Team Spirit International
Leveraging refugees' potential to build a resilient, innovative and more inclusive future
Supporting refugees to thrive,
not only survive
Fostering self-reliance, economic opportunities and food security
Team Spirit aims to reimagine the economic inclusion of refugees to benefit everyone. We are planting the seed of change through agricultural self-reliance. Thereby, we leverage the creative and diverse forces of refugees to form a resilient, innovative and more inclusive society. We see future migrations caused by climate change and global geopolitics as a chance to rewrite the narrative of refugees into an opportunity. So all can thrive, not only survive.
Our mission is to create concrete, sustainable livelihoods by establishing a new agricultural supply chain, bridging existing market and job gaps. Each livelihood within the different value steps of cultivation, processing, storage and sale is connected to a vocational training pathway. This allows for sustainable skill transfer, efficient agricultural processes and more diversified job offers. Economic opportunities emerge. Refugees become self-reliant global citizens.
Together with refugee communities, we co-create sustainable and inclusive ecosystems that can scale across agrarian economies in developing countries which leverages local knowledge networks, enhances food security, creates economic opportunities and enables refugees to become self-reliant global citizens.
Our Vision
The Problem
Bare neccessities vs. Self Reliance
Globally, refugees only receive bare necessities like food and shelter so they rarely have the chance to participate in the local economy to become self-reliant and leverage their potential. With the increasing displacements through climate change and global conflicts, it's crucial to build more sustainable systems that enable human flourishing in the long run.
Food Insecurity and Lack of Livelihoods
Uganda is a pioneer in refugee politics as they push towards self-reliance mainly through agriculture, and that's why Team Spirit starts its operation in Uganda. However, they have difficulties in being self-sufficient as they lack access to concrete livelihoods and the market while facing high crop production losses leading to a 4.6 billion US Dollar loss yearly. This results in issues of food security and lack of viable economic opportunities.
Our Approach
Increasing food security and economic growth
Enhancing supply chains and agricultural know-how
Team Spirit creates concrete livelihood opportunities and increases food security by enhancing the current agricultural supply chain and fostering agroecology. Thereby, we bridge identified knowledge, process and infrastructure gaps while directly providing jobs within the value chain. We capitalize on the strong agricultural sector more efficiently by integrating more sustainable agricultural practices and expanding into adjacent markets that diversifies employment opportunities.
Building and Leveraging Skills
Creating livelihoods and foster innovation
The created livelihoods through the supply chain enhancements are directly tied to vocational training. They aim to enhance agricultural and business know-how, hone entrepreneurial skills and overall advance the sector. It thus enables more grassroots innovation, efficient skill transfer and higher market access. After completion of the training, there is a chance to directly apply the learnings by participating in created livelihoods or building an own social enterprise in the supply chain.
Strengthening Collaboration
Leveraging knowledge ecosystems
As part of our programs, we aim to build platforms and dynamics for the communities to share their knowledge and support each other effectively to ensure know-how and skill transfer while fostering stronger community networks. Through surveys, interviews and focus groups, these learnings and insights are the key ingredient in creating Team Spirit's programs.
Key Facts
Our Pilot Program
59
Participants
Our bootcamp targeted male and female refugees from the Rwamwanja Settlement, between 18 - 36 years old that have little to advanced agricultural knowledge.
200
Tools Distributed
Each participant received three tools to foster sustainable agricultural practices and each created farmer collective got a shared tool including seeds to start cultivation.
5x
Usual Monthly Stipends
To compensate participants for their time and provide transportation support, they received each day a stipend. Their usual monthly stipend - which only covers the bare minimum or not even - was similar to the daily we gave.
6
Farmer Collectives Built
To ensure continued engagement and strengthen the existing collaboration between community members, out of the Bootcamp we built six farmer collectives according to region.
Testimonials
The Team
Our international team has a unique combination of local partners, global experts, team members and collaborators in the refugee arena, agriculture empowerment, international development, innovation, and social entrepreneurship which ensures that we tackle the crucial topic of refugees in a novel, sustainable and inclusive way.
Impressions
Our Agroecology and Business Bootcamp
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Our Partners
Since January 2022, Team Spirit has been part of the Harvard incubator Harvard Innovation Labs. We have won a Spark Grant.
Harvard Innovation Labs
Together with a world-changing institution, we want to facilitate the exchange between next-generation and refugee leaders.
African Leadership University
For the 2023 edition, Team Spirit International was selected from 570 teams to be part of the BeChangeMaker Program in 2023 organized by World Skills and HP Foundaiton.
BeChangeMaker
In the spring semester of 2022, Team Spirit has been part of the Studiolabs program of LPCE. We have also won their Venture Support Fund.
Lemann Program on Entrepreneurship and Creativity
Since fall 2022, Team Spirit has been working closely with Tomorrow Vijana - a refugee-led youth empowerment organization in Uganda. They have been key partners in developing the pilot program.
Tomorrow Vijana
Unleashed is a refugee-led livelihood organization in Uganda that has helped Team Spirit in its demand validation and interviewing refugees in the Nakivale Settlement.
Unleashed
Contact
Do you want to create a more equitable, resilient and innovative future now? We too, so don't hesitate to reach out to us.