Macrine Ondigo

The objective of the position is to look for new innovative business solutions which drive long -term sustainability of the Stern Foundation Funded project in Kinakoni Village in Kitui, Kenya. The project works with several stakeholders closely collaborating with the start-up scene, local experts, and the village community to develop innovative, user-centric solutions that contribute to improve the lives of the local communities through sustainable income generation solutions. Key thematic areas of the project are WASH, Resilience and livelihoods, Education and skills development, Food and nutrition security and Innovation. Key roles include;

• Spearhead innovative business solutions to drive long-term sustainability of projects.
• Educate entrepreneurs and decision-makers on market shifts and financing options.
• Lead fundraising initiatives and strengthen capacity on innovation within the organization.

The overall aim of the position was to support ActionAid's work with social entrepreneurship through the collaboration with partners on a locally led tourism project via the Danida Market Development Partnership (DMDP project), discovering approaches to job creation and economic opportunities. The focus being on youth capacity development and market development at local, regional and global level, exploring innovative ideas to combat challenges related to economic and social sustainability. Key roles are summarized as;

• Piloting community-led sustainable tourism project, onboarding CBOs, developing selection criteria tools, training manuals, and baseline study tools.
• Initiating discussions with key stakeholders to advocate for responsible business practices in the tourism sector and supported ActionAid Kenya in building and sustaining the Danida Market Development Partnership project.
• Developing fundraising strategies, advisory on donor engagement, and strengthening ActionAid Kenya's social entrepreneurship approaches.

The Social Entrepreneurship project in collaboration with various partners namely, UNDP, Ashoka, British Council, UN Women, SESOK and GrowthAfrica supported social enterprises with sustainable, scalable, and innovative solutions to youth unemployment and gender inequality related challenges. Key roles included;

• Evaluating and strengthening partnerships, and developing relevant checks, onboarding procedures and ensuring capacity development of the social enterprises and the young people they work with to achieve optimal performance and adoption of social entrepreneurship principles and scalability of impact.
• Developing training manuals and evaluating youth economic empowerment programs.
• Leading social enterprise expansion initiatives and piloting innovative projects.
  

Social Entrepreneurship Project Assistant
ActionAid International Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
May 2019 - May 2020

Project/Communications Intern
ActionAid International Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
August 2018 - February 2019

Creative and Marketing Lead (Self Employed)
LeeMac Communications, Nairobi, Kenya
January 2017 - May 2018