We’re proud to welcome our SVC winners from our Social Venture Challenge at One Young World Summit, held in Bangkok:
SVC Winner: Soumeya Goutal, Founder
Social Venture Name & Location: Linatakalam, Algeria
Soumeya will work with her team to develop a mobile app that will help deaf people in Algiers to communicate with hearing people, and vice versa. The app will remove the invisible wall of communication that exists between deaf-mutes and others as a result of the absence of sign language instruction in schools.
SVC Winners: Arunah Bushili, Founder; Nomfundo Makhubo, Co-Founder
Social Venture Name & Location: Youth Leadership Academy, South Africa
Arunah and Nomfundo will recruit impoverished young people in Mpumalanga schools and provide leadership development and support for them to take social action in their communities. The program will spur community development, establish positive role models, and groom youth for leadership from a young age.
SVC Winner: Stefan Raicevic, Founder
Social Venture Name & Location: Why Youth, Serbia
Why Youth aims to encourage students in Belgrade to recognize the important leadership roles they can play in developing their communities. Stefan and his team will deliver a leadership development curriculum in schools, building students’ social skills, awareness, and self-confidence. Why Youth will create strongyoung leaders who take the initiative in creating positive change.
SVC Winner: Wandile Mthiyane, Founder
Social Venture Name & Location: Ubuntu Design Community Half-House Project, South Africa
Wandile founded the Half-House Project to provide sustainable improvements in the living and community conditions of shantytown residents in Durban. Using local materials and labor as well as community sweat equity, Wandile and his team will build half-houses that leave room for further creative construction. The half-house will create a sense of community pride and ownership, while teaching the community about the importance and power of environmental sustainability.
SVC Winner: Juan Bol, Founder
Social Venture Name & Location: PODER, Belize
Program of Opportunities, Development & Ethical Entrepreneurship (“PODER”) is a youth development organization that will empower socially disadvantaged indigenous youth in rural communities in Toledo. PODER will offer leadership training through cultural, sports, and artistic activities, as well as workshops on entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture, and natural resource management. Juan and his team will help youth to break the cycle of poverty through education, social responsibility, community participation and environmental awareness.
SVC Winner: Camila Olmedo, Founder
Social Venture Name & Location: H2O Project, Bolivia
Camila created the H2O Project as a water business that will provide clean, recycled water to peri-urban and rural residents of Cochabamba. Camila and her team will purchase water directly from water companies, and then sell the water to residents at an affordable price. The team also will train and empower women in the local communities to manage the business.
SVC Winner: Jasmine Chu, Founder
Social Venture Name & Location: Farm 2.0, Thailand
Through Farm 2.0, Jasmine will develop a mobile app to help Thai farmers access data for optimum agricultural inputs while also increasing their financial literacy and creditworthiness. The app will empower the farmers by providing information that will improve crop yield and efficiency.