Liberia’s unemployment and poverty rates both hover around 80 percent. Women are excluded from the most productive sectors of the economy, including rubber and timber production. Although the country boasts abundant natural resources, a geographically strategic port, and a progressive government, the lack of investment capital and technical assistance has kept Liberia – and specifically its women – locked in poverty.

More than 50% of people living in Sub-Saharan Africa live on less than USD$1.25 per day. Liberty & Justice sees this level of poverty as the root from which a whole host of devastating social problems spring, including: malnutrition, low life expectancy, high infant mortality, high unemployment, inadequate education, lack of infrastructure, and  instability.

A small group of grassroots Liberian women decided to take an economic stand. While many of their neighbors sell garments locally, these women partnered with Liberty & Justice to launch Africa’s first Fair Trade Certified apparel factory, and subsequently go global.

Liberty & Justice was established to transform supply chains from worker exploitation and environmental degradation towards partnership and sustainability. They accomplish this by:

• Providing formal fair-wage jobs, particularly jobs for women and at-risk populations in Africa
• Innovating in the fields of organizational and workforce development in order to empower stakeholders to transform themselves into agents of change within the organization and the world at large.
• Employing proven methods that reduce or eliminate environmental and other waste from the manufacturing processes.

The Liberian Women’s Sewing Project is Africa’s first Fair Trade Certified™ apparel factory. Founded in 2010, LWSP is a worker-owned corporation with 49% of the company’s shares owned by its workforce of Liberian women.

In 2012, Liberty & Justice (Ghana), Ltd. took over operations of Premier Quality, Ltd. in Tema’s Freezone and established the Ghanaian Women’s Sewing Project. Established in 2007, Premier was one of Ghana’s leading apparel exporters. GWSP follows the Fair Trade Certified and worker-ownership model established by LWSP.

The vast majority of direct investment dollars go to extractive industries that often do more to perpetuate the cycle of poverty than relieve it. Other attractive industries for investment, such as telecom and financial services, will indeed provide jobs in Africa, however most people living at the Base of the Pyramid do not have the skills and education to partake in these sectors of the economy.

Liberty & Justice is working to address the market failure created by traditional Foreign Direct Investment in Africa by building business that:

1. Provide formal job opportunities to those without access to traditional education and training.
2. Advance the cause of environmentally and socially responsible business on the African continent.

L&J factories are partially worker-owned through local Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and the company invests a portion of profits in local community development projects.

This December The Eleos Foundation invites you to attend the fourth event in the series
The Frontier of Impact Investing.

The event will feature Chid Liberty, co-founder of Liberty & Justice Africa’s first Fair Trade Certified apparel factory, which was established to transform supply chains from worker exploitation and environmental degradation towards partnership and sustainability.

Liberty & Justice is working to address the market failure created by traditional Foreign Direct Investment in Africa. Founded in 2010, Liberian Women’s Sewing Project is a worker-owned corporation with (49%) of the company’s shares owned by its workforce of women. LWSP is innovating in the fields of organizational and workforce development in order to empower stakeholders to transform themselves into agents of change within the organization and the world at large.

Profits are pledged to the Liberty & Justice Foundation – a nonprofit organization with programs in economic empowerment, education, and healthcare.

San Francisco Event:
When: Wed. December 5, 2012 at 2:00pm
Where: Arnold & Porter, 8th floor,
3 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA 94111

Santa Barbara Event:
When: Friday December 7, 2012 at 3:00pm
Where: Santa Barbara Foundation, 1111
Chapala Street #200, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

The one-hour event will conclude with a Q&A session followed by a light reception.

To RSVP please email The Eleos Foundation at events@theeleosfoundation.com.

There are 250 million Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) children in India who still lack quality education, and who can’t even dream of studying in good public schools. Increasing access to better education will result in higher literacy rates, enabling individuals to find better jobs and have a higher standard of living.

Sudiksha has been working closely with community members and other opinion leaders in order to increase access to quality education for BoP children. Indian schools need to have active participation with the community, largely through strong interface between parents and mentors. Sudiksha is working towards creating marketable products and developing a niche to provide educational system solutions.

Founded in 2010 by Mr. Naveen Kumar and Ms. Nimisha Mittal, Sudiksha Knowledge Solutions uses a unique and innovative approach to education, by finding practical solutions to improve the overall quality of educational standards.  They achieve this by maintaining low cost Indian schools at the urban and rural levels.

Sudiksha pre-schools are established in an active partnership with the local community, and are anchored by women entrepreneurs. These women have taken up the challenge of running and administering the schools with the guidance and support of Sudiksha. Sudiksha works with the entrepreneurs to customize a curriculum for each center, to help the children better relate with the learning environment; additionally experts from Sudiksha help train teachers at each of the schools.

In collaboration with the women entrepreneurs, Sudiksha promotes child centric approaches towards teaching and learning; their schools promote the concept of ‘learning by doing’ and works on the premise that learning is not confined within the four walls of the class room.  In their view, the role of education is not restricted to academic excellence alone.  They believe that education has a much broader role of ensuring the overall development of a child’s personality.

To date Sudiksha has made a difference in the lives of close to 1500 low-income group families. The children of these families are receiving a high standard, modern day education at a very affordable cost.  They have improved the lives of many children by improving their way of thinking and mindset, which is done by providing them an opportunity to learn.

A number of Sudiksha schools are set up in slums areas where the standards of living for people are very low. The parents of children these schools cater to often live hand-to-mouth and work predominantly as auto drivers, daily wage laborers, carpenters, tailors, domestic helps, gardeners, and sweepers.  By building these schools Sudiksha has created opportunities for women who work in the schools as mentors, teachers and care-takers.  Around 60 women have now become earning members of their family and are able to support their family financially.

To learn more listen to audio interview between Naveen Kumar and Robin Eschler.

Socially Conscious Investing online radio now on iTunes hosted by Social Impact Marketing.

This November The Eleos Foundation invites you to attend the third event in the series The Frontier of Impact Investing.

The event will feature Sudiksha Knowledge Solutions CEO Naveen Kumar as he discusses the   vision, impact and the direction of his India based chain of high quality, affordable preschools.

San Francisco Event:
When: Wed. November 7, 2012 at 2:00pm
Where: Arnold & Porter, 8th floor
3 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA 94111

Santa Barbara Event:
When: Thursday November 8, 2012 at 3:00pm
Where: The Eleos Foundation
801 Ladera Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93108

Los Angeles Event:
When: Friday November 9, 2012 at 12:30pm
Where: Limited space, please inquire.
events@theeleosfoundation.com

The one-­hour events will conclude with a Q&A session followed by a light reception.

The Eleos Foundation invites you to attend the first in a series of events discussing the Frontier of Impact Investing.

On September 5th and 6th, join us to learn how Digital Divide Data (DDD) creates jobs and better futures for disadvantaged youth in Cambodia, Laos and Kenya. The event will feature co-founder and CEO Jeremy Hockenstein as he discusses the challenges and successes of launching their newest endeavor in Kenya.

The one-hour event will conclude with a Q&A session, followed by a light reception.

San Francisco Event:
When: Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012 at 2:00
Where: Arnold & Porter, 8th floor
3 Embarcadero Center San Francisco, CA 94111

Sponsored by:
Sonen Capital: Social & Environmental Impact Investment Management and Arnold & Porter LLP

Santa Barbara Event:
When: Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012 at 3:00
Where: The Santa Barbara Foundation
1111 Chapala St., Suite 200 Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Sponsored by:
The Santa Barbara Foundation: Making Philanthropy Work for Everyone

We hope to see you there!

http://www.fa-mag.com/pw-mag/impact-investing/11836-making-impact-investing-easier-for-advisors-and-their-clients.html

To find out more about Sonen Capital visit their website at http://sonencapital.com.

Sanergy is a social enterprise focused on making sanitation accessible, affordable and hygienic in Africa slums. Their work is being piloted in informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. Watch and learn how this exciting project works and how it is positively impacting communities.

To learn more about Sanergy visit http://saner.gy/.

The Eleos Foundation invest in and partner with social entrepreneurs who effectively implement high impact, early stage, pioneering market based solutions in the fight to eradicate extreme poverty. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs both financially and by working alongside them throughout the process as they grow to scale.

To learn more about The Eleos Foundation visit www.theeleosfoundation.com.

Penda Health

Penda Health is a social enterprise that is seeking to revolutionize healthcare in Kenya by building a chain of high quality outpatient clinics that specialize in preventative and women’s healthcare and are affordable for Kenyan middle and low-income families.  The staff at Penda Health are dedicated to creating a safe, comfortable and clean experience for their patients. Watch to see the launch of their pilot clinic to further understand the true impact this project will have in their communities.

Digital Divide Data Kenya recruits motivated youth who are living in the slums of Nairobi and provides them with employment and university scholarships.  Youth split their days between providing BPO services to clients globally and completing their education.  By graduation they will not only have a degree but will be highly skilled and go on to hold positions that earn them more than four times the average regional wage.  Watch this video to understand the true social impact that Digital Divide Data provides.

Sanergy is a social enterprise focused on making sanitation accessible, affordable and hygienic in Africa slums.  Their work is being piloted in informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya.  Watch and learn how this exciting project works and how it is positively impacting communities.

The Eleos Foundation has identified an important need for very early-stage funding of social enterprises. The Eleos Foundation is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs both financially and by working alongside them throughout the process as they grow to scale.

For more information about The Eleos Foundation visit www.theeleosfoundation.com.

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The Eleos Foundation
801 Ladera Lane
Santa Barbara, CA
93108
(805)565-1042

Andy Lower interviews CEO and Founder of ZanaAfrica (ZanaA), Megan White Mukuria, a social enterprise helping to create eco-friendly and affordable sanitary pads. Megan discusses both the implications of not having access to affordable sanitary pads and the potential impact of ZanaA in Kenya — both from a micro and macro perspective. Having worked with over 2,000 girls already, Megan provides input on lessons learned for ZanaA and insights into empowerment of 110 girls on a weekly basis via health provision and education.

Copia’s mission is to improve the quality of life of people in rural villages transforming them into empowered global consumers. Crispin Murira, CEO of Copia Kenya, gives an overview of how they make a wide range of consumer goods accessible to consumers in rural areas. Crispin discusses the business model and means of distribution, the larger social impact, and the pilot program.

Andy Lower, Executive Director of The Eleos Foundation, talks about what drove him towards impact investing in his fight to eradicate extreme poverty. He discusses the flaws in traditional aid models arguing that they do not ask the important question, “What can we do to empower you to walk into your power and be all that you can be?” He explains how Eleos works with all stakeholders with humility & respect for their abilities to create change.

The Eleos Foundation catalyzes capital in the fight to eradicate extreme poverty with compassion and effectiveness.
www.theeleosfoundation.com

Andy Lower, Executive Director of The Eleos Foundation and CEO of the Eleos Investment Management LLC, talks about investing and working alongside all stakeholders with humility and respect for their abilities to create change. Andy explains how Eleos invests in early stage social entrepreneurs who pioneer high impact, market based solutions that eradicate extreme poverty. He discusses impact Investing and the work of Eleos in cultivating a learning community that patiently and effectively utilizes capital to achieve paradigm shifting impact.

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The Eleos Foundation catalyzes capital in the fight to eradicate extreme poverty with compassion and effectiveness.
www.theeleosfoundation.com

Andy Lower, Executive Director of the Eleos Foundation, discusses the Eleos mission to catalyze capital in the fight to eradicate extreme poverty through opening pipelines of capital that flow from investors to entrepreneurs in developing countries. He discusses the benefits of providing impact investments as opposed to giving traditional grants and how impact investing through combining the philanthropic heart and investor head provides capital that creates a longterm, sustainable difference.

Robin Eschler of Women’s Radio and Socially Conscious Investing interviews Chid Liberty, co-founder of Liberty & Justice, the first Fair Trade apparel factory in Africa. Listen to hear Chid share thoughts on the impact social entrepreneurship has made on Western Africa’s economy.

To hear more interviews on Socially Conscious Investing visit http://www.womensradio.com/author/robin/.

Tom Bird, Founder and President of Farm Capital Services, speaks to his involvement in a pair of activities within social impact and financial returns exclusively, as well as blended value. He reviews the allocation of, and how he envisions potential in, financial and intellectual capital. Finally, Tom shares lessons learned so you might decide for yourself whether ‘leap before you look’ should be your motto.

Andy Lower, Executive Director of The Eleos Foundation and CEO of Eleos Investment Management LLC, discusses the challenges of early stage impact investing. By connecting with Advocates for International Development (A4ID.org), Eleos was able to access pro-bono lawyers enabling it to be affordable to make their own investments and create special purpose investment vehicles. Eleos invests in early stage social entrepreneurs pioneering high impact, market based solutions that eradicate extreme poverty.

A4ID is a global charity that believes the law can, and should, be used more effectively to eradicate global poverty.
http://a4id.org/

The Eleos Foundation catalyzes capital in the fight to eradicate extreme poverty with compassion and effectiveness.
www.theeleosfoundation.com

The Eleos Foundation held a summer event presenting the team’s experiences providing early-stage impact investments in social enterprises in Kenya. Executive Director, Andy Lower,  explains the Foundation’s unique model of coming in very early stage and working alongside social entrepreneurs to get them to scale. The presentation includes three short videos highlighting the work, the challenges, and the social impact of three social enterprises in Kenya.

Dambisa Moyo makes a call for more African Ambassadors

Liberty & Justice is one of The Eleos Foundation’s investment partners. CEO, Chid Liberty has established an up-and-coming franchise clothing factory called the Liberian Women’s Sewing Project providing jobs, health and education to the women of Liberia. To find out more go to www.MadeinLiberia.org

Dambisa Moyo is an international economist who comments on the macroeconomy and global affairs. She is the author of the New York Times Bestseller Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working.

For more information on our educational events and catalytic opportunities to invest in market based solutions in the developing world please contact us at www.theeleosfoundation.com

The Eleos Foundation hosted Dambisa Moyo, an international economist who comments on macroeconomic issues and global affairs. She is the author of the New York Times Bestseller, Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa.

Dr. Moyo argues that aid to Africa only perpetuates corrupt and ineffective political systems and does nothing to address the economic problems. While over one trillion dollars of aid has been awarded to Africa, the quality of life has not improved or declined. As pointed out in Paul Collier’s book, The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It, corrupt officials are winning the struggle in Africa. Dr. Moyo believes that government officials are being rewarded for not doing anything. The more poverty, disease, and political instability in a country, the more international money they receive.

For more information on The Eleos Foundation’s educational events and catalytic opportunities to invest in market based solutions in the developing world please contact us at www.theeleosfoundation.com.