Aqeel Khalid always empathised with many talented men and women artisans in Pakistan that get exploited in the trading of their craft. This inspired him to start Vceela, a social enterprise that works to empower artisans across Pakistan by connecting the digitally illiterate and unconnected artisans directly to the local and international markets thus cutting out middlemen and enabling artisans to extract higher profits from their products. This is achieved through technology supported by Vceela’s ecosystem. 

Vceela currently works with more than 50,000 artisans from 344 villages and cities across Pakistan with 81% of Vceela’s artisans being homebased women artisans that are now able to profitably sell their artisanal products worldwide. 

With QECT’s support, Vceela will build, test, and launch Vceela’s innovative micro-incubation model. Through this model, Vceela will connect artists and designers to work together to create new, unique and export quality products. 

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An engineer by training, Daniel Teoh observed how poorly other Malaysians understood the Orang Asli communities that lived amongst them. He also observed the Orang Asli have their way of life unjustly disrupted by policies that prioritise economic gains from their ancestral land. To remedy this, Daniel wanted to build channels for the Orang Asli to meaningfully participate in the economy as the dignified contributors they have always been while creating opportunities for the Orang Asli to shape the narrative of their own people. On the flip side, he also wished to instill a sense of allyship between non-indigenous Malaysians to support the inclusion of their fellow indigenous citizens. 

To achieve this, Native co-creates community-based businesses that include community-based tourism and agricultural ventures. Native works with four indigenous Orang Asli communities in the outskirts of Selangor, Malaysia who were relocated from their ancestral lands but continue to nurture their relationship with their culture. 

Since inception in 2019, Native has supported the Orang Asli community to improve their annual incomes by up to 20% with over $25,000 being re-distributed into co-creating community-based businesses in their villages. They have so far hosted 1000+ guests on tours led by Orang Asli partners and exposed thousands more people to positive narratives around Orang Asli culture through media and a growing range of products. Native currently works with two groups on community-based tourism (Kampung Serendah and Kampung Gurney) and one agricultural venture (Biji Bumi Durian) that packages and sells locally produced durian fruits. 

With QECT’s support, Native will increase the number indigenous communities they work with. They will also build more community-based ventures to enhance the livelihoods of communities they are currently collaborating with.

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Safaath Ahmed decided to work for the betterment of her country. She founded Women and Democracy (W&D) to advocate for women in the Maldives, give them a voice and protect them.

“My dream is to empower Maldivian women and girls to reach to their fullest potential.“

Safaath Ahmed

W&D helps women in the Maldives who experience gender-based violence. The organisation provides gender-based violence interventions,  as well as safety and well-being services, such as health, psychosocial and legal support. 

In addition, W&D works towards women’s economic and political participation for good democratic governance in the Maldives.

W&D 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, W&D has been able to: 

Offer psychosocial support to 155 women victims of violence.

Provide pro-bono legal advice and representation to 126 women and girls who experienced violence.

Expanded its helpline operations, increasing the number of women supported.

Strengthened systems and processes – with improvements to business planning, financial management, governance and risk management. 

“With QECT’s support we assist over 300+ women and girls annually, who are experiencing all forms of violence and in such unfortunate circumstances (through our established helpline). We provide free and confidential information, advice, advocacy and support for women and girls affected by any form of gendered violence and abuse. Due to this we are able to make a lasting impact in their lives, as we provide survivors with lifesaving services such access to psychosocial services, legal aid, and safe spaces in Maldives (in partnership with the QECT)”. ​

Safaath Ahmed Zahir

Future work supported by QECT in 2023: 

Establish a “One-stop Centre” for helping women experiencing violence to offer a more responsive alternative to that offered by the current government referral system. 

Click below to watch W&D’s video

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*Study by UK’s National Literacy Trust, 2020

Michael Omoniyi, a journalist by profession, founded the Common Sense Network to respond to media polarisation and manipulation and the existence of different echo chambers among young people. 

“Young people live in an increasingly digital world and our workshops empower them to navigate it safely and to contribute positively online.”

Michael Omoniyi

The Common Sense Network empowers and educates 18-34 year olds in the UK to become better digital citizens. They conduct workshops, online training, university tours and tackle topics such as fake news, emotional manipulation and polarisation. Young people also have access to the Common Sense Network’s extensive online editorial and news content. 

The Common Sense 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 The Common Sense Network has been able to:

To launch their “Be Digital Citizens” programme, which trained over 200 young people in digital skills in 3 schools. 

70% of the people trained have indicated that they developed new skills as a result of the workshop

Hire an operations executive to support the development and delivery of workshops and  engagement with schools.

“QECT’s support has really helped me feel more confident about approaching more organisations about the work we do. It makes me feel like I’m doing important work and other organisations can follow in the footsteps of QECT in helping us reach more young people.”​

Michael Omoniyi

Future work supported by QECT in 2023: 

CSN’s goal is to reach more young people and to train other young people to deliver their own workshops (train the trainer model).

Click below to watch CSN’s video.

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Founded in 2016, WISE is a non-profit organisation that supports and works with women and girls from the Lake Victoria region in Kenya to lead sustainable enterprises.

The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust has been a funder and partner for the past two years. Through flexible funding, the organisation has received technical support in developing internal policies and projects. QECT’s support has also allowed WISE to gain credibility in serving women and girls through internal systems, including a safeguarding policy, and a financial and monitoring and evaluation framework. These systems have helped the organisation to run effectively.

“Ensuring that we have internal systems in place to run our programs efficiently is a rare support to find”, Caroline Odera, Founder and Executive Director, WISE.

This support from QECT extends beyond training the team at WISE.

Caroline and the team were able to rent a formal office space (WiseHub) that provides a location and platform for training and workshops for women and girls. Adolescent girls continue to use the WiseHub space for learning different skills including computer and leadership skills to become better problem solvers in their communities.

The QECT and WISE partnership has also established 50 conical gardens feeding approximately 300 people. Out of the 50 gardens, 20% of women are now selling food and produce in their communities.

These conical gardens have specifically helped the women wetland farmers. Wetland farmers are often affected by the rising of lake water and the hippos that damage their crops and vegetables. With conical gardening, which is an innovative technology, these women can farm away from the wetlands (their backyards) and grow as many vegetables for food security and sale for revenue generation.

Recently, WISE has trained 30 women entrepreneurs in Kisumu, Kenya who are running ecotourism enterprises, enabling them to digitize their products and services through one-stop online shopping. The women entrepreneurs are continuing to learn how to identify a sustainable enterprise and run it successfully from ideation, to identifying and finding customers, financial management, and pitching for their businesses.

Over 1000 women have been helped over the past 5 years.

This empowerment of women is what Caroline is most proud of when she reflects on the impact of the organisation.

Caroline started the organisation to help women like her mum who lacked capacity and knowledge in entrepreneurship and sustainability and remains humbled that a simple mission has changed many lives.

“I grew up in a single room house using traditional energy sources and watching my mum depend on her fish mongering business to support our family. I realised most women heavily depended on fish mongering as the only livelihood source amidst the diminishing fish stock levels in Lake Victoria.”

“WISE was started to provide women with alternative, sustainable enterprises to lead, expand and grow. Examples of these enterprises included green energy technology businesses, ecotourism and agribusiness, coupled with other cross-cutting interventions, including Information and communication technology for women development, and leadership development,” Caroline Odera.

WISE is on a deliberate mission to increase the number of women in these enterprises through training and innovations by 2030. This mission is complemented by the organisation’s vision to enable women and girls to build, lead, and win without limitations.

“We desire to reach out to more women and girls in the Lake basin region through setting up WiseHub in various counties. With the strong partnership of QECT we are well on our way to doing so,” Caroline Odera.

To support organisations like WISE to help empower women and girls like those in the rural areas of the Lake Victoria region in Kenya, click here.

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Kisoboka Africa uses a unique ‘School Community Bank’ approach to mobilise parents, teachers, and especially local women to form school-based saving groups that together, aim to save between £0.50 and £2.00 each week. Every member who saves is able to borrow up to 3 times the amount they have personally saved at an interest rate of between 5- 10% – compared to the 22-25% rates typically offered by national banks. Kisoboka Africa also provides an entrepreneurship programme, complete with 9 months of follow-up support and advice. Additionally, local students are encouraged to save through Kisoboka’s ‘Young Savers Project’, which teaches club members valuable business, leadership and entrepreneurial skills – all of which have led to new youth-led enterprises, including a school canteen and a local knitting project.

To date, enrolled parents have saved more than £20,000 and many have borrowed to start over 40 businesses including agricultural projects, art and craft and retail shops, which are helping them to generate income and improve their standard of living. 1,500 children in Lwengo and Lyantonde districts have either enrolled or stayed in school as a direct impact of Kisoboka Africa’s activities.

Supported by QECT, Stephen plans to scale the School Community Bank programme to reach a further 1,000 individuals through 33 new school community banks projects. QECT will also work with Kisoboka Africa to provide advice and guidance on organisational areas including safeguarding and financial management.

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