to organic farming. In doing so, they benefit from the contacts and new sales markets established through Shikshantar and the Farmversity programme. For other participants, various career options are available, such as managing ‘gaushalas’ (specialised facilities for the protection of old and ‘unproductive’ cows), event management, cooking and catering, water management, sustainable tourism and the operation of tree nurseries or bioresource centres that offer organic pesticides and fertilisers as well as training for local farmers.

To support their chosen pathways, Shikshantar offers further learning opportunities through its extensive partner network. In addition, selected participants receive seed capital to start their own organic farming initiatives.

In her role as “Community Lead” at the social enterprise MOTHERLAND, Cathrin holds a key position. With great empathy, she understands the needs of smallholder farmers and collaborates with her team to develop solutions. Her commitment goes far beyond mere coordination tasks – she is a bridge builder, bringing together various startups to create an ecosystem that maximizes the potential of all involved and sustainably strengthens the farmers’ value chain.

Cathrin exemplifies the transformative power of MOTHERLAND – an organization that ignites a spark in people like her, sending rays of hope and change into the world far beyond their own life stories.

The social enterprise MOTHERLAND connects local startups, smallholder farmers, and education efforts to bring about sustainable change for rural communities in Africa. As an “Ecosystem Orchestrator,” it links Kenyan smallholder farmers with innovative African startups. This creates new solutions to improve various value chains in local agriculture, leading to increased incomes for the farmers. To inspire the next generation for regenerative agriculture at a young age, MOTHERLAND also offers numerous hands-on activities for young people.

An Africa where no farmer is left behind. A future with fairly paid, resilient, and sustainable agriculture that creates prosperity and health for all.

MOTHERLAND does not see itself as a direct solution provider, but as an “Ecosystem Orchestrator.” In this role, the social enterprise works closely with African smallholder farmers to understand their needs. At the same time, MOTHERLAND identifies local startups that can address these challenges.

Since the offerings of the startups alone represent only partial solutions, MOTHERLAND initiates and coordinates the collaboration of several startups. In this way, the startups are supported in unlocking new potentials, and gaps in the farmers’ value chain are closed.

In a pilot project in Kenya, the software solution “eProd” optimizes harvest planning, communication, and payment processing. The startup “duhqa” uses this data to match supply and demand and organize logistics. “KOAN” trains farmers in effective harvesting and post-harvest techniques to minimize losses. As a result, smallholder farmers can increase their yields by 20-25% and significantly boost their revenue.

In the coming years, this integrated approach will be tailored to millions of additional farmers across Africa, with the selection of participating startups customized to local needs.

Additional profits from the initiative flow into a community fund that supports educational programs such as the “Young Earth Guardians” project. This program inspires children and young people with the approach of regenerative agriculture and provides them with practical knowledge of sustainable farming methods.