Social Entrepreneurship

Small Business Survival in the Midst of Covid-19 in Lesotho

Lesotho, like other low-income countries around the world, has been hit the hardest economically by the novel Covid-19 pandemic. The consequences of policies like the “hard lockdown”- imposed to contain the virus by flattening the curve and off-loading pressure on hospitals, have had far-reaching economic ramifications beyond just the social isolation.

For poorer countries whose economies are highly reliant on small businesses, hard lockdowns mean the closure of all non-essential businesses, and the unintended consequences of this measure have put huge pressure on an already struggling economy and have exacerbated the high poverty and unemployment rates.

The challenges in the construction industry include an increase in the prices of building materials as well as lack of availability of the required materials due to border closures. In Lesotho, most products and especially building materials are imported from South Africa. According to the Assessment of the Socio-Economic Impact of Covid-19 on the Kingdom of Lesotho by UNDP, the pandemic is expected to induce price increases of merchandise due to disruptions to business operations because of limited stock and the non-availability of alternative supply sources.

More challenges faced by businesses of all sectors and sizes can be heard in the discussion from our recent Webinar on The Impact of Covid19 on the Built Environment, between Geoffrey Green from MAPEI South Africa, Sue Zenha from Neill Powell Neill Architects, and Mokhethi Rampeta from Lerotholi Polytechnic in Lesotho. 

With an unemployment rate of almost 30% before the pandemic, the true economic cost of the unintended consequences of a hard lockdown on the relatively small economy of Lesotho is yet to be assessed. However, what is more important now is what the government and civil society organizations are going to do to mitigate the damage caused to the economy by the lockdown.

Survival strategies for small businesses

According to the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics Business Register (2014), MSMEs account for 76 per cent of the private sector economic activities largely in the informal sector. Self-employment is also a dominant form of employment in MSMEs and the informal economy. MSMEs provide jobs to 118,130 Basotho of whom 59 per cent are women and 83 per cent are self-employed owners.

However, most small businesses have been affected by lockdowns imposed by Covid-19, resulting in many closing down, while some have had to take cost-cutting measures such as lay-offs in order to survive.

While it is nearly impossible to plan for events such as a global pandemic, it is important for small business owners to be more aware of their surroundings, unique skills and their differentiating offering. Small business owners should rather be encouraged to explore partnerships, technology, and other resources that allow them to pivot and reinvent themselves in order to remain relevant in a world that has changed overnight.

It may be difficult to explore new opportunities while trying to do damage control from losing employees, customers, and revenue, but here are 3 tips on how to do just that:

  1. Where possible small business owners can opt for technology to provide services. Social media and other online platforms have made it easier to reach out to customers. For regular and loyal customers, entrepreneurs just have to reach out to them in order to maintain their relationship and remain top of their customers’ mind in order to keep the orders coming in. For new customers, a low-cost social media marketing strategy can be very effective.
  2. Entrepreneurs may have to work around the clock in order to keep their customers’ trust, and still maintain social distancing. Working in shifts will help keep employees and customers safe while keeping the business wheels turning. Entrepreneurs will need to keep up with the trends in order to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic. There may be some technological advancements and changes in customer needs that business owners need to be aware of. This may mean having to pivot for some businesses, while some only need to incorporate these innovations in their existing business.

Entrepreneurs will need to think outside of the box before they reach out for outside resources as captains of their own ships. But there are resources available.

Mitigation strategies by the government and other stakeholders

According to UNDP’s Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of Covid-19 in Lesotho, the growth projection was revised downwards from 0.4 per cent in May 2020, to -5.1 per cent in 2020/2021, due to the impact of COVID-19. This means that the country’s leaders have to find a way to mitigate the economic losses of the lockdown.

Lesotho recently pledged M350 million (Approx $22m) through Government financial support through the National Economic Stimulus Package on the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Finance and Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) have signed an MOU authorizing LNDC to issue guarantees worth up to M350 million intended to support Basotho-owned businesses seeking loans from commercial banks under the newly restructured Covid-19 Response Partial Guarantee Scheme launched by Lesotho’s Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro.

However, the government alone cannot revitalize the economy. The importance of MSMEs in business development has come to the forefront to help take on the responsibility of job creation, restructuring the business sector to weather the uncertainties of the new economic reality we live in.

rise: in loco and Enterprise Hub

rise International, through its in loco program, is helping mitigate the effects of the virus on employment by recruiting young entrepreneurs in the built environment taking them through a ‘learning by doing’ fellowship, equipping the participants with skills and hands-on experience in order for them to be better placed to start their own businesses. The fellowship includes an intense 6-month business training and professional development program that equip the fellows with skills and resources to tackle the crisis of youth unemployment. Once graduated from the fellowship, the Pioneers commence a 3-year business incubation program and gain access to ongoing professional development, business coaching, professional networks, mentorship and market. So far out of the 35 in loco graduates, 16 have started businesses which have created jobs for 29 others. The Pioneers have experienced an average monthly income increase of 56.7%.

rise continues to find creative and smart business solutions to address the challenging business environment. The organization is also fundraising for the development of an Enterprise Hub (E-Hub), a physical place where entrepreneurs can work, produce, collaborate, ideate, continue their professional development and build business relationships. The E-Hub will promote innovative thinking, stimulate creativity and design, as well as promote ethical business practices. The incubatees will be inspired to come up with innovative and creative ways in architecture, sales and marketing, delivery of services and products, and partner with entrepreneurs from across the globe to brainstorm ways on how to address the impact of the pandemic on small businesses.

As Lesotho keeps going in and out of varying degrees of lockdowns, small businesses continue to be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Until an effective measure to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 is put into place, the way businesses operate and their costs of doing so will continue to be affected.

Apart from the assistance that they will get from the Lesotho government, rise International and other MSME service providers,, entrepreneurs need to think outside the box now more than ever to weather the pandemic. They need practical advice on managing effective decision making, such as marketing rigorously, bringing on partners and employees, networking with key players in the industry, and managing risks.

Lesotho needs to put these ideas into place, even more now that the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the business landscape,  making small businesses even more vulnerable as they battle a constant state of damage control. Entrepreneurship is challenging and Covid-19 has proved to be the greatest challenge. Small businesses will need strategies to adapt to the changes taking place and be ready for the unforeseeable future.

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Social Entrepreneurship

The power of community driven development – one year on…

Community driven development empowers people by giving responsibility to the community.
By virtue, this allows community members to work together and take a vital part in decision making. In so doing, opportunities are built, people’s voices are strengthened allowing them to freely demand greater accountability of the institutions that are relevant to their livelihoods, and to promote sustainable development. rise international prides itself in providing linkages to skills and resources where and how they are needed. rise believes that merely giving what you think will “help” may not help at all. That is why a community driven development approach is fundamental in all the projects carried out by rise.

This time last year in 2019, rise international, in partnership with Possible Dreams Foundation, piloted a program with a rural community in Lesotho called Ha Sekants’i. As a means to tackling economic and infrastructural needs that the community identified as priorities, through the construction of a pedestrian bridge in collaboration with a group of international volunteers from Malta, sponsored by an international development company called J Portelli Projects.

This footbridge helped the community gain safe access to health care services, the market and also enabled children to get to school without having to go through the river which is menacing and at times impossible when it rained or snowed. With the help of community members and the guidance of the Roads Directorate, rise was able to construct the bridge in just two months

The community of Ha Sekants’i remain proud of the footbridge. It has become their reminder of the power of the Letsema concept – an African tradition of volunteering one’s labor to community projects. 
“We are pleased that through this partnership we finally have a footbridge. I am 86 years old now, I really never thought this would happen in my lifetime” – Abiel Khanyapa, Ha Sekants’i community member.

Alkire et al., (2001) demonstrated that by directly relying on communities to drive development activities, community driven development has the potential to make poverty reduction efforts more demand responsive, more inclusive, more sustainable, and more cost effective than traditional centrally led programs, thus increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of poverty reduction efforts. We can proudly attest to this statement.

One year on, the community of Ha Sekants’i has developed vastly. The only rural village in Lesotho with a permanent outdoor photo exhibition. Ha Sekants’i has become a popular destination for visitors looking for an authentic eco-experience. In collaboration with Possible Dreams Foundation, the Ha Sekants’i community is now raising funds to construct a community learning centre in the village.

Photo credit: Justice Kalebe

Catch up on the project on this link https://www.youtube.com/watchv=BiinzFnQ9OU

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in loco fellows blog series #10: WE ARE THE CHANGE WE SEEK

Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to know the second law of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.

Drawing my inspiration from a strong belief that volunteerism is a powerful way of engaging people in tackling development challenges, I first heard of rise (Relationships Inspiring Social Enterprise) back in 2017 when they were calling for applicants to their first ever cohort in Lesotho. Unfortunately I could not apply at the time because I had just landed a new job at one of the design and construction companies in the country but that did not stop me from following rise on social media. It was through the social media platforms where my interest in the organization and its volunteer program grew greatly as I realized what the organization was doing not only for recent graduates through the entrepreneurship trainings but also for the disadvantaged children at God’s Love Centre and the surrounding community.

Finally, in 2019 another call for applicants into the second cohort was out. I did not have to think twice about submitting my application because by then I knew for sure that I wanted to be part of the rise family, so without hesitation I submitted my application and I got admitted into the program.

Being a fellow in the in loco program was a dream come true because as an Architectural Technology graduate I have always believed that great architectural design is a result of collaborative effort combined with innovative and sensitive values that transform spaces and places into creative and unique solutions for the betterment of people’s lives and earth as a planet.

What really fascinated me about the program is rise’s design approach, which involves the client from the very early design stage so that we can better understand the needs and problems of the client. This approach allows us to work with the client and come up with solutions that the client understands and has ownership of; in this way the designer acts as a facilitator while the client designs.

It has been four months into the program and I am proud to say that I have acquired so much knowledge about different disciplines. This is all due to the fact that the in loco fellowship programenables multi-disciplinary interactions between different professions in the built environment.

rise’s in loco-fellowship programis such a great platform because it also acts as a positive space where recent graduates can have fun, exchange ideas on how to build a better tomorrow,  help each other grow  while also serving their communities.

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in loco fellows blog series #6: When opportunity presents itself, don’t be afraid to go after it

It’s a friday afternoon and my tertiary ex-classmate whom I hadn’t spoken to in a while drops me a WhatsApp text. To my surprise, the text is an invitation to the in loco fellowship which at the time, I had not heard of. This was my cue to do a little research. I searched it on Facebook and guess what? I got so excited about the fellowship and wished I had known about it earlier and applied. Before I knew it, I was called for an interview and here I am today, an in loco fellow at rise International.

Amo varnishing the IDAL pavillion

From my research, I saw the fellowship as an integral part of my long-term career or academic life goal. I saw it as an ideal way of taking my civil engineering expertise from one level to the next. However, the greatest reason I wanted to pursue the fellowship was my desire to change my current path towards something I’m passionate about- Entrepreneurship.

Few weeks into the fellowship at the participatory design workshop, I’m all excited, learning but eager to go on site. And now we are on site as three girls from thirteen fellows. How challenging!

Through the fellowship I have learnt to work with different personalities, although it hasn’t been easy. But now that we know each other, I know how to handle each of them.

Amo in the back with other two fellows – Lits’oanelo (left) and Peter (right)

 By nature, I am an introvert and having to work with other fellows was a bit challenging at the beginning. I struggled to express myself but as I get to know them, I’m opening up a bit and I love how they have changed my perspective on a lot of things and on life in general.

 One of the most beautiful things about this cohort is that we motivate each other but with a dash of humour attached. I remember this other time when I forgot where a file in the Google Drive was located, and they said, ‘Really Amo?! A month into the fellowship and you still don’t know where the file is?’ From that moment onwards, I made sure I knew where every file is saved and paid attention to even the smallest details. Funny thing is, they also couldn’t remember where the file was!

Three months into the fellowship and I have acquired soft and technical skills I never thought I would have. I have acquired communication and negotiation skills and carpentry to name a few. I now know a bit more about construction from foundations up to the roof and I’m excited about my experience.

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in loco FELLOWS BLOG SERIES #5: Living the dream

‘’My passion and great enjoyment for architecture, and the reason the older I get the more I enjoy it, is because I believe we-architects can affect the quality of life of the people.’’ Richard Rogers

As an architectural graduate, I first got introduced to rise way back in 2015, at Limkokwing University when rise held their first lecture at my university. From that day, my admiration for architecture and perception about the built environment specifically with building with local materials was activated. I realized that I knew less about various methods of construction that existed in other African countries. From that day, I started following rise’s lectures, after seeing their impact and the drive about helping out less developed countries with resources they have.

Sello overseeing the installation of one of the wing frames

Fast forward, my senior architecture students got enrolled into the in loco program, where they worked on GLC*(God’s Love Centre Orphanage) in 2018 in Sekamaneng. This in loco program was ‘a learn by doing;.’ program, where graduates are equipped with all necessary skills (construction skills) before being introduced to the industry. I was very inspired and hoped they’ll recruit other graduates after the first cohort. It was a dream come true when I realized they were recruiting again this year (2019). I didn’t hesitate, I applied with the hope of being admitted, and my prayers were answered, I was accepted into the fellowship.

 The project we are working on as the second cohort of fellows is the IDAL (Intellectual Disability & Autism Lesotho) Center, where we designed and are currently building a pavilion, a timber-made structure, which is so intriguing to work with, because it’s one of the rare methods of construction in the country for big projects like this.

Sello getting his hand dirty!

 As an architecture graduate, I have learned more than I had anticipated about construction and by actually not just designing and handing over a project to be constructed by a construction professional, but also getting my hands dirty. I also learned concrete mixing, to using a concrete mixing machine, timber construction and tools, detailing, business and entrepreneurial and interpersonal skills.

At first I was appointed to be a buyer or procurement officer, which entails a lot of paper work and buying construction materials and equipment in this context. This was a challenging role, but I got used to it as time went on. Currently I’m working as a site architect, which entails, reporting progress on site, faults, daily tasks and weekly reports.

Lastly, I’d like to thank rise for recruiting us into the fellowship, it has been really amazing and a very valuable experience of reaching out to the communities and empowering youth as fresh graduates before being introduced to the industry to pursue our dreams. And our slogan is, if you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.

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in loco fellows blog series #4: Grab every opportunity that comes your way because you never know where it will lead

Being a fellow changed the way I perceived myself and the world around me. After a car accident I experienced in 2015, which made me lose my memory, I never thought I would ever be myself again.

I am that nice lady, an extrovert nurturer who always wears a smile on her face, creates a peaceful environment and enjoys working with other people. Feeling incompetent because of the accident, I turned to selling printed t-shirts, caps and so on, and promoting developing companies to be well known in and out of the country. Divine Ginger Company and Tlotsa Company are my life examples.

This way of life grew into my love for working and made me think that I could become a better businesswoman because I could fend for myself and also feed my family through this business. While I was doing all these duties, I never thought I would go back to my profession as an Agricultural Education graduate. I had a fear of meeting with other people of the same profession, thinking I am no longer good enough to be in the professional world due to my memory loss during accident.

In July, when I was browsing FaceBook and advertising my stuff, I saw an advertisement for a job application from rise. It caught my attention when I found that it partnered with God’s Love Centre orphanage because as a nurturer, I gain satisfaction by helping others. So I knew it would be a great idea to be part of the in loco program.

Berny on site

This is my third month in rise and I feel very lucky to be part of this fellowship because it is more like a family than a job to me. Rise does not only care about work related issues but is also concerned about personal issues for each fellow. This is because I met a problem health wise, where the pin metals inserted on my pelvis after the accident broke and a doctor prescribed walking less than a kilometer a day. And I thought that day was an end of my fellowship with rise. But to my surprise, they looked for a better way for me to work so that I do not further disturb my fractures. This made me feel at home with the in loco program though this hinders me from exploring more on site works as it is a design and built environment.

I am now an office administrator. It wasn’t easy at first, but it is getting fun with time. I am learning a lot more computer literacy than before and all office administration tasks within the office environment. It is within a short period of time but I have learned so many skills. I am now an Agricultural Education graduate with office administration skills, improved computer literacy, report writing skills, events coordinating skills, quantification skills in the construction industry, carpentry skills and yet to master entrepreneurial skills and many more.

Berny in the site office

One of in loco’s goals is to transform job seekers into job creators, so this can only be accomplished by starting own businesses. In As part of the in loco fellowship rise, we are provided with business trainings every most Fridays, and this is amazing to me for it is the most important part I enjoy. Ever since I could remember, starting a business has been my dream. So I just want to put it out there that it feels amazing to be part of this fellowship. All in all, after the fellowship, I believe one becomes a better version of themselves holistically.

Berny with one of the 100 trees she managed to get donated to the project
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in loco fellows blog series #2: Becoming who, I will

For too long a time, I believed that success in the construction industry in the tiny Kingdom of Lesotho had been reserved for prominent professionals who have grown with stature in the country. That employment didn’t include all but those individuals for whom the society has great reverence. To an extent, there is truth to that; experience definitely sets precedence in a sense of surety, especially when we consider the amount of knowledge one should have when creating something as complex as a house. Even so, this is only a part of a large whole.

I got introduced to rise through one of the lecture series they run at my school. What caught my attention about these series, along with the film debate sessions, was the creation of an interactive space for people of predominately students and recent graduates of different disciplines within the built environment. This habitat was a rare yet an exciting setting to be part of, and a much needed one at that.

Kole taking a selfie with some of the other in loco fellows

My interest in the organization of rise grew amicably with each interaction, whether it be social media, or community donation drives. Then finally, I came upon an advertisement of a job application for the next cohort. I was religiously following the cohort progression of the GLC Centre by then, and I did not want to miss out on the amazing opportunity to become part of their pilot program, in loco. Without hesitation, I took a leap of faith, and after a couple of, what seemed all too long, weeks, I became part of the 2019 cohort fellowship.

Kole sitting on scaffolding with Retsepile – another Architecture fellow

In this venture I have learnt so many skills and trades that I had not thought I would have known in such a short space of time. The profound opportunity to amass a network of skillsets from young and eager individuals has truly been a mind changing experience. By going against the norm where people assume that in order to create a well built structure you have to be very experienced, but that’s not really the case because we are young graduates with not much experience, but we are erecting an iconic building in the country. I have been able to consistently challenge myself while harnessing plenty of techniques including carpentry, social media marketing, as well as my architectural designing craft.

Kole learning by doing

The cohort has taught me that with the removal of a miniature mindset persona of having the experienced gain all the power, it invites a conversation that indulges with not just the freshly eager to work graduates, but also that these creative minds can also learn to create opportunities for  themselves and others as well. Entrepreneurship is vital in our communities, and rise has helped me to learn how to harness that power to invoke a positive shift in a life of more than many.

My believes grown from rise can be combined in three words: challenge, change, cohesion.

Kole hard at work

Blog by Nkhole Thakhisi, fondly known as Kole.

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IN LOCO FELLOWS BLOG SERIES #10: Learning by Doing is the best way to grow

One way to understand how the real world operates after completing tertiary level, is not only through other people’s preconceived ideas and notions, but also by actually being with them and learning the skills and knowledge from those who went before you.

It was October 2017 after perusing through rise brochure about the construction of God’s Love Centre Orphanage. They were looking for recent graduates to be on the fellowship. I then asked myself, “how would my Architecture Associate Degree, my skills and my education be of benefit to this cause?” The thought that my education was going to change a life, motivated me to decide not to sit back but to use my unique abilities to pursue being a fellow as they seemed to call it.

It was a great privilege to be part of the in-loco fellowship as I gained skills and confidence of building what I have designed. I also benefited from the guest lecture series by networking with industry captains, how cool is that!

It seemed like an up-hill struggle at some points during the pilot in loco fellowship program due to the fact that I never had any experience in construction-related work. However, during the process I realised that in order to triumph and achieve maximum learning, I must apply discipline and consistency even during the uphill moments. I also realised that our deepest strengths are not enhanced when we are apart, but only when we come together in ways that we uniquely can.

Oh! By the way, our Boss (I know she’s going to hate this) (Daniela Gusman), made the uphill easier by taking us out to different places such as Semonkong as an appreciation to the prominent work that we in loco fellows were doing on construction site.

Besides the outings, the rise team is really doing a great job in making a difference in the lives of GLC children and to Basotho graduates in the built environment. Through this program; which instills in us the mindset to be job creators and not job seekers, a lot of us are in the process of starting businesses and rise has helped us get mentors, so that we can launch our businesses with an open mind.

 

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IN LOCO FELLOWS BLOG SERIES #9: No construction background…yet an in loco fellow

Towards the end of August 2017, that is when I heard about in loco. I didn’t even have to think twice about applying for it but there was a challenge for me, one of the main requirements was that the participants should have “construction related” experience. I almost gave up but the fact that the project was about improving the lives of the underprivileged kept me motivated to pursue the application process.
I remember Pedro Clarke, one of the in loco architects and rise team, asking me why I applied for the program seeing that I am the only person in the interviews without a construction related background. I knew I needed make rise understand why I needed to be part of the team regardless of my inexperience in the field.

My passion for community involvement towards development, improving the less fortunate communities have always been my driving force. Not forgetting the most important motivator to me; my personal experience.

I had an opportunity to be provided a better life and education by a similar facility “SOS Children’s Village Maseru”. That is where the love and motivation to help others came from. Not only did SOS contribute so much towards my development over thirteen years; they also encouraged me to do the same for other vulnerable people around me. I guess the love and care that I got from SOS as a child is beyond measure and the nurturing that I received helped me grow to become an independent young adult. This is basically what I would love to see happening to God’s Love Centre (GLC) youth.
The program started in February 2018 with a Participatory Design Workshop (PDW). I was clueless about building and designing, but that did not matter because the experience was easy to follow and very interesting. It was exactly what I had done in school – community assessment. This is where we interacted with the kids and they were amazing. They were full of energy and excitement as they were given the opportunity to be the decision makers of how their buildings should look like.

Not only did we involve the GLC community; we also involved the community surrounding GLC. Our first visit to GLC was really emotional, seeing the real NEED that in loco will be providing solutions to. We knew we needed to work hard from day one, as fellows to fulfil the mission, and guess what, we are on the 10th month of the project running and things are looking pretty good.

I have been keen to learn from day one. I remember some of the fellows asking me if I ever imagined digging trenches, placing reinforcement and being a labourer on site. Honestly, I had never thought along those lines. However, it has been fun; especially with such a supportive team. Now seeing the building almost done just makes me so proud because I was part of team that started it.

In as much as I have learned so much in the construction side of things; as you can guess from my educational background, my role in the fellowship was not exactly construction related. I have been the link between the project and the GLC community and I have been highly involved in the capacity building of GLC. One of the things I did which I am so proud of is the Business Trainings for the youth of GLC.

We have established six business groups and two of them are about to be launched; an Internet café and Tuck-shop. The other business groups are already running and being improved upon with the help of professional mentors who we identified for them. For example, the Pre-school was already running at GLC, they want to join it together with a day-care facility and their mentor is helping the group to improve it.

Now that we are coming to the end of the fellowship, it is going to be sad to part ways. Relationships were established both with GLC and the fellows; however this is not going to be a goodbye rather a see-you-soon moment. I am going to miss GLC and the kids especially the sessions we had, but we have just started the program “I AM WHO?”  that will go beyond January and that will grant me the opportunity to spend time with them. As for the fellows and the rest of the team, we will meet along the business lane because we are definitely going to need one another.

The fellowship has been fun, informative, and full of networking opportunities and definitely there has been great career improvement for me.

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