ComDev Africa: Impacting One Million Lives

Impacting one million lives, establishing 5 regional hubs, and propelling the continent through the Social and Solidarity Economy.

By 2034, we have set ourselves a bold goal that guides us every day: to impact one million lives, establish 5 regional hubs, and help propel the African continent through the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE).

Some will say it's utopian: one million lives, the SSE as an engine of development for an entire continent? For skeptics, it's unrealistic. But at ComDev Africa, we firmly believe that what seems impossible can be transformed into an opportunity for Africa and by Africa. In a rapidly changing world, inaction is no longer an option. And we have a plan to act, because "a goal without a plan remains just a wish."

First, we believe that the social and solidarity economy (SSE) is not a passing trend, but a genuine solution. It's an approach that places people and the environment at the heart of the economy. It's a dynamic driven by cooperatives, mutuals, associations, and social enterprises that combine economic performance with social utility.

Second, for me and my entire team, the SSE is the solution to the challenges holding our continent back: youth unemployment, inequality, precariousness, and lack of access to basic services.

Finally, we don't just talk about it or wait for help from elsewhere. We act with love and passion in pursuing our plan to achieve our goal.

Every day at ComDev Africa, we support women and men who dare to do business differently. These social entrepreneurs create businesses that transform lives. We support economic interest groups (EIGs), associations, and cooperatives in their structuring and scaling up. We also advise visionary companies and institutions that want to integrate the social and solidarity economy (SSE) into the heart of their work culture, in a rapidly changing world.

This is where our vision truly comes into its own. Because it's not just a number. It reflects the emergence of a new generation of economic actors, aware of their impact and committed to transforming the continent. It envisions an ecosystem where success is measured not only in profits, but also in collective well-being and lasting impact on communities.

By committing to one million lives, ComDev Africa aims not only to improve living conditions, but also to inspire. To inspire community leaders, decision-makers, and citizens to believe that Africa has its own development model: social, inclusive, and centered on the common good.

This model is based on solidarity, social innovation, and collaboration. It draws inspiration from the “Spirit of Ubuntu,” “I am because we are,” which reminds us of the importance of interconnectedness, mutual respect, and mutual support. Africa has always championed this participatory governance: from village councils where decisions are made collectively, to solidarity networks like tontines or the “Natt” in Senegal, which have embodied solidarity finance and social innovation for generations.

It is this living heritage that we are promoting, to build together a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future.

In a decade spent traveling through African towns and villages, meeting numerous African organizations that are innovating in social, educational, and economic projects, using collaboration to address local challenges, such as social entrepreneurship, local development movements, and Economic Interest Groups (EIGs), these elements demonstrate that Africa possesses a rich tradition of social innovation and collaboration, often centered on collective well-being and community resilience. With Comdev Africa, the road is still long, but every life touched, every project supported, every partnership forged brings us closer to this dream. A dream taking shape, a project becoming reality. The Africa we envision will indeed be possible.

Now it's your turn: in this 2034 vision, what role do you see for yourself, your organization, your community in building this new chapter?

Follow the adventure at www.comdevafrica.org.

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Mamba Souare

Founder & CEO of Comdev Africa

Together, let's build our future: support our 2034 vision.