Our stories - solutions through action . . .
 . . .  " be  a  lamp, A BRIDGE, a  lifeboat,  or  a  ladder

Working Poverty . . .

.  .  .  and quality of employment. In 2016

• Working poverty rates among youth in Sub-Saharan Africa was nearly 70 per cent, translating to 64.4 million working youth in that region living in extreme or moderate poverty (less than $3.10 per day).
• Almost one in every four working youth in the North African region was estimated to be living in extreme or moderate poverty

IDPs, Refugees . . .

. . . leave because of conflict and violence but stay within their countries, refugees do the same but cross international borders

• 33,972 people a day forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution
• 65.3 Million people forcibly displaced people worldwide
• 21.3 Million refugees
• 10 Million stateless people
• 107,100 refugees resettled in 2015

 

The Disabled . .  .

• 1 in 6 of us will be affected by disability at some point in our lives. For many of us, it will be the hardest thing we ever have to face.
• 8 out of 10 people with a disability weren’t born with it. The vast majority become disabled through an injury, accident, heart attack, stroke or conditions like MS and motor neurone disease.

Worldwide

• There are 1 billion disabled people worldwide. That's 15% of the world’s population.
• 80% of people with disabilities live in developing countries.
• Over 400 million people with disabilities live below the poverty line.
• Roughly one in three of the children around the world who do not have access to primary education have a disability.
• 90% of children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school.
• Health and rehabilitation services are unaffordable for over 50% of people with disabilities in developing countries.

In the UK

• Disabled people are far less likely to be employed than non-disabled people. Fewer than 50% of working-age disabled people are in work, compared to 75% of non-disabled people.
• Disabled people’s day to day living costs are 25% higher than those of non-disabled people.
• Disabled people are around three times as likely not to hold any qualifications compared to non-disabled people.
• A third of disabled people have never used the internet, compared to just 8% of non-disabled people – a ‘digital divide’ of 25%.
• Disabled people are significantly more likely to be victims of crime than non-disabled people.
• One in three households with a disabled person still live in ‘non-decent accommodation’.

The Marginalized, Disadvantaged - Informal Sector, Rural communities, Informal Settlements/Slums

As the world continues to urbanize and globalize at the most rapid pace in modern history, the global population of slum dwellers also continues to grow tremendously. UNHABITAT estimates that there are currently around one billion people living in slums, largely in developing countries. In fact, nearly one-third of all city-dwellers in developing countries live in poor-quality housing settlements known as slums.

Urban slums are the world’s fastest-growing human habitat . . .  accurate statistics on the demographics of slum areas are nearly impossible to come by.

IPreneur . . .

Through our platforms and processes, IPA is creating opportunities for our Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and their communities to build themselves up and out of hardship . . .


Patrick is a young leader who is nurturing his social entrepreneurship dreams at the Uwezo Project. Uwezo is a new IP initiative  that is supporting the dreams of young people living with disabilities through skills training, support and mentorship. According to WHO, approximately 15% of world’s population are living with disabilities and more than 80% are in the developing world. Disability is a growing global crisis that needs urgent action today. 

Farai uses new media tools to promote the entrepreneurial endeavours of other young Africans in fashion, entertainment, the performing arts and music, while looking at social needs that must be met in their respective communities.

Carl runs a start-up farm that uses its profits to set up a revolving fund to help other youth start profitable agricultural ventures before they can access additional growth capital from financial institutions. 

Charles is conserving forests and water catchment areas by recycling waste plastic into aesthetic, durable and environmentally-friendly fencing posts.

Mpodumo makes academic resources affordable and accessible to more students by helping them sell their old textbooks - putting cash back into their pockets - and then reselling these used textbooks to other students who can't afford expensive new textbooks,

Fatuma runs a beauty salon that not only provides her with much needed income and sustains her livelihood but she has also managed to pull several other young women from the poverty cycle by providing them with training, jobs and incomes, and consequently giving them a platform to access education, to rise above gender based violence and increase their chances of effectively addressing HIV/AIDS.


The Invictus Prize gives many Community Innovators like Patrick, Farai, Carl, Charles, Mpodumo and Fatuma an invaluable opportunity to grow personally and professionally; a rare, sometimes once-in-a-lifetime chance to enhance their skills and access tools and resources that allow them to grow their social enterprises and impact even more people in big positive ways. The Invictus Prize is a platform where these motivating stories are shared with millions of people across Africa and beyond so they too can be moved and inspired to follow and leave behind their own social entrepreneurship footprints.

Talk to us to find out more about IPA Outreach and Mentorship Programmes and also how you can bring many more outstanding community innovators and social entrepreneurs closer to their dream. 


Would you be interested in . . .

Mentoring an IPreneur so that they too can shine a light for someone else. You may just be 1 person to the world but your 1 will mean the world to a Mentee. So why not Be A Lamp, A Lifeboat, A Bridge or A Ladder?

Join Us on this global Mentorship movement that encourages you as a positive change maker to be a bridge, a ladder, a lamp or a lifeboat for an outstanding IPA social entrepreneur (IPreneur) so that they too be can be a ladder, a lamp or a lifeboat for others who in turn will shine their light for many many more - and thus the cycle goes on and on and on. By choosing to be a positive influence (a ladder, a lamp, a bridge or a lifeboat) you help a Mentee to engage in a process - the Invictus Prize - that will empower them with skills, tools and resources to positively impact their local and global communities in BIG POSITIVE ways - fighting the poverty cycle, creating employment, protecting the environment, improving health, promoting education, enhancing livelihoods and ultimately building a better world!

Talk to Us to explore and learn so much more . Invest in the Future by Supporting Africa's Rising . . .