Dive Deeper into SE: Youth Policy presentation in Bulgaria

Sofia, Bulgaria: May, 2018

Belle and Co. Associate Phokeng Setai and Director Belisa Rodrigues, participated in the Dive Deeper Programme focused on Youth Policy and Social Entrepreneurship. Belle and Co. presented an overview of South African youth policy, and learnt about youth policy initiatives in 8 other countries (Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Costa Rica and Peru).

Training course focused on increasing the understanding of the participants on the importance of cooperation in youth sector and developing quality youth strategies, the participants developed their skills needed to prepare quality youth strategy, to network with various bodies representing youth, to effectively use manuals, guidelines on social entrepreneurship in youth field, to adjust tools, methods etc.

Belle and Co. participates in Creative Activism Workshop

Tshisimani Activist Centre, Mowbray, Cape Town: March 2018

We were exposed to various forms of creative and cultural activism, read case studies, had a guest speaker from SWEAT sharing live campaigns, and we formed teams to pitch our activist campaign to others.

Our project centered around “community safety and security” where we came up with an innovative idea on how to utilise public spaces (especially street corners) to claim back or occupy the streets into productive community spaces.

We called it “The Triangle Project”. See video here.

Dive Deeper into SE: Social Enterprise Legal Training in Romania

Iasi, Romania: March, 2018

Belle and Co. Associates, Sicelo Mbonani and Adelaide Cupido, represented South Africa at the Dive Deeper into Social Entrepreneurship Programme focused on Legal Forms for Social Enterprise. Belle and Co. presented a comprehensive overview of legal forms in South Africa.

“Deep gratitude for #divedeeper South African consortium project partner @Belle & Co . for generating this opportunity to share learning and connect with 9 countries, 3 Continents. Ready to come back and multiply the impact through the public sessions we discussed. Awesome connecting with Sicelo as well and looking forward to collaborating with the team on SAcan soil. #we shared #we learned #we played #we grew” – Adelaide Cupido, Belle and Co Associate.

 

Belle and Co.as Design-thinking Coach in Germany

Munich, Germany: March, 2018

The International Academic Programme for Entrepreneurship (APE) Bootcamp is run by the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE) at the Munich University of Applied Sciences. This Bootcamp is about doing, not about listening to lectures. This is why participants will spend most of their time working on a real-life business idea in
teams. In addition an experienced team of coaches and mentors will be present to guide the learners through the process.

Belle and co. has been invited to be one of the Coaches on the APE Bootcamp, mentoring 65 students from about 10 different countries. At the end of 10 days working through the Human-Centred Design Thinking Innovation Process, the teams are expected to pitch their prototype to a panel of judges.

View the APE Programme Info here: APE-Bootcamp-2018

Here are some of the method cards and tools used during the Bootcamp: Methodcards APE Bootcamp

Belle and Co. leads Design Thinking in Macedonia

Krusevo, Macedonia: January 2018

The training was focused predominantly on creative thinking skills as well as human-centred design processes. The co-facilitators was Omer Kaya (Creative Thinking, Turkey) and Belisa Rodrigues (Human-Centred Design, South Africa).

Dive_Deeper_Report-TC_I Macedonia

Mowbray Town Hall Talk I: Collaborative Entrepreneurship

Mowbray, Cape Town: October 2017

MOWBRAY TOWN HALL TALK SERIES

TOPIC: COLLABORATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

MONDAY 30 OCTOBER 2017

17.30 -19.30

The Mowbray Townhall Talk Series aims to create a vibrant community hub of sharing, learning and interacting.

This month’s session will see prominent business people from the Somali Association, Jewish and Muslim communities among others, sharing best practice on entrepreneurship. How do you use your cultural capital to build your business whilst building your community?

Join us if you are a curious local entrepreneur!

ENQUIRIES: belisa@belleandco.co.za

This event is run by the Cape Town Chapter of Junior Chamber Initiative in partnership with Cultural Entrepreneurship Hub Cape Town, Belle and Co, Ward 57, Old Mowbray Cottages, RMCA, GSCID, Mowbray Library and community members.

“Collaborative Entrepreneurship” from a multi-cultural perspective.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

*Siyabulela Sophi

Siyabulela Sophi is a visionary that overcame many obstacles to start a business that is a catalyst for change. Award winning Social Entrepreneur, originally from the Eastern Cape, Mr Sophi founded Makhaza Lifestyle Pty Ltd in 2013, a social enterprise specializing in project Mmnagement and clothing Mmnufacturing.

Sophi is one of the pioneers who founded the 1st Friday Conversations in Khayelitsha which aims to engage youth on a monthly basis on topics of interest to inspire, empower and encourage, among other things, youth entrepreneurship.

*Scott Roberts

Mr Roberts is the co-founder of Eden, a startup NGO which aims to increase young South African Entrepreneurs’ access to establish business networks by leveraging the Jewish Business community from within. He is past deputy Chairperson of the South African Union of Jewish Students UCT and has just retired from a long career in Habonim Dror, a progressive Jewish Youth Movement. He is passionate about finding new and inclusive avenues towards economic growth.

*Abdikadir Mohamed

Mr Mohamed, was born in Somalia, in a small town called Kismayo (a port city) and came to South Africa in 2002. He started operating small businesses in different townships across four provinces of South Africa. He joined the Somali Association of South Africa (SASA) in 2011 and held different positions, eventually becoming the Director of Western Cape. Most recently (2016), he was awarded a national award from the Department of Home Affairs in the field of Civil Society/NGO category called the “Mkhaya Migrants Award” which recognises outstanding achievements of foreigners toward the development of South Africa.

The SASA currently runs a programme called Business Skills Sharing Workshop where local business owners and potential entrepreneurs discuss issues related to business.

Somali Association of South Africa (SASA) and it is mission and vision are as follows:

Mission: promote the ethos of self-reliance and local integration.
Vision: Build unity among locals and refugees based on peace and tolerance.

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Thank you to those who came to support our first Mowbray Town Hall Talk series “Collaborative Entrepreneurship”. Insights garnered from the Somali and Jewish communities were invaluable and inspired some to start thinking about their own self reliance and resilience. Thank you to all our local and international supporters.

 

Dive into SE: Cape Town Social Enterprise Study Tour

Cape Town, South Africa: September, 2017

A 5-day intensive Job Shadow/Study Tour in Cape Town, South Africa, as part of the Erasmus + supported programme “Dive in Social Entrepreneurship” was arranged by Belle and Co.

Belle and Co hosted 2 of its partners (Turkey and Bulgaria) to meet local government, entrepreneurs and academics working in the social entrepreneurship space in Cape Town.

Visits included: Local Ward 57 Councillor; Observatory Community Improvement District; Mess Cafe Social Enterprise; Gangstar Gear Social Enterprise; Spinach King Social Enterprise; 18 Gangster Museum Social Enterprise; PASSOP Refugee NPO; Know Thy Farmer Social Enterprise; UWC Entrepreneurship Centre; visits with local entrepreneurs and students as well as exposure to a range of local heritage day (27 September) activities.

Read Report here: SE Job Shadow Report

 

Dive into SE: Romania Social Enterprise Job Shadow

Iasi, Romania: September, 2017

Belle and co. Associate, Mohlomi Motloung, participated in a job shadow / study tour of social enterprises in Iasi, Romania.

Main aim of job shadowing activities is to provide the participants an opportunity to learn from good practices directly in the place and have possibility to network with stakeholders coming from other country, brainstorm ideas for future development of their social enterprises. Project will include more shadowing activities. Each activity will take 5 days, excluding travel days, it means one working week. Participants of job shadowing will be selected by each organization reflecting the aims and goals of each organization, their future plans and needs, interests of the participants.

Read Report Here: SE Job Shadow Report

Dive into SE: Bulgaria Study Visit

Sofia, Bulgaria: June, 2017

Belle and Co. Associate Nthakoana Maema, participated in a tightly curated study visit of social enterprises in Sofia, Bulgaria as part of the Dive in Social Entrepreneurship Programme. The main objective of the tour was to analyse successful Social Enterprise Business Models. Visits included engaging with a range of Successful Social Enterprises, as well as Local Government Departments (Social and Labour Dept).

See Report Here: DiveIn_Report_Sofia