Business Partnerships
There are many ways in which businesses can engage with our work and add value through sharing skills and knowledge as well as offering financial support.
As we celebrate our tenth anniversary, we are focussed on developing small businesses at each of the projects we partner with. These businesses, known as IGAs (Income Generating Activities), will help projects become self-sustainable while benefiting the communities in which they are located. From farming to fashion, bakeries to baby care, cows to computer training, mechanics and hair salons…our projects are developing a wide range of IGAs which require investment in terms of capital and skills training. Your business could help an IGA move to the next level.
Peperuka is small business that has chosen to support Seed of Hope. Their recent collection of t-shirts was modelled by some of our students for a photoshoot and on the runway as part of the fashion show at our Kumi Kommunity event. This was a great experience for our students and as an added bonus a percentage of the sales for this range of t-shirts is being donated to Seed of Hope.
If you are looking for corporate gifts for clients, our Seed of Hope centres can tailor make the perfect product for your business. Binti Safaris is a small travel company which supports our Seed of Hope programme in two ways – they purchase laptop bags from our Crafted enterprise for their clients and they donate directly to the project. They say “This is our way of giving back. It’s great to know that as our business grows, so does Seed of Hope and the great work they are doing here.”
Wachoraji Media has chosen to donate time and skills to Vision Africa’s work. They have provided designs for logos, banners and posters at no cost to Vision Africa which have helped in the promotion of our IGAs.
We have also had support from two water companies. Kathini Spring Water provided an event with a donation of bottled water for guests while Silverboy Bottling donated three hundred bottles of water branded with Vision Africa’s anniversary logo. Florence Kamaitha of Silverboy Bottling told us “Most of us are busy working fulltime and though we have the desire to help the underprivileged, we are not able to commit fully to helping them. So we decided to support causes that are committed to helping the under privileged. Basically completing the circle. Another reason is, being a small business, we believe in networking. We are not able to afford advertising, but we believe when we position ourselves with our products, we can get people talking about it.”
As you can see, several small businesses are already supporting the work of Vision Africa, each in their own way and all very much appreciated.
If you are based in Nairobi, even your trash is a valuable donation to our recycling enterprise, re:future which takes donations of plastic, paper and glass and turns them in to cash by selling them to recycling companies.
If you are outside of Kenya there are still opportunities for your business to get involved. If you own a hairdressing business or are in the fashion industry you could sponsor a student who would like to follow in your footsteps. £384 (50,000ksh, $600) provides two years training in vocational skills, life skills and business skills. Our IGAs need investments from as little as £60 (8,000ksh, $100) to £12,000 (1,600,000ksh, $19,000) so there is something to suit everyone’s budget. Alternatively, your business could donate time and skills to help us market our events and products where you are.
How can your business engage with our projects? Do you have skills to donate? Can you recycle your waste materials? Would you help support a small business started by a group of students? Can you offer time to mentor students?
Please get in touch and let us know how we can partner with you and your business to give brighter futures to disadvantage children and youths in Kenya.
Updated: June 2012