Pay it forward to support small businesses around the world

Bamba Studios is an independent media production company based in Nairobi, Kenya. 

“What enpact does is very people-centric; we were being supported as founders, both by the direct financial support and by the personal and genuine connection that we made with our mentor. 2020 was a very difficult time for us, for everyone, but through the support that we got from enpact we’re here today. And I can confidently say that Bamba studios is very stable. We have an incredible team because we were able to focus on building it right and paying our people right. We’re not yet fully there where we want to be, but we are still going.” – Jacktone Otieno, Founder of Bamba Studios, pictured here with his enpact mentor Daniel Rieth. 

Kamaroutes is a woman-owned and managed tourism business that offers tours across South Africa and other popular destinations on the continent. By partnering with small businesses and local suppliers, they are working to create tours specifically for women. A portion of the profits also goes to community initiatives, such as a home for girls from different underserved backgrounds. 

“It was about getting recognition that I haven’t always had as a black woman in this country. Of course the funding, it allowed me to keep my office, keep my interns as well at the time. There’s the mentor who has helped me ever since, we’re still in contact to this day and she has also connected me to other experts in her network who are working on similar projects to help us build our marketplace for women-only tours. The validation was the most important, because now I feel it’s a great idea.”  – Vanessa Mbneoun, Founder of Kamaroutes. 

Eco Nubia started in 2019 by transforming the abandoned Bigeh Island in Aswan into a sought-after tourist destination, rebuilding its old houses using natural, locally sourced materials. It is an example of a business integrating the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) into its strategies. For instance, to eliminate poverty and hunger and guarantee a good quality of life for its people, Eco Nubia ensures fair pay and a decent work environment, adopts organic farming on its land, and donates surplus food to those in need.

“The relief funds allowed us to save our workers, so we managed to pay the salaries during the COVID-19 time, and after, we managed to expand the project a little bit and managed to create a small farm on the island to grow what we consume.” – Ahmed Yehia, Co-Founder of Eco Nubia. 

Dar Ben Gacem is a boutique hotel in Tunis that is dedicated to cultural heritage preservation and pushing forward community-based, sustainable tourism. 

“The program has given us lots of hope to go forward and keep fighting for our position in this big world.” – Leila Ben Gacem, Founder and Owner of Dar Ben Gacem. 

Livingseas is a scuba diving company looking to deepen the relationship between humans and the living seas through forming a community of divers that are dedicated to ocean conservation. Through the program, Livingseas partnered with TUI Care Foundation on a project to restore coral and seagrass in the local environment in Bali. 

“The funding allowed us to not stress and worry about paying the salaries and overheads, and also allowed us to invest in our crew and building their skills to increase our capacity moving forward.” – Leon Boey, Co-Founder of Livingseas. 

Hanna Pavlova is an individual entrepreneur whose business was founded in Ukraine and relocated to Moldova following the war. Her work is focused on the production of construction material such as ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles, mosaics and other related materials.

“For the last year this program is the best thing that happened to me. It is an amazing energy here. This program gives energy to each of us, because we have faced a huge catastrophe in our lives and this program gives hope. For me personally, and for my family it is a hope for comfort and safety in Moldova, a country that met us with its arms open. This program has a very good reason, it’s for the people who have hope that Ukraine will win and that one day we all come back home, but here we have found our comfort too.” – Hanna Pavlova, Founder and Sole Proprietor. 

Baytkom was founded by Nahla al-Emam, when she discovered that she and her fellow Syrian immigrant ladies had cooking in common. Through her work, she created job opportunities for both Syrian and Egyptian women to utilize their skills in cooking and handcrafts. Today, Baytkom has an international team and serves delicious dishes in this corner of the city.

“The program for me was a happy surprise. I benefited a lot from its content, especially the workshops on sustainability. Now I have bigger ambitions and bigger ideas to develop. In the beginning [of the pandemic], we didn’t have a sense of security, but now we feel we are walking on solid ground and have a clear direction. I’m very happy and very proud of all I’ve learned.” – Nahla El-Emam, Founder of Baytkom. 

ORTOLIFE is a leading prosthetic and orthotic center in Moldova, providing custom-made prostheses and prioritizing quality, safety, and high-performance through continuous improvement and professional development.

“Once the war started, orders were blocked due to lack of raw materials and customers’ uncertainty about tomorrow. Lack of revenue resulted in an inability to pay contractors and employees on time, and outreach campaigns were put on hold. With the support of the program, I aim to add value and increase the company’s visibility.” – Svetlana Pinzaru, Founder of Ortolife. 

Olivelink Healthcare provides high-quality, accessible, and affordable maternal medical services to communities living in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. Over the past 9 years, Olivelink Healthcare has served over 115,000 patients, with 4,000 women having safe deliveries in their facilities. To date, they have impacted 550,00 lives within the communities they serve.

“Without the program, we would never have gone through the COVID-19 period as an organization. The finances that we received played a big role in helping us meet our costs, ensuring that we retained our staff who continued to serve the community without any interruptions. For the three of us who went through the training, we gained invaluable knowledge that we have continued to use up to now. The topic on resilience was my personal highlight.” – Josephine Sulieman, Founder of Olivelink Healthcare.

La Casa de Donia Way is a cultural space that showcases Yucatecan and Mexican culture using the most well-recognized art and handicraft products in the country.

The financial support of the program enabled the shop to continue collaborating with and buying from the artisans, as they are dependent on the steady income from the shop every week to maintain their livelihoods. “We’re against buying things cheap and then selling them for expensive prices to tourists in the city. We create partnerships with our artists. Instead of making them our artisans, they’re our partners and suppliers, and we work together to create something special under a fair trade model.” – Irene Covo, Managing Director of La Casa de Donia Way. 

Cape Malay House uses culinary experiences to promote & preserve cultural heritage. Ammaarah Petersen launched her business when she was 19 to provide one of the only halal food services in Cape Town.

“Being on the program was the first time in the past months where I can actually breathe. The financial support has given us the freedom and flexibility to experiment with the market and we’ve seen financial growth as a direct result. I also love that all of the experts and mentors have been from different parts of the world as it gives you a different perspective, which has definitely given me an edge in comparison to other training programs that I have attended. It also allowed me to empower and be more collaborative with my team members.” – Ammaarah Petersen, Founder of Cape Malay House. 

Greenish is a social enterprise focused on environmental education and awareness. They provide workshops focused on environmental awareness, building the capacity of organizations, corporates, and governmental entities to become more sustainable. 

“The program came at the right moment. Its financial support enabled us to hold on to our staff, secure their salaries, and continue our mission. Aside from that, the access to a pool of international mentors was beneficial. We were able to work with a mentor from South Africa. And this was our first encounter working with someone in the South African entrepreneurship ecosystem. Also, the training sessions, especially those about resilience, taught me how I could take care of myself so I can keep on fighting and doing the work.” – Shadi Khalil, Co-Founder of Greenish.