Björn: Thanks for having me, Spiffy! Nepal is one of the world’s most disaster prone countries. Yet 2.7 million people are still living in unsafe houses. Most new homes are built using fired bricks, which emit a huge amount of CO2 emissions and air pollution, harming our planet. Build up Nepal is addressing this by supporting local entrepreneurs to make eco-friendly bricks and build safe, affordable houses. Our ‘ECO2Bricks’ are greener, cheaper, and safer than fired bricks.
Emma: Thanks for having me, Spiffy! With no state systems to support childcare below four in Kenya, the institutional vacuum is filled by the unregulated, substandard informal market. The absence of formal institutions, coupled with the fragmented, informal market, means that learning through play solutions lack a channel of access to the children who most need them. Tiny Totos, a Kenyan social enterprise, has built a social franchise solution to give children everywhere, access to learning through play. Our programme, helps informal babysitters become motivated childcare entrepreneurs, providing quality care. We create a network of community caregivers, who promote adoption of best childcare practices, thus creating a ripple effect of behaviour change across the community.
Amanda: Thanks for having me, Spiffy! Shawish Market is a virtual Indigenous marketplace where Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs can create their own shop and upload their own unique items. Unlike other marketplaces, Shawish does not charge monthly or transaction fees, making it affordable for Indigenous communities, especially those who have faced so many barriers such as loss of land, loss of identity, discrimination, and colonization. Also, at Shawish we aim to address the issue of cultural appropriation, as many companies profit from Indigenous-inspired work, often at the expense of local artists. To tackle this problem, Shawish verifies each vendor, ensuring that every purchase made through our website directly benefits Indigenous communities.
