Team Spirit International
Amplifying refugee-led efforts 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 economies in developing countries, leveraging local knowledge networks and knowledge, creating economic opportunities, and accelerating refugees' work. Unleashing global talent for a better tomorrow.
Our Vision
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.
Our Impact
After training organizations to facilitate the incubator, these are the immediate impacts measured
18
Organization-strong Coalition
11
Settlements & Regions in Uganda
320
Entrepreneurs trained by our partners
20%
Increase in mental health &Â resilience
66 %
Increase in entrepreneurial knowledge
53%
Expanded their professional network
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.
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.
