LESSON: WE CAN’T JUST FIGHT POVERTY
OUR PORTFOLIO: EWB Canada’s areas of investments Public Services in Africa
Transforming Engineering
Effective public service delivery, in areas such as water, infrastructure
Engineers and the engineering profession have incredible potential
and education, is crucial for Africa’s development. However, public
as a source of talent and leadership to solve society’s largest, most
sector capacity in many African countries remains low, and the
complex challenges. However, the way that engineers are trained
relationship between the foreign aid sector and governments needs
and think about their roles is too limited. Our ventures in this portfolio
improvement. Our ventures in this portfolio seek to accelerate public
change the way engineering is taught, the way engineering is perceived,
service sustainability, efficiency and effectiveness.
and the way the engineering sector frames its own role in society.
Social Business and Market Development in Africa
Mining Affecting Africa
Untapped and underdeveloped markets — for example, in agriculture,
Canada is the world’s largest home to mining companies. The mining
finance and business services — slow prosperity gains and poverty
operations of these companies have both positive and negative effects
reduction in many African countries. Our ventures in this portfolio tap
in African countries. In either case, there is potential for greater impact.
new markets or improve existing efforts to connect producers and
Our ventures in this portfolio invest in the best ideas that will unlock
consumers in Africa to domestic and international markets.
more benefit for Africans and African countries from mining operations.
The last decade has seen significant progress and success in Africa’s development, specifically in areas that involve clear cause and effect relationships. Vaccinating children saves lives. Building schools breaks the cycle of poverty and creates prosperity through education. In instances like these, significant external investments can successfully “fight” poverty. However, it’s not always that simple. Cause and effect aren’t always so clearly defined, and applying the same direct approach to more complex problems is often ineffective or detrimental. Governance. Market development. Agriculture. The same model of external intervention ends up addressing the problems, but not solving them. Wells for those who are thirsty or subsidized agricultural goods for farmers both seem like logical interventions. But what happens when the well breaks down, or farmers lack access to markets to sell their crops? Or worse, what happens when external help creates dependency and causes African leaders to make decisions based on donor expectations?
Canadian Government Policy and Political Processes affecting Africa
In the case of complex development issues, massive institutional and individual investment can only serve to address symptoms, when we really need to be looking at the system.
The Canadian government has an inconsistent and underinvested-in relationship with Africa. Politics and bureaucratic structures limit creativity, efficiency and effectiveness of the Canadian International Development Agency and other parts of the federal government. Furthermore, citizens are not broadly or deeply engaged in this policy area. Our ventures in this portfolio aim to influence different parts of the policy and political process, from citizen engagement through to law – making.
Ethical Consumption in Canada Canadian consumers have the potential to be a powerful force in accelerating Africa’s development, through directly contributing
“IF CHANGE ISN’T SYSTEMIC, IT ISN’T CHANGE AT ALL…”
LEARNED:
WE MUST OUTSMART IT
to African country economies and by changing the relationships Canadians have with Africa. Our ventures in this portfolio recognize the potential consumers have for real impact, and empower ethical consumption in Canada through marketing, product development, policy development and movement building.
DURING 10 YEARS OF INNOVATING, LEARNING AND IMPAC T
WE’VE LEARNED ONE
Youth Leadership
BIG IMPORTANT
Throughout history, young leaders have been the source of massive, generational and transformative change. This will continue to be the case today and in the future, in Canada and throughout Africa. Our ventures in this portfolio create new ways to engage youth in
Engineers Without Borders Canada
social issues and unlock the potential of youth leaders to create
312 Adelaide Street West, Suite 302
change.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 1R2 1-866-481-3696 | info@ewb.ca | www.ewb.ca
LESSON
Different approaches are required when the problem involves significant interdependencies. They are rooted in detailed systems analysis, establishing and testing hypotheses, and the identification of influencers and leverage points. The path to real change is rarely clear, and what’s needed is an iterative, flexible approach that leaves room for failure, learning and refinement before lasting impact is achieved. This intelligent approach lies at the heart of EWB Canada’s work to outsmart poverty. Our staff, members and volunteers ask why there are no wells, not how one can be drilled. They ask why farmers fail to prosper, not how we can get them fertilizer. That’s EWB Canada’s path to systemic change and lasting impact - we identify incredibly talented people in Africa and Canada, we help them realize their full potential as change-makers, and we support them as they conceive, test, refine and implement the systemic change ventures and ideas that will end extreme poverty.
SMART PEOPLE
From wanting global change, to leading systemic change Critical Thinking
Self Awareness
Change Leadership
Responsibility
Smart Ventures continued... Our sweet spot of investment is the 1 to 5 year gap between early ideas and proven ventures that are ready for scale. Many organizations provide seed-funding, and sometimes short “immersive training” for venture leaders. There’s also significant funding available for proven ventures. But there’s little support available for the gap between idea and proven success, and that’s where EWB Canada’s unique approach meets a pressing need. We provide talent, advice, management training, and funding to enable these ventures to succeed, and then champion it, sharing ideas that define a new path to success in development to influence partners, funders and other organizations.
SMART IDEAS
Experience
From inspiration to influence
Identifying and unlocking the potential of smart people… Fueled by their passion, EWB Canada’s members, staff, and volunteers take advantage of unprecedented opportunities to develop their critical-thinking skills, gain unrivaled leadership experience and to take an active role in systemic change initiatives. Some launch the ventures that EWB Canada supports in Africa or Canada, some take accelerated career paths thanks to the skills and insights they’ve developed, and all are sought by leading non-profits, social-enterprises, organizations and corporations. We prepare people to be systemic change leaders, in the development sector and beyond.
Good Idea
Great Influence
SMART VENTURES
From concept generation, to impact generation
Identifying and unlocking the potential of smart ideas…
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EWB SUPPORT
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CAPACITY PROVIDED BY OTHERS
CAPACITY PROVIDED BY OTHERS
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VENTURES INCREASINGLY SELF-SUPPORTING
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Support for early stage concepts
1-5 year venture development gap: EWB Canada provides talent, advice, management training & funding
There is a difference between a good idea and a good idea that has influence in business, government, development organizations or society as a whole. EWB Canada helps turn ideas into impact. Each one has it’s own path to adoption — there is no template — and our people are adept at identifying these paths, important leverage points within systems, and the steps required to create influence. This might be education, idea “proving”, advocacy or a combination of these tactics and more to see inspiring ideas becomes vehicles for systemic change. We then engage 36 city networks and chapters, a movement of 45,000 supporters, corporate and non-profit partners and a vast network of like-minded change-leaders to see influence and impact realized.
Investments in proven ventures
Identifying and unlocking the potential of smart ventures… EWB Canada accelerates the development and growth of smart ventures with the potential to drive systemic change that “outsmarts” poverty. Some are social enterprises, like Rent-to-Own, that brings affordable financing to rural entrepreneurs. Some improve African government service-delivery and decision-making. And some mobilize Canadians and engineers to create change in areas like ethical consumption.
“EWB combines the focused pursuit of a true win-win between the ideals of a better world, and real day-to-day, week-to-week impact.” Patrick Pichette, EWB Supporter and SVP and CFO of Google Inc.
IDENTIFY UNLOCK IMPACT