Adam Boxer, the co-founder of Wessex Social Ventures (WSV), is a designer and innovator who uses business thinking and frugal innovation to tackle the basic problems that hold people back in life.  One of these is basic problems is lack of affordable eyecare.

Wessex Social Ventures Limited provides pre-designed business models that have shown their ability to create widespread impact in communities. WSV packages these business models into a “Business in a Box (BiaB)” for easy replication. ​

​WSV’s current portfolio of BiaB includes a partnership with DOT Glasses to provide affordable reading glasses and eyecare in Kenya. WSV trains and provides partners and local entrepreneurs with the ability to run small DOT Glasses’ businesses. The businesses then sell glasses for $5, This is on average 5x cheaper than other myopic (short-sightedness) glasses on the market. With most of our customers being first time glasses customers.​

With QECT’s support, WSV has been able to: ​

• Deliver 30 glasses kits and 800 replenishments to the DOT glasses partner for distribution to the agents  and identified 6 locations for DOT glasses operations in Kenya.​
• Establish and run a revolving fund where 30 glasses kits were distributed to partner on credit.​
• Train the staff of 7 partner to  set up and support  the DOT agents in Kenya.​
• Build a local team and set up the DOT glasses (DG)  headquarters in Kenya  as the DG   transitions its headquarters  from Czech Republic.​

“QECT has given us the freedom to test a new approach to distributing the glasses in the communities we work in, with potential to scale massively. Alongside this they have given us amazing support in analysing our business and identifying where we need to improve.”​

Adam Boxer

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About 14% of children aged between 5 and 16 in Bangladesh lack affordable access to quality education and are not enrolled to educational institutions. This negatively affects their opportunities for future success. 

A teacher by profession, Sadia Jafrin founded GYRF, to provide access to quality of education for children in Bangladesh. GYRF provides teacher training facilities and numerous library stations in different corners of Bangladesh, including mobile, street, and online libraries. GYRF also runs an after school program where students from public universities provide national curriculum based learning to underserved children. Additionally, GYRF has a specially designed curriculum and publications that they use to supplement the national curriculum.

So far, GYRF’s initiatives have positively impacted 50,000+ people in Bangladesh. Their “Wheels of Wisdom” initiative has reached over 8,500 children who borrowed 7,400 books and accessed 34,000 hours of internet learning; their “Book Garage” that has 19 street libraries where 4,500 children gained access to learning materials and educational content. GYRF also provides online access to learning materials through a learning channel on YouTube and an audiobook app “Shunboi”.

With QECT’s support, GYRF will scale-up existing projects to meet the growing demand for their services thus making greater educational and learning impact in their community. 

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Madelle Kangha grew up watching thousands of young people, including her siblings, complete formal education, only to join a growing pool of unemployed youth.She founded Jumpstart Academy Africa (JAA) to bridge the gap between Cameroon’s education system and the job market.

“Empowering young people through skills development is very crucial to the sustainable development of any country.”

Madelle Kangha

JAA works to reduce youth unemployment in Cameroon by partnering with schools to enhance learning outcomes. This is by equipping young people with skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), computer courses, International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and entrepreneurial leadership. JAA also offers career coaching and guidance.

Since its inception in 2014, JAA programmes have reached over 20,000 young people. At least 30% of the young people who completed their training have launched businesses/projects, providing employment opportunities for themselves and other young people; 50% of their programme graduates have obtained internships and job placements; 80% of their students take on leadership roles in their communities, and finally, students experience a 311% increase in income after completing the Entrepreneurial Leadership Training.

JAA is among nineteen organisations that are currently enrolled on the Youth Ventures Programme (YVP). Through the YVP, QECT provides youth-led organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and technical support, and access to a global network of young leaders for 2+ years. 

With QECT’s support since March 2022​, JAA has been able to: ​

Facilitate training in STEM, IELTS,  critical thinking and problem solving and communication with impact for 100+ youth 

Form 10 social entrepreneurship clubs that hold weekly sessions, equipping 300+ youth with entrepreneurship and leadership skills virtually and in person

Offer career and scholarship guidance to 280+ youth

Strengthen its systems and processes in safeguarding, finance,  governance and risk assessment

“The MEL training we received from QECT has empowered us to develop a robust logical framework, performance monitoring and evaluation plan. As a result, we are able to more effectively measure our impact, and have been able to develop a strategic plan for JAA for the next 3 years.”​

Madelle Kangha

Future work supported by QECT in 2023: 

JAA aims to increase the number of youths accessing their programmes onsite and across Africa, virtually.  

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Douglas Mwangi was born and raised in Mathare. For him, quality schools were unaffordable, and affordable schools weren’t teaching skills that could get him anywhere. He founded Oasis Mathare to transform the lives of young people in similar positions to his.

“By helping children and youth in Mathare access quality education and skills to earn a livelihood, Oasis Mathare ensures that they have a fair shot in life.’’

Douglas Mwangi

Oasis Mathare is a grassroots youth-led organisation that leverages technology to reduce illiteracy and poverty in Mathare slums in Nairobi, Kenya.

Young people who attend Oasis Mathare’s classes learn software engineering and graphics design, and acquire coding and robotics software skills. Oasis Mathare also provides free access to learning material via basic phones without requiring internet access. 

Oasis Mathare also provides a safe space for children below 5 years to learn through play and through providing childcare creche facilities enables parents to learn or work. 

Oasis Mathare is among nineteen other organisations that are currently enrolled on the Youth Ventures Programme (YVP). Through the YVP, QECT provides youth-led organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and technical support, and access to a global network of young leaders for 2+ years. 

With QECT’s support since March 2022 Oasis Mathare has been able to:

Provide over 2,000 pupils with free online access to educational content.

Train 51 young people in software engineering, with 17 of them graduating as junior developers.

Facilitate science, technology, engineering, arts, maths and design (STEAMD) training for 331 pupils.

Establish strategic partnerships with stakeholders in tech industries who are providing added support for OM’s programmes.

Increase revenue through consulting and program sales. OM was recently contracted by Deutsche Welle to support one of their mobile applications.

“The combination of flexible funding which helps us direct resources where they are needed most and friendly youthful staff who understand the struggles faced by young organisations has helped us accomplish more as an organisation and this is what makes QECT stand out from other funders.’’

Douglas Mwangi

Future work supported by QECT in 2023: Oasis Mathare plans to train over 400 pupils in STEAMD and more youth in software engineering.

Click below to watch Oasis Mathare’s video.

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Sarah Boateng lived in a village in Ghana where she witnessed the challenges girls faced in accessing affordable menstrual hygiene products. She founded IGEA to eradicate menstrual poverty and promote equal access to education for girls in rural Ghana.

“Quality education can make a long-term impact on a community and girls should not be left behind.”

Sarah Boateng

Investing in Girls Education in Africa (IGEA) advocates for investment in quality education for girls living in rural Ghana. Through the Menstruate and Educate Programme, IGEA has been working with schools in Bolgatanga, Northern Ghana distributing reusable sanitary pads and reading materials on menstrual hygiene to girls. IGEA also engages parents, teachers and community leaders through workshops on menstruation and related taboos, as well as addressing the importance of girls’ education.

IGEA is among nineteen other organisations that are currently enrolled on the Youth Ventures Programme (YVP). Through the YVP, QECT provides youth-led organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and technical support, and access to a global network of young leaders for 2+ years. 

With QECT’s support since March 2022 IGEA has been able to:

IGEA has been able to: 

Acquire and distribute over 3500 reusable pads reducing monthly school absenteeism from 5 to 2 days for 1160+ girls in rural Ghana

Sensitise over 650 parents and teachers on prohibitive cultural taboos around menstrual health

Train 12 women to produce reusable pads, creating an additional income stream for them

“Resources provided by QECT including BetterUp coaching, and trainings have helped me in becoming a better young leader.” 

Sarah Boateng

Future work supported by QECT in 2023: ​

IGEA aims to train more women to produce the reusable sanitary pads and stock them in local stores. IGEA will further enhance trained women’s entrepreneurship skills to increase sales and revenues from reusable sanitary pads.​

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Growing up, Maya Nanan did not understand why her autistic younger brother, Rahul, could not go to school. She later realised that there weren’t many opportunities available for him and others with special educational needs. Maya founded Siblings and Friends Network to create opportunities for Rahul and others with special educational needs.

“At 6 years, Rahul was turned away from 6 schools. There is a social stigma regarding special needs and disabilities and I want to change that.’’

Maya Nanan

Siblings and Friends Network advocates for Trinidad & Tobago to become a place that is inclusive of those with autism and other special educational needs. Through Siblings and Friends Network, those with autism have access to opportunities for intellectual, social, and mental development. 

Siblings and Friends Network works in the central and deep south regions of Trinidad & Tobago, which are the areas most lacking in the provision of educational and therapeutic services. It is the only organisation advocating for autistic young people in the central and southern regions of the Trinidadian island.

Siblings and Friends Network is among nineteen other organisations that are currently enrolled on the Youth Ventures Programme (YVP). Through the YVP, QECT provides youth-led organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and technical support, and access to a global network of young leaders for 2+ years. 

With QECT’s support since March 2022 Siblings and Friends Network has been able to:

Set up and run Rahul’s Clubhouse, serving 65+ registered autistic persons who access intellectual, social, and mental development programmes at the clubhouse

Train 10 special needs teachers who are now working as tutors at Rahul’s Clubhouse 

Provide an online network for peer support and counselling for over 200 autism parents

“Without QECT funding I would not have been able to open Rahul’s Clubhouse. The Youth Ventures Funding gave me the opportunity to make my dream a reality, and today, my autistic brother and many others have access to opportunities for development.’

Maya Nanan

Future work supported by QECT in 2023: 

SFN’s goal is to support more autistic persons with added developmental programmes at Rahul’s clubhouse. 

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When Jubilanté Cutting attended an animation festival where youth from other countries presented and received support to train and scale their ideas, she observed a lack of similar investment available in Guyana. She founded the Guyana Animation Network to transform Guyana’s animation and digital media industry.

“My hope is to create an environment where young people are motivated to tell their stories  and to see them evolve into media that is exported to the world.”

Jubilanté Cutting

Guyana Animation Network prepares young people for the current and the next generation for jobs in the global digital and creative technology industries. 

Guyana Animation Network equips children and youth with digital and creative skills and connects them with global experts in the sector. This is facilitated through GAN’s summer camps and creative masterclasses. 

GAN is among nineteen organisations that are currently enrolled on the Youth Ventures Programme (YVP). Through the YVP, QECT provides youth-led organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and technical support, and access to a global network of young leaders for 2+ years. 

With QECT’s support since March 2022​, GAN has been able to: ​

Host 4 digital media training programmes that equipped 81 previously unemployed youth with skills in scriptwriting, voice acting, storyboard art, graphic design and character design

Launch a digital agency that is now employing 22 of the 81 youth trained  

Provide practical work experience  through its animated film engaging 8 young artists hired from GAN’s training programme

Future work supported by QECT in 2023: 

GAN aims to increase the number of participants enrolling in their programmes.

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Hassan Mujtaba Zaidi visited schools in a low-income suburb of Lahore and unlike schools in high income areas, was struck by the lack of resources for art lessons. Art can be important for improving the quality of learning for children. Mujtaba founded Discovering New Artists (DNA) to promote access to quality education and inclusiveness through art. 

“I believe art has the power to make a collective positive change in this world through children’s outlook on the future – and the future is now.”

Hassan Mujtaba

DNA works with children from under resourced schools. DNA runs the Art for Change Atelier (TAFCA) programme to help bridge the education gap for marginalised children aged 4-18. 

Through TAFCA children utilise their strengths, discover their identities, find meaning in the community and explore world connections. They develop creativity, open-mindedness, and confidence to present solutions to global issues through art. 

DNA is among nineteen organisations that are currently enrolled on the Youth Ventures Programme (YVP). Through the YVP, QECT provides youth-led organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and technical support, and access to a global network of young leaders for 2+ years. 

With QECT’s support since March 2022​, DNA has been able to: ​

Establish and run TAFCA workshops where children experience a vibrant environment with new forms of learning on a diverse scale

Run the TAFCA programme in 30 under resourced  schools  impacting over 400 students 

Enhance knowledge of the UN SDGs for 93% of TAFCA workshop participants surveyed

“The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust (QECT) has been a game-changer in our journey towards capacity development at DNA. Their support has surpassed any other fellowship or grant, empowering us to establish robust monitoring and evaluation processes that have transformed our ability to deliver impactful results. QECT’s unwavering commitment to our mission has elevated our organisation and accelerated our positive impact in ways we couldn’t have imagined.”​​

Hassan Mujtaba

Future work supported by QECT in 2023: 

DNA’s aims to enrol more under resourced schools and students  in its TAFCA programme by the end of 2023. 

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If you were to visit the Gasabo and Bugesera districts in Rwanda, you’d find innovation hubs that provide young people, between the ages of 16-30, with social entrepreneurship skills training, coworking spaces, consultancy, and investment services.

These hubs are a vision realized by the Acts of Gratitude (AOG) social enterprise located in Kigali, Rwanda.

Founded in 2011 by 13 young Rwandans, the organization has supported 155 social enterprises, 176 social entrepreneurs and created jobs for 658 young people and 390 women. To date, approximately 133,326persons have been impacted by work led by the organization’s co-founder and CEO, Jean d’Amour Mutoni, and his team.

AOG was registered with the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) as a National Non-governmental Organization (NGO) in 2014 and with the Rwanda Development Board as a Social Enterprise in 2020. With the vision that ‘By 2030, Rwanda’s Most Successful Person will be a Young Social Entrepreneur’, AOG’s goal is to build a community of 10,000 social entrepreneurs in Rwanda by establishing 30 hubs across the country. The team also set their vision on launching one international office by 2030.

One year after its official operation, the organization received an award from Her Majesty The Queen and investment from His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda in 2015. With this high-level support, AOG focused its programs on social enterprise development and women empowerment in the country. With this high-level support, AOG focused its programs on social enterprise development and women empowerment in the country.

Now, 10 years later, AOG’s focus has tackled youth unemployment and positioned young leaders across Rwanda to solve social challenges in their local communities. Most recently, the organization was honoured by H.E Jeannette Kagame, First Lady of Rwanda through the ‘Celebrating Young Rwandan Achievers (CYRWA)’ award.

With changing times, the organization has found it important to gain support from organizations like QECT to elevate its reach and expand its impact.

“AOG Rwanda was recently able to support 176 changemakers through the Ingenzi Social Enterprise Program. We did this in partnership with QECT and Unloc. We were also able to introduce a new collaborative consultancy service whereby eight social enterprises are contracted as collaborative consultancy clients”.

“One of the barriers we faced was reaching people living in rural areas of the country who had little access compared to those who lived in the city. Through QECT’s support, we were able to deliver training online and allow young people of all locations/backgrounds to join the programs without barriers of any kind.” – Jean d’Amour Mutoni.

Stories on the Ground The inspiring impact of the organization’s work and partnerships is best seen in the everyday services of young Rwandans in their communities.

Nina Nyirampeta, who attended the QECT-funded Ingenzi Social Enterprise Program has employed more than 80 farmers and started making exports to Europe and Asia. She was celebrated on National Television in August 2021 due to her impact on the local community. Her idea was shared with her cohort in the training organized by AOG. Two days after the training, she took the information that she received and partnered with farmers in her hometown.

Another graduate of the program, Claudine Niyonzima, co-founder of SANTech, now makes E-Visitors machines that record and keep visitors’ information for client institutions. With this venture, Claudine and her co-founder have hired more than 10 people with families.

Beathe Siborurema, CEO and Founder of SIBO-Engineering is also another young leader who has pivoted her career because of the exposure and training she would have received from AOG. Beathe was the winner of AOG’s second FRW1 million ($1,000) Pitch Deck Competition and her social enterprise recycles waste products into decoration/construction products.

Future Focused Presently, Jean d’Amour Mutoni is pursuing a Ph.D. at the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium, and even with his studies, his focus on the expansion of AOG’s impact is one of his main priorities.

“AOG’s future lies in the creation of a network of practicing social entrepreneurs who are creating impact in their communities. We are looking forward to contributing to at least 1% of the country’s employment by 2030. On our way to that goal, we will continue to support and inspire young leaders to use the talents they have within themselves to solve key social challenges in their communities. After all, they are the change the world needs to be a better place. We are the change the world needs to be a better place,” – Jean d’Amour Mutoni.

Learn more about Acts of Gratitude Rwanda on their website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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When Benjamin Rukwengye started his social enterprise, Boundless Minds Uganda, in 2017, he intended to equip young Ugandans with soft skills to transition from school to work. 

Born in Fort Portal, Kabarole District, Uganda, he knew all too well that soft skills training was overlooked when compared to technical skills qualifications in his country. He also knew that young persons are better positioned to achieve more when their soft skills complement their qualifications. 

The work of Boundless Minds Uganda has bridged that divide.

Over the last four years, the organization has trained approximately 3,500 young people for work, entrepreneurship, and community leadership. By extension, about 7,000 young people across schools and universities in Uganda have been indirectly impacted and over 50 mentors have been recently on-boarded to provide career guidance to young Ugandans.

Benjamin is not leading this work alone. 

As the Founder and CEO, he is supported by five employees and two volunteers who share his passion for quality education, youth development and economic growth. 

Benjamin and team have been able to build their organizational and management capacity and gain access to funders and partners with support from the Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust (QECT). 

“Our staff have attended trainings on Safeguarding, Procurement and Finance and Monitoring and Evaluation. This this is a crucial process towards building strong organizational systems that will see us achieve our vision. Through QECT we were also able to receive personal coaching using the BetterUp application and establish sustainable operations.”

Benjamin Rukwengye, founder, Boundless Minds

Within the last year, the partnership with QTC has allowed Boundless Minds Uganda to design, pilot and rollout a standardized soft-skilling toolkit to enhance the communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration for learners. This was piloted in over 30 schools, with over 2000 learners; and has also been rolled out to 5 community-based organizations across Uganda. 

The organization has also built a digital skilling platform – The Mentor – to scale its work-readiness skilling impact and provide resources and expert mentorship to students in higher institutions of learning. The Mentor currently has over 1000 users who access content, entry-level opportunities, mentors, and career development resources.

When Benjamin considers the growth and impact of Boundless Minds Uganda, he is most proud of the high school graduates who have completed trainings who are now leading in their communities.

“Most of the high school graduates who have passed through our programs and trainings have been able to start their businesses through our module called Ideation. Skills such as problem solving, creativity and communication have been essential in assisting them to start enterprises in agribusiness, brickett making, making of bracelets among others”.

Benjamin Rukwengye, founder, Boundless Minds

“We continue to receive testimonials of young people acquiring internships, volunteer placements, job opportunities and leadership positions which is an encouragement for my team and I to continue with the work that we do”

Benjamin Rukwengye, founder, Boundless Minds

Looking ahead, Boundless Minds Uganda will launch a Peer Mentors Hub to enhance the development of social entrepreneurship among students. The inaugural cohort will have 100 students from 10 universities/vocational schools, who will be trained and placed in different campuses to support their peers and accelerate their leadership, professional and career growth in the process. 

The organization also plans to partner with 30 small and medium enterprises to offer internship placements and enterprise development mentorship to its alumni.

As a way of giving back, Boundless Minds Uganda is partnering with community-based organizations to use its standardized soft-skilling toolkit as a guide for their work. This gesture will drive efforts towards the adoption of soft skills training in the education system in Uganda as the country does not have a soft skilling policy.

It’s been a journey from 2017 to now.

Benjamin’s recommendation to young leaders who are considering taking action on their ideas? 

“Pursue only that which you are passionate about. When you have a personal connection to your idea, you can overcome the different obstacles that come your way.”

Follow Boundless Minds Uganda on Facebook, Twitter or visit the website here

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