The UN SDGs outline an extensive list of urgent and complex world challenges that require long term but rapid solutions. From ending poverty in all forms and ensuring the availability of water and sanitation for all, to reducing inequality; these are ambitious goals, but they are also shared. That’s why TRANSFORM unites corporates, donors, investors and academics to support visionary enterprises across Africa, Asia and beyond, that are already working on the ground to implement such solutions.
Many enterprises have local insights and connections, as well as great working solutions to the challenges they face in their communities. What we need is to help these enterprises scale their solutions faster and wider, allowing them to reach more people and branch out their impact.
This is an approach that resonates with EY organisation, one of TRANSFORM’s core organisations. Through EY Ripples, EY professionals use their knowledge, skills, and experience to support impact entrepreneurs, helping them improve their businesses’ resilience, productivity, and capacity to scale sustainably. For EY teams, working with inspiring entrepreneurs not only extends their personal purpose, but also helps build their skills and networks. Together, such collaboration unlocks meaningful impact, driving progress towards the UN SDGs.
Volunteer: Sukky Agbomeji, Senior Manager at Ernst & Young LLP
Working in the strategy and transaction analytics service, I focus on data-driven decision-making for clients in healthcare and life sciences. Through a coaching programme via TRANSFORM and EY Ripples, I worked with Taka Taka Ni Mali, a waste management enterprise in Kenya, to support their digitalisation journey.
Taka Taka Ni Mali is a TRANSFORM enterprise that is dedicated to keeping more waste out of landfills and helping workers in the waste sector gain a better income. According to UNEP, waste generation is relatively low in Kenya, yet 92% of waste is mismanaged as there are no collection services in rural areas.
Enterprises like Taka Taka Ni Mali are essential to addressing this critical issue. Together, we refined Taka Taka Ni Mali’s business model, supporting the business to scale and become one of the best ESG enterprises in East Africa. I am particularly proud of the launch of its digital platform. I was able to use my knowledge and experience from EY in the data field and tailor the solution to fit the local markets.
It has been truly encouraging to hear from beneficiaries of Taka Taka Ni Mali especially, including its workers and their family members. Through creating job opportunities for waste collectors, the enterprise has increased the recycling of waste and raised awareness of the importance of waste management.
It has also turned informal waste workers into community-focused entrepreneurs. They are motivated to connect with other stakeholders in the sector to collect and recycle waste more efficiently.
The story of Ruth, a lady from Rongai who works at Taka Taka Ni Mali, is particularly inspiring. After receiving training from Taka Taka Ni Mali Foundation, she became a waste aggregator and gained access to a larger market. She is now able to buy waste from other collectors and sell it at a higher price, providing her with the necessary income to support and educate her children. Stories like this feed my soul, they give me a purpose in life and a reason to wake up every day knowing that my work has a positive impact on someone's life
The experience helped me become a more well-rounded professional and find further purpose through my work. The project with Taka Taka Ni Mali created the sort of impact I’ve always wanted to be involved in and I’m very proud of what we have achieved together.
Volunteer: Kevork Arslanian, Senior Manager at Ernst & Young
Thanks to TRANSFORM and EY Ripples, I had the chance to work with Nazava Water Filters, an impact enterprise whose work directly impacts SDG6 around water and sanitation and SDG5 around gender equality.
Based in Indonesia and with a presence in several countries, Nazava provides household water filters that do not require the use of electricity or heating. This allows families to filter tap water and well water more easily and affordably, into safe drinking water.
In areas where the risk of water security is high with only scarce surface water supply, Nazava’s work is instrumental in improving the health and sanitation for the communities. Moreover, it helps reduce gender inequality as women are often beneficiaries of better access to clean water.
According to research from UNICEF and WHO, women are most likely to be responsible for fetching water for households, while girls are nearly twice as likely as boys to bear the responsibility. It makes women and girls lose time in education, work, and leisure.
I wanted to contribute my knowledge and insights to help Nazava unlock its full potential. Given my background in business and sustainability, I provided consultation on reporting, business practices, and performance management. For instance, we worked together to streamline, standardise and digitise reporting to generate better and timely insights to management. We also discussed good practices around people performance management and development lifecycles.
It has been exciting to be part of the process of driving positive change and giving back to the community through my profession. TRANSFORM and EY Ripples allow me to connect with people and tackle global challenges that I wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to. This is all part of my purpose to build a better working world for businesses, communities and our planet.
Skills-based volunteering to support the growth ambition of innovative local entrepreneurs is a fundamental part of the equation that has allowed TRANSFORM to positively impact over 16 million lives and counting. We encourage anyone working within the core organisations to explore volunteering opportunities with TRANSFORM. If you’re already volunteering, share your stories with us to inspire more like-minded people.
This publication contains information in summary form and is therefore intended for general guidance only. It is not intended to be a substitute for detailed research or the exercise of professional judgment. Member firms of the global EY organization cannot accept responsibility for loss to any person relying on this article.
