Single parents are future social entrepreneurs and creators of sustainable communities and cities!
Let’s not forget our fellow citizens who are suffering from hunger and spend the day on one meal or less. Among them are children who come from socially disadvantaged single-parent families.
In 2021, GIZ and Konekt supported the civic initiative of “Mama Organa”, which as a social enterprise started working with single mothers from the Municipality of Aerodrom. This was preceded by social mapping carried out by the Municipality, which located single mothers as a vulnerable category, who, due to limited opportunities, have difficulties in finding work or a decent income for themselves and their families.
“Mama Organa” produces organic fertilizers and substrates produced from food waste, which are further marketed. The funds from the sale of compost and substrates are invested in the purchase of cultivation equipment in the winter period, in order to encourage women to grow herbs: parsley, dill, oregano and thyme, which will further be sold as spices. The group of women found support at “Mama Organa” and learned to produce their own food in the urban garden. They learned a lot: from how to make seedlings, through growing herbs in compost, to breeding decorative cacti and succulents that were sold.
Workshops were also held for online sales, and the effect is an additional 70 seedlings that are also part of the product offering successfully sold online, on social media, as well as at fairs and bazaars.
There was interest in the initiative from several stakeholders:
With the support of GIZ and Konekt, the brochure “Urban Gardening” was published, where we presented the ambition of an urban garden springing up in an attractive location in the capital and other cities.
Donors from the business community with financial support enabled the purchase of small hand tools, greenhouses for mini glass gardens, boards for raised garden beds.
The membership of “Mama Organa” in the Chamber of Crafts ensured the presence at the New Year’s bazaar where women sold their products, which brought them additional income, but also the means for a dignified and full of joy New Year’s atmosphere in their hearts.
Entrepreneurship also means quick reaction. “Since the New Year’s bazaar went well, let’s make New Year’s kits for businesses” – a new idea was born. The unique Christmas gifts were sold in a partner network of organizations and companies, as another additional way to strengthen entrepreneurial capacities, with the support of the business community.
Mama Organa continues its visionary efforts to create self-sustaining communities and social enterprises. In cooperation with the councilors from “Green Human City”, they submitted an amendment to the budget for 2022, for the installation of ten smaller composters in all municipalities, to be taken care of by an operator, and to be filled with the participation of citizens. The compost will be used for both the garden and the citizens and will include an automated process.
Urban gardens provide a practical solution to the problems of hunger, waste management, pollution and climate change. It strengthens women economically and teaches us about responsible consumption. We need to continue to strengthen partnerships. Institutions, especially local governments, can provide sites that are already abandoned, and businesses will support social enterprises to turn these places into feeders for fellow citizens who will find in them an opportunity for a dignified income. All of us in urban communities will be closer to the idea of creating new value from waste.
Targeted Goals:
“The atmosphere of the workshops filled me with positive energy and inspired me to try new things. In the future, I hope to master the technique of producing natural soaps.”
[Roze Stojanovska] is a single parent of three children, who earns a minimal income working as a saleswoman in a supermarket. She has a talent for handicrafts and is ambitious in improving her family’s living conditions. She is one of the women who takes an active part in the initiative, with the desire to educate herself about urban gardening, but also to acquire entrepreneurial skills.
But [Rose] goes on and takes a step forward – inspired by the participation in the workshops, she has an innovative idea and on her own initiative creates a prototype of natural soap, made from soap residues.
