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The team of women working at social enterprise Mamo Pracuj
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A new partnership to increase livelihood opportunities for refugees

The war in Ukraine has led to a global economic and political crisis that is affecting an increasing number of refugees and internally displaced people on many levels. Supporting entrepreneurial solutions is one way the socioeconomic impact on refugees can be mitigated and, in some cases, even bring new market opportunities. NESsT together with IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and the Cisco Foundation, have partnered to launch the NESsT Refugee Employment Initiative. This new initiative will provide financing and capacity-building support to fifteen enterprises in Poland and Romania, with the aim to benefit over 5,000 refugees.


The Sea Ranger Service as a social enterprise builds specially-designed sailing work ships and uses navy veterans to train unemployed youth during an intense Bootcamp. With the advice from IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, Wietse van der Werf, CEO and founder of the Sea Ranger Service, established a business model that can be replicated around the world, to increase its impact, protect more seas and employ more vulnerable people.
Sea Rangers Academy - content
The Sea Ranger Service provides vulnerable youth with job opportunities.
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Wietse van der Werf was one of twelve social entrepreneurs who participated in our first global development programme Dela, co-created with our partner Ashoka. He sought guidance on how best to scale his work in order to have a bigger impact and provide job opportunities to vulnerable youth.


By participating in the Dela programme, Wietse received advice from IKEA co-workers and other experts in a series of sessions to challenge and test his strategy to scale the work of Sea Ranger Service in an effective manner.

 

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The guidance and expertise offered to us through the Dela Accelerator programme from IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and Ashoka in setting up the Sea Ranger Service franchising programme have been invaluable. Their involvement has allowed us to learn from the corporate sphere and how we can apply these lessons to accelerate our impact on the oceans.
Wietse van der Werf, founder and CEO of Sea Ranger Service


Through the Sea Ranger Academy support programme, experienced entrepreneurs are given business advice, training and coaching to support the establishment of new Sea Ranger Service hubs across the globe. After successful participation, the entrepreneurs are then allowed to apply for the new franchise programme to establish their own Sea Ranger Service.

The approach seeks to scale impact and drive rapid expansion of the Sea Ranger Service model by offering social entrepreneurs everywhere the opportunity to take ownership over ocean management and restoration in their own regions. Watch the video to learn more:

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