young entrepreneurs Archives - rise International

rise International’s Impact in the First Quarter

July 26, 2024By Chris Theko0 comment

We’re excited to share the positive impact rise International has made during the first quarter of 2024! This newsletter highlights our achievements across our three core pillars: Entrepreneurship Development, Promoting Social Enterprise, and Enhancing Design & Construction Through Research.

The Full Report Here

1,848 Lives Impacted!

Through our innovative approaches in social enterprise, advocacy, design & construction research, and more, rise International positively impacted the lives of 1,848 people in Q1. This includes projects completed at Seboka Primary School, Lithabaneng Primary School, and The Hub in Morija.

Key Achievements:

Improved Sanitation and Security: Our “Pioneers” program graduates successfully constructed new toilets at Lithabaneng Primary School and installed burglar bars at Seboka Primary School’s kitchen, enhancing sanitation and security.
Effective Waste Management: At Lithabaneng Primary School, new septic and drainage system construction started thanks to rise International’s efforts in partnership with Action Ireland Trust!
The “Stadium of Life” on course for completion: The 5th cohort of the in loco fellowship program contributed to the design and construction of Africa’s first FSC-certified stadium, the “Stadium of Life.” They successfully constructed the posting rails and part of the spectator seating stands.
Entrepreneurship on the rise: 32 graduates from the in loco program transitioned to the “Pioneers” program and established their own businesses, creating a total of 16 new jobs in Q1 alone!

in loco Fellowship Graduation:

We celebrated the graduation of the 5th in loco cohort! Muso Molomo, a graduate, shared his experience:

“I’m grateful to rise International for the opportunity to build the first FSC stadium. This program honed my skills, and their support allowed me to lead the stadium’s development.”

Promoting Social Enterprise:

rise International made significant strides in promoting social enterprise on a national and international scale. Collaborations with various organizations provided training and education to hundreds of participants worldwide.

Pioneer Professional Development Session:

We continue to support and provide skills development to the entrepreneurs in Lesotho. In February and March we provided financial and marketing training to nine local fired brick manufactures and five in loco pioneers.

Looking Ahead (Q3&Q4 Priorities):

Interlocking Compressed Earth Blocks (ICEBs): We’ll be focusing on promoting the use of ICEBs, a sustainable building material.
Hemp Production Advocacy: rise International will advocate for the legalization and production of hemp in Lesotho.
Showcasing Sustainable Building Materials: Stay tuned for exciting initiatives showcasing sustainable building materials!

Donate To The Cause

Stay Connected!

We invite you to learn more about our work by visiting our website or subscribing to our YouTube channel for insightful content:

Website rise International

YouTube rise International.

Thank you for your continued support!

Fellows Blogs

My Enriching Journey at rise

June 4, 2024By Chris Theko0 comment

Salome Mokhali Blog post

Exiting my internship is not an end, it is a testament of learning from the best, and now, it is time to redefine what ‘best’ means in my own journey. I, Salome Mokhali, a 26-year-old Public Relations student from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, embarked on an exciting journey, eager to learn and grow. The opportunity to intern under the communications department has been nothing short of transformative to my career.

From the moment I stepped into the rise office, I was welcomed with warmth and enthusiasm. The team’s positive energy and commitment to their mission were palpable, making me feel right at home. I quickly realized that this was not just a workplace; it was a team dedicated to making a difference.

The most fruitful aspect of my internship has been the hands-on experience. From drafting press releases to managing social media posts, every task has been a learning opportunity. The mentorship I have received has been invaluable. With patience, my supervisors took the time to guide me through each task, offering insights and feedback that have sharpened my skills and broadened my understanding of Public Relations and communication as a whole.

Working at rise has allowed me to witness the power of collaboration. The team’s synergy is incredible. I have been inspired by the way everyone pulls together, combining their talents and expertise to create impactful community developments. It is a testament to what can be achieved when people are united by a common goal and being team players.

During my time with rise, I was able to see the handover of completed new toilet blocks which the organization had designed and constructed at Lithabaneng Primary School in partnership with Action Ireland Trust. I was also able to be part of the graduation ceremony celebrations of the fifth inloco graduation ceremony, a group of 9 fellows who had gone through 8 months of hands-on learning by doing program, as part of the design and construction of Kick4Life Stadium of Life.

As my internship draws to a close, I look back on my time at rise with immense gratitude. This experience has not only enhanced my skills but also reinforced my passion for Public Relations and Communication. I am excited to carry forward the lessons I have learned and the connections I have made as I continue my journey in this field.

No journey is without challenges, my internship was no exception. There were moments of self-doubt and instances where I felt overwhelmed by the fast-paced nature of the work. However, these challenges were instrumental in my growth. They taught me resilience, perseverance, and the value of stepping out of my comfort zone.

Thank you, rise, for an unforgettable experience. A special thanks to the team for making me feel at home from day one. I look forward to seeing all the incredible things this organization will achieve in the future!

rise News

Join the Club! The rise Together Movement 🌍

March 26, 2024By Chris Theko0 comment

Thank you for supporting our entrepreneurship development programs in Lesotho in the past. Thanks to your generosity, we have been able to graduate over 50 fellows from our design, build and entrepreneurship in loco program, 71% of whom have gone on to become Pioneers and created over 183 jobs for others as a result of the skills and business training we have provided them with thanks to your assistance.

JOIN THE RISE TOGETHER MONTHLY DONORS CLUB

Your support has already had an impact on our Pioneers’ Business Incubation Program and others who are following in their footsteps being our in loco program fellows. But the reality is, in order for us to continue touching more lives and spreading the impact to transform more job seekers into job creators, we need your help.

This year, we invite you to make your valuable support go even further by joining the rise Together Club – a monthly donating program to support our youth skills development and employment generation programs. Your ongoing monthly support will:

Contribute towards training more job creators
Provide business coaching for more entrepreneurs
Equip entrepreneurs with essential tools and workspace

You can easily sign up online here to make an impact without ever worrying about writing another cheque! (Unless you want to).

in loco projects

Become a rise Together Club member today and you’ll enjoy:

The knowledge that your donation is put to work immediately.
Monthly newsletters on the difference your dollars are making.
Hassle-free automatic monthly donations from your credit card.
The ability to change or suspend your donations at any time.
Complete statements provided for tax purposes.
The joy of knowing that you’re improving someone’s life.

Sponsor young Basotho through our Pioneer Business Incubation Program by making a $50 donation a month and experience the fulfillment of changing a life.

Alternatively you can also start a fundraising initiative on behalf of rise by simply visiting here where we have numerous fundraising opportunities for you.

Sponsorship Opportunities

rise News

Guess What?

October 5, 2023By RISE INT0 comment

We have done it!!!

It is incredible how time flies when you’re having fun! As we look back at the month of September, rise International held various advocacy events with key stakeholders from the private and public sector as well as civil society.

Official launch of the Circular Innovations Expo

Started out with a roundtable discussion with relevant stakeholders in the policy-making of the built environment from government ministries, City Councils, academia, the European Commission, and Habitat for Humanity hosted by the British High Commission in Maseru. The aim here was to present our key findings from research done on indigenous and alternative low-carbon building materials and initiate a dialogue on how to develop an ecosystem towards developing these sustainable, thermally efficient locally sourced building materials.

Fig1 – Collage of the round table discussions with relevant stakeholders led by rise team and the founder – Daniela Gusman

The second event was a knowledge exchange workshop between Lesotho and Irish Town Planners on how learning from good urban planning practices in Ireland can be implemented and disseminated in Lesotho at the district level. The different Ministries that enforce planning regulations and building codes, benefited from the experiences that were shared from Ireland setting them on a pathway to success in reducing Lesotho’s dependence on South African Building Codes and to increase compliance in the country.

Fig 2-3: Attendees of the stakeholders’ conference during a presentation

These engagements were paving the way for the Circular Innovations Conference and Expo which was officially launched by the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police, Mr. Moshe Mosaase. The Conference and Expo were the culmination of 11 months of research and formed the last of three phases of our Research and Innovation program on locally sourced and eco-friendly building materials. The aim of the expo was to raise awareness of the production and use of low-carbon locally sourced indigenous and repurposed building materials. This was done by showcasing alternative building materials for sustainable building in Lesotho to promote economical and environmentally friendly methodologies within the context of Lesotho’s unique cultural and environmental landscape.

Fig 4-5 Principal Secretary Moshe Mosaase addressing the conference attendees. rise Design and Construction coordinator – Thato Nkikana addressing attendees and some of the key stakeholders in attendance.

The exhibition consisted of a series of installations of sustainable, low-carbon indigenous, and alternative building materials with good thermal qualities. These materials can build houses that are warmer in winter and cooler in summer, reducing the need to burn expensive fossil fuels such as paraffin and charcoal, which helps reduce heating and cooling costs, while at the same time helping the environment by reducing carbon emissions.

Fig 6: Repurposed cans wall, attendees of the expo launch, and adobe bricks

Watch this space….. on next steps where we shall be publishing our findings, reporting on the progress from the pledges made at the Conference and surveys completed by the general public at the Expo on which building materials they are most interested in.

If you are interested in learning more about this initiative please write to us on events@riseint.org

in loco program

Experience taught me well

January 14, 2021By RISE INT0 comment

I am Mpokho Kherehloa, a proud member of the in loco fellowship cohort of 2020 with rise international. I am a 24 year old Mosotho woman and my life is based on challenging the status quo in the Lesotho construction industry. I hold a diploma in Construction Management from Lerotholi Polytechnic. Not only do I have managerial skills in construction but I can also get my hands dirty in the field. I love doing labor intensive work and I always considered myself the definition of what we call “the complete package”. I can easily manoeuvre in the construction industry as an employable candidate. However, I was missing an integral aspect which I personally never thought was as important as my technical skills and this was having an entrepreneurial mindset.

In the five months that I have been part of this fellowship, I have learned that rise international’s dominant mission is to equip its fellows with the skills and lessons that help newly graduates to develop their attitude towards being self-sustaining and being job creators as opposed to job seekers. As a woman in construction, one can be tamed into thinking their career is good enough by being employed as opposed to being the employer, as the Lesotho construction industry is male dominated. I also wanted to change the normality of having more men in construction than women.

I knew about this fellowship through a Whatsapp group, which talked about construction so it obviously grabbed my immediate attention. So I applied just because I qualified for it, little did I know that there was more to the program than just construction work, there is intense business training. I am five months into the program with about 2 months left to completion. These five months felt like a whole 2 years, not because it was that difficult, but because of the knowledge and site experience I have gained. This experience has been everything and more than I could have ever imagined.

I mentioned that I am a woman who knows her business and am not shy to get my hands dirty. I already knew most things that had to do with construction besides bricklaying and therefore my take away in construction skills so far is bricklaying. As for the entrepreneurship aspect there is a whole lot that I have learned, that has opened my eyes, and directed my way of thinking to be organized and be an executer. These lessons include good communication skills, taking calculated risks without doubting yourself, marketing strategies, customer care and how to prepare a business plan from start to end. And I have no doubt that with these skills acquired I will definitely be the complete package that I aspire to be.

Apart from being inspired to be a job creator, I have a dream to contribute to my community by founding an orphanage. The reason is that I believe in giving everyone a chance to find their purpose, and having a warm bed to sleep in, food to eat and education meets the individual half way in helping them find their true purpose. Also it breaks my heart whenever I see homeless and abused children. So I believe my true purpose in this life is to give hope and support to those in great need of it.