Publication database

The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) launched the Advancing Women’s Empowerment Fund (AWEF) in 2019 with support from the Visa Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The overall goal of AWEF-funded projects is to address the gender financing gap for women-owned small and growing businesses (SGBs) in developing economies. The first round of grantmaking, AWEF Asia, funded eight entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) in Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, the Philippines, Pakistan, and India, as well as programs serving the region as a whole. This report summarizes the lessons learned from these grants.

Conexsus supports small farmers associations and cooperatives that work under a income-generating model that preserves standing forest and other biomes. It focuses on three lines of action: business model, market access, and impact finance.

Fomento Social Banamex is the philanthropic arm of Citibanamex Mexico, and its goal is to reduce inequality in Mexico. It promotes capacity-building for social organizations to better meet the needs of marginalized communities living in poverty. Under this scheme and through its strategic partners, it has supported Unión Majomut, a cooperative of coffee farmers from Chiapas, so that it partakes in the entire value chain and earns a higher income for partner families.

Argidius Foundation supports small and mediumsized enterprises to improve the quality of life of the population living in poverty by promoting entrepreneurship ecosystems that involve strategic partners. To this end, Argidius has supported Thriive (in Guatemala), an organization that provides institutional strengthening and equipment acquisition services to small and medium-sized enterprises, under a “repay the community” model.

This report reiterates the need for impact investors to raise and direct new capital to help meet the SDGs by 2030 and showcases how select impact investors are taking action. This compendium of five case studies describes how the goals can be woven into the various stages of the investment cycle, as well as investors’ motivations for doing so, advice for other investors, and outlook for the industry. Each case study also provides an example of an investment that contributes to the SDGs. 

Case study on Belle Verte, an ecoinclusive enterprise, which provides innovative waste management solutions and raises awareness on the problem of increased waste in Mauritius. 

Case study on the Youth Initiative for Community Empowerment (YICE), an eco-inclusive enterprise that provides a agricultural services to smallholder farmers to improve their livelihoods. YICE has trained a group of farm agents to act as YICE representatives and community leaders. Innovative mobile technology provides smallholder farmers with access to key information on trainings, quality farm inputs,  and fair market prices for produce.  YICE aims to use this information and the provision of microloans to empower the local community to make better, more informed decisions at various levels of the farming value chain.

Case study on Unique Quality Product Enterprise (UQE). UQE's business model is based on a market-leading approach to promote the production and processing of the cereal grain fonio. Fonio was once a major food crop across West Africa and is known for is nutritional value, taste and adaptability to local climate and soil conditions. However, the introduction of rice and other cereal crops largely replaced fonio. UQE believes in fonio’s commercial potential and identified community members who were still growing the crop for local consumption. The enterprise engaged with local landholders and wider communities to gain access to infertile, unused land for women farmers. UQE promotes the expansion and harvesting of fonio crops using traditional methods. 

Case study on Safi Organics, one of the largest producers of rice in Kenya. The company aims to reverse declining agricultural yields, improve the income and food security of local farmers, and provide opportunities for local youth. Safi Organics created an agricultural value chain from the local organic waste stream. Using an open source technology, the enterprise produces valuable agricultural inputs such as fertiliser and soil treatments designed to meet local conditions.  Waste rice husk is collected from farmers and processed into bio char, the bio char is then stored, processed, and a local enzyme is added to enable microbial growth. The fertiliser and soil treatments are sold back to the farmers directly or through agents.