SAINT LAWRENCE FOUNDATION (SLF)
Founded in October 2008 by Zanchi’s family, the Saint Lawrence Foundation aims to help the poorest countries in the world, especially Sierra Leone, and intends to focus its efforts on supporting development plans in the field of education and spreading the spirit of social entrepreneurship. This mission is fully shared by the entire G.S.I. team, and is a source of great motivation for all of us.
The direct link created with the Xaverian missionaries of Makeni, Sierra Leone, has allowed the Saint Lawrence Foundation to focus its efforts in this country.
SIERRA LEONE:
is a West African country that is slowly recovering from a devastating civil war. Most of the buildings have been razed to the ground, and reconstruction requires years of work and a great deal of money. Education is one of the most serious problems, due to the lack of teachers, schools, and teaching materials. In this context, the Saint Lawrence Foundation has hugely contributed to the development of the University of Makeni, in the north of the country, with the aim of creating the necessary conditions to offer quality education to future generations, and training young leaders who will be able to trace a new path of development for their country, away from poverty, corruption, and war.
THE CREATION OF THE FACULTY OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SCIENCES:
Over the years, seven buildings have been added to the campus, three intended for housing and commercial activities, a library, a computer lab, a hostel for female students, as well as a large building for the new Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. The new Faculty of Agriculture began its activities in October 2012, with the support of the State University of Milan: this initiative represents a huge contribution to the future well-being of this country, where agriculture is the potential area of greatest social and economic growth.
In addition, since September 2014, the University of Makeni has been hosting a Master’s Degree in Administration of Social Enterprises, organized by the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. This initiative aims to encourage the creation of social enterprise projects, and to support the development of local communities. Some of these social enterprises will be supported by GSI customers. By working with us, your company can join our mission, making a lasting contribution to the overall well-being of society.
DISCOVER OUR REALITY:
If you would like to know more about Saint Lawrence Foundation visit our website www.saintlawrencefoundation.org.
SOCIAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (SBD)
Social Business Development is a charitable company, founded in December 2016, thanks to the investment of the Saint Lawrence Foundation (SLF).
SBD has no shareholders, but only two local trustees who guarantee its operations: the Bishop of the Diocese of Makeni and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Makeni (UNIMAK).
OBJECTIVES:
the company aims to develop a sustainable business model in poultry farming that, once established, can be spread and replicated throughout the country. Every year, more than 170 million eggs are imported into Sierra Leone from abroad, which corresponds to 2/3 of total egg consumption. In most cases, imported eggs reach Sierra Leone after several weeks or months from their production, being a danger to the health of the consumer: while in developed countries the maximum shelf life of the product is set at 28 days, in Sierra Leone markets it is possible to find eggs with a shelf life of 6 months. Only about a third of the domestic demand for eggs is met by Sierra Leonean production. It was therefore chosen to strengthen the poultry sector in the country, strengthening the corn-egg value chain which, before the advent of SBD, was practically non-existent.
Today, SBD has a maximum capacity of 20,000 hens, which produce around 16,000 fresh eggs per day. The company is constantly committed to strengthening the poultry industry, through the supply of excellent quality feed and the transfer of technical knowledge and support to other stakeholders in the industry.
SBD is now able to support a team of more than 75 employees, but its impact is not limited to its workforce: the network of customers, suppliers and farmers, built over time, counts hundreds of families and villages, who benefit enormously from SBD every day.
Discover more on SBD: www.socialbusinessdevelopment.org