investing in the girl child: school as sustainable enterprise

by Dr Jeremy B Williams

Investing in Girls: School as Sustainable Enterprise

@TheGreenMBA@jeremybwilliams

jembwilliams profjeremybwilliamsgs4g.org

WINDaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 5 November 2015

Why the need for sustainable enterprise?

The Earth

… is full

Full of us …

Full of our stuff…

… and full of our garbage

We’ve also changed the surface of the earth

We dig it up …

We chop it down …

… and we take as if there is no tomorrow

We need 1.5 planets to sustain current consumption patterns …

Overstepping Ourselves

As our Ecological Footprint continues to exceed Earth’s biocapacity, we overdraw from our future.

74% 114% 156%OF BIOCAPACITY OF BIOCAPACITY OF BIOCAPACITY

with potentially devastating effects in the form of climate change

Why GS4G as sustainable enterprise?

http://youtu.be/1e8xgF0JtVg

The ROI on girls’ education is well documented

A community provides landAnd labourMaterials to build the school are sourced locallyEnergy is entirely renewable:solar, wind; or biomassHigh qualitycurriculum via InternetRainwater harvesting for water supplyAll wastewater disposed of on siteUsed for fruit and veg cultivation and livestockAnd tree plantingGS4G is a focal point for the whole community

VISIONEmpowering all girls to realise equal opportunity through education that is ecologically, socially, and economically self-sustaining.

MISSION

Provide community prosperity through local investment of labour and materials to establish a sustainable educational campus for girls.

In return, the education delivered will enable the inter-generational cycle of gender inequality to be broken, and provide knowledge that will provide the foundation for sustainable development of communities.

VALUESThe enterprise will revolve around the three values of:

1. ecological sustainability

2. gender and inter-generational equality

3. the belief that giving a girl the education and the ability to make informed decisions about her life will ultimately benefit her community and society more broadly.

What does the business model

look like?

The business model is based around

IMPACT INVESTMENT

Set up GS4G Foundation

Make debt/ equity investments in GS4G campuses including

student loans

Recycle returns to make new investments

Scale up creating economic, social and

environmental impact

Set up GS4G Foundation

• Corporate investors• Social Stock Exchanges and patient capital funds;

e.g. Acumen• Crowdfunding• Fundraising chapters• Carbon offset programs• Donor agencies; e.g. UN agencies

The World’s Most Sustainable Companies, 2014 (Forbes Magazine)

Corporate investors

Toronto New York

SingaporeLondon

www.acumen.org

GS4G Fundraising Chapters in major cities hosting regular events

Funding via companies participating in CDM programs

Make debt/ equity investments in GS4G campuses including

student loans

• The GS4G Foundation would retain majority ownership to ensure mission integrity for a period of 10 years

• Return on equity may be set at capital preservation (or close to 0%) for a period of time

• Debt in the form of social impact bonds• To be sustainable enterprise every campus of GS4G must

become economically viable• Operational costs to be covered from proceeds of on-campus

entrepreneurial activities• Student loans from the GS4G Foundation repaid upon

employment following graduation

Scale up creating economic, social and

environmental impact

• Location selection is critical and local knowledge essential• Extensive community consultation an important first step and the

rationale for an all girls’ school accepted• Local community must supply the land and the labour in return for

equity• Best practice sustainable building design, sourcing construction

materials locally• The campus would be a focal point for the community in providing a

catalyst for sustainable development; i.e. food and water security, employment and business development

• Volunteer networks would be tapped to import skills and knowledge unavailable locally

Recycle returns to make new investments

• GS4G is not a charitable organisation, but a business with a different mission; i.e. it seeks to maximise economic, social and environmental welfare not profit.

• Development is freedom from hand-outs. A person’s dignity is not served by charity, and GS4G is about contributing to the creation of strong, self-sufficient and resilient communities.

• Successful GS4G campuses can provide financial returns to the GS4G Foundation and also provide mentorship for new campuses.

“Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” … following energetic campaigning from groups like Girl Effect

The UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have been succeeded by the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Potential partner organisations focused on investment in girls’ education and gender issues

India would be an ideal place to start

Companies with at least Rs 5 crore net profit or Rs 1,000 crore turnover or Rs 500 crore net worth will have to spend 2 per cent of their three-year average annual net profit on CSR activities in each financial year, starting from FY15.

Mandatory expenditure on “CSR”

"Girls' education is the single best investment that any society can make."

Carol Bellamy, Former UNICEF Director

@TheGreenMBA@jeremybwilliams

jembwilliams profjeremybwilliamsgs4g.org

Thank you for listening