SEE is the only membership association for the SE sector and has therefore developed a client base and membership that includes a diverse range of social entrepreneurs and supportive ecosystem. SEE’s platform provides support for existing and new innovative SEs that aim to deliver social value as they grow profitably. SEE unites all stakeholders interested in pushing boundaries to create an inclusive business ecosystem that solve critical social and environmental challenges. SEE has also accomplished various activities to create an enabling environment for SEs and build our organization capacity. Considering the low level of awareness amongst the public regarding the nature of SEs and a notable skills gap in the sector, SEE, with its partner the British Council has offered different experience sharing, awareness-raising, and capacity-building platforms to its members and the public at large.
Association of Social Enterprise Ethiopia (SEE) was founded in 2018 as a national body for the social enterprise sector. SEE is a membership organization that aims to build a strong social enterprise ecosystem in Ethiopia for a sustainable and inclusive economy. We started with seven members and have now grown into 100 actively participating social enterprises (SEs) and associate membership networks. In addition to this we have acquired more than 5,000 subscribers on our various digital platforms.
SEE promotes social enterprise – business with a social or environmental mission. Members have an opportunity to connect with other social entrepreneurs, government, donors, investors, and partner organizations; access exclusive invitations and preferential rates for events; and increase visibility through the SEE directory, media platforms, and “Business for Good” logo. SEE also coordinates training programs, mentoring, coaching, advisory support, and other business development services. Furthermore, SEE conducts research, raises awareness, and lobbies for an enabling policy on behalf of the social enterprise movement in Ethiopia.
Over the past 3 years, SEE has managed a number of successful events in Addis Ababa and Hawassa but the most successful of these was Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) 2019, where SEE was a strategic partner of British Council in hosting the highly successful global forum, which brought together more than 1,300 people from 77 countries and territories to interact and learn from each other in Addis Ababa. SEE and its present CEO, who was then working at British Council, led the organisation of this huge event. SEWF 2019 comprised of a series of connected events and went across the breadth of 9 days.