iaan

I have the privilege of being involved with a world-changing business called RiseUp. I am so excited about this, so I would like to tell you more about it. (The website is under construction, but in the near future more info will be available at http://www.rise-up.co.za

I am going to save the history, about us etc for the website. I want to tell you about the awesomeness of this project here.

RiseUp establishes sustainable small businesses (bakeries) in remote and under-privileged communities and takes responsibility for long-term skills training, business mentoring and management.

We believe businesses are the vehicles to significantly change the lives of people involved. Owning a business and working for profit produces ownership, self-worth, responsibility, hope and purpose. Not to mention the hard skills of operating a business like marketing, management, cash-flow, inventory etc.

Hand-outs and charity are selfless acts that mend the scars of poverty and discrimination. But only through the sustainable empowering of individuals (like establishing businesses) can the root of poverty be adressed.

RiseUp might seem like a drop in the ocean, but the ripple effect is very interesting.

• When a business is established in a community, the money spent at the business remains in the community and does not leave to the accounts of a corporate entity only interested in the sale and not the business.

• If one member of a family can make a living, the lives of the rest of the family will be influenced accordingly. Many South Africans understand “community” and “family” much better than anyone else in the world. This is known as “Ubuntu” or the understanding that “I am because we are”. A purely self-seeking growth is meaningless. Everyone must grow together.

• We are currently establishing bakeries, but our purpose is to establish other sustainable businesses that will build on the progress made by RiseUp Bakeries

Expect to hear loads more about RiseUp in the very near future. To stay updated, follow RiseUp Bakeries on twitter

What do you think of our business cards promoting the sharing of ideas, opportunity, and bread? A slice of bread gets shared with people we meet when handing out a card. Thanks to Erwin Bindeman (www.erwin.co.za) for the design.