Social Enterprise Fellows Program Seeks Applicants

Good Morning Africa (GMA) is announcing the GMA Social Enterprise Fellows Program. The program seeks current graduate students in MBA, MPP, or PhD programs or recent graduates of these programs interested in spending 3-9 weeks this summer in Ghana to "learn first-hand what it takes for a venture to survive and thrive in one of the most challenging business environments on the planet!"

The program includes training on business in Africa, consulting experience, and completion of a market study or research proposal. The program is limited to 10 participants and costs vary, depending upon the length of stay.

According to the website, "Good Morning Africa (GMA) is the only US-based, non-profit organization that is solely dedicated to high-growth, social entrepreneurship in Africa. Our organization serves to grow and promote African business leaders who have an exceptional mind for business and a genuine passion for bettering their communities. We are headquartered in Washington, DC, and we have initiated test sites in Ghana, Rwanda, and South Africa."

There are 3 deadlines for applications (dependent upon your departure date): May 10, May 31, and June 24.

Zambezi Organic Forest Honey - Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week

Zambezi Organic Forest Honey (Oxford OH) was founded by two former Peace Corps volunteers who spent time in Zambia Africa. "The Lunda people of northwestern Zambia have wild-crafted honey from wild forest bees for over 500 years. Sustainable organic beekeeping is a way of life for the Lunda people, who use honey as food, to make mead, or as a natural medicine."

"The remote Miombo forests of Zambia have one of the highest densities of wild bee colonies in the world. Spanning more than 11,000 square miles, these pristine forests cradle the headwaters of the mighty Zambezi River. Untouched by modern civilization, this is one of the last remaining biologically diverse ecosystems in the world. By helping Zambian farmers access new markets for their organic honey, we help them to value and preserve their vital forest ecosystem" by generating a viable income from a forest resource other than deforestation.

Zambian beekeepers who register with the company cooperative gain access to free training on sustainable beekeeping, agriculture, and forestry practices; free education for literacy, mathematics, and small-business skills; free beekeeping supplies; and farmers are under no obligation to sell solely to the company, fostering further economic growth of the region. They pay, on average, 40% above market prices for the organic honey and their collective currently has 5000 registered beekeepers. In addition, "Zambezi Honey donates a portion of profits back to Zambia for projects such as malaria prevention, HIV/AIDS education, school scholarships, and rural-income generation grants."

When you purchase Zambezi Organic Forest Honey, you "can have an impact on environmental health and on farmers who live and work halfway around the world."

Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week: If they can do it, so can you!

EDUN - Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week

"EDUN is a socially conscious company launched by Ali Hewson and Bono with New York clothing designer Rogan Gregory. Our mission is to create beautiful clothing while fostering sustainable employment in developing areas of the world. EDUN is at the forefront of ethical fashion and organic clothing."

"In an effort to create a truly sustainable global community, EDUN has established the Conservation Cotton Initiative (CCI). The Initiative will work towards improving the livelihoods of communities in Africa by promoting greater investment in sustainable and ethical production of conservation-friendly agricultural products. CCI will focus in particular on cotton grown organically or through methods that are part of a transition from conventional to organic production. Another focus of CCI is to incorporate sustainable conservation agricultural practices and the protection of wildlife. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) currently works on sustainable conservation farming with farmers in Madagascar, Uganda and Zambia."

In addition to the EDUN retail collection, "edun LIVE is a B2B solution for anyone who wants ethically produced t-shirt blanks. Launched by Ali Hewson and Bono, our mission is to drive sustainable employment in sub-Saharan Africa through high-volume sales of blank t-shirts." As part of edun LIVE, they have created edun LIVE on campus, a partnership with Miami University of Ohio, to sell t-shirt blanks to campus organizations with the goal to eventually expand to additional campuses.

EDUN and edun LIVE products are currently produced in India, Peru, Tunisia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius and Madagascar. They work with Verite for third-party monitoring and reporting of socially responsible business practices.