UNDP SOCIAL IMPACT PROGRAM 2022 Cohort

September 6, 2022 1:13 am | Posted in Business Profiles | Share now Twitter Facebook

The “Social impact Incubator” was a six-month program that was launched by V-LAB in partnership with the UN Development Program (UNDP) office in Fiji on the 12th of April this year. The program aimed to support Vanuatu’s social change actors.

The “Social impact incubator” followed those in the community that had conceived and, established ideas and businesses or organizations that targeted change in the community.

The program enrolled 11 businesses under social businesses and 9 organizations under community organizations. A total of 20 participants took on the program as champions of change looking to make difference in different aspects of the lives of many.

The social impact incubator wrapped up its activities on the 18th-19th of August. Each of the participants pitched their ideas to a selected jury.

The pitching event was an exercise to train or teach the participants how to pitch their ideas should they ever find themselves in a position to pitch in front of investors or other parties.

From the pitching event, 3 winners were selected from the social businesses and 3 winners were selected from the community group.

The Winners of Social business will receive additional support from V-Lab and Yumiwork and the winners of the community group pitching exercise will receive financial support from V-Lab.

V-Lab is excited to introduce the winners of the two groups under the “Social Impact incubator.”

Social businesses

1st place;
Yumi Smat is the former 300 coconut
bags. This socila business is coowned and run by Glenda Balkonan
and Joanna Nati. Yumi Smat deals
with reusing waste rice bags to create
reusable shopping bags that are ecofriendly and reduces waste to the
environment.

2nd place;
Second place was awarded to Janet
Ure whose innovative conception is to
provide advisory services for inclusive
education for kids living with disability
or disabilities and dropouts.

3rd place;
Ernest Malesu & Aurelien Leye are an
optimistic duo who have created the
Van Graduate Recruitment Agency
to help young people, especially new
graduates, secure jobs for a small fee.

Community organizations

1st place;
Tevita Taravaki and Virginia Taravaki won first place in the pitching event for community organizations. The two pitched their idea on a youth group they have created, “Marama Youth Foundation” that focuses on empowering young kids who are still in school, and also dropouts through activities like sports, art, and social welfare.

2nd place;
In second place was the Erakor Bridge
community whose pitch focused on
sea pollution and how people must
be educated on ways to safely and correctly dispose of their rubbish.