• MedWaves, the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for SCP is providing its unique methodology for a new pilot program to promote the circular economy and social inclusion with an emphasis on gender equity among support entities for the creation of youth-led businesses in Bolivia.

Supporting green and circular business development in Bolivia

We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Save the Children Bolivia to launch the pilot program “Strengthening Support Organizations for the Creation of Circular and Green Business Models Led by Youth.” As part of this initiative, MedWaves traveled from July 15 to 26 to Santa Cruz (week 1) and La Paz (week 2). This pilot program will continue until May 2025 and will be implemented across four departments in Bolivia: La Paz, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, and Chuquisaca.

This program aims to strengthen the capacities of organisations supporting youth-led sustainable businesses and to articulate 4 regional ecosystems of organisations committed to supporting green and circular business development. The project will also support 30 youth-led green businesses, with a special focus on young women. The focus is to promote the circular economy and social inclusion with an emphasis on gender equity among support entities for the creation of youth-led businesses in Bolivia.

The project will support public, private, and civil society organizations involved in business development to enhance their capabilities to incubate and accelerate green and inclusive ventures, with special attention to the equitable participation of young people, both women and men.

Sharing MedWaves’ expertise and contributing to expand the network of passionate individuals committed to green business

Over the course of two weeks MedWaves has conducted a training-of-trainers (ToT) program on sustainable business model development based in our own methodology. The program involved 65 Business Support Organizations (BSOs), represented by 77 local trainers, most of whom focus on supporting young entrepreneurs. The first workshop, held from July 15-19, was attended by 39 experts representing 34 organizations from Santa Cruz and Sucre and the second, from July 22-26, by 38 experts representing 31 organizations from La Paz and Cochabamba.

Giorgio Mosangini (Green Entrepreneurship & Civil Society Team Leader) and Alessandro Miraglia (Networking, Partnership & Communication Team Leader) during the trainings

The sessions have been very productive and stimulating with the active participation of the trainers which are representatives of NGOs, public organisations, private entities, and universities that provide support services to entrepreneurs, committed to strengthening the environmental and social focus of their programmes and the business ideas they support.

Giorgio Mosangini (Green Entrepreneurship & Civil Society Team Leader) and Alessandro Miraglia (Networking, Partnership & Communication Team Leader) providing assistance.

Drawing on the success experienced in the Mediterranean, MedWaves is sending a ripple of positive momentum to other parts of the world. Stay tuned for future updates!

******************

Special thanks to Boris Cortez Morales, Negri Loreto Vaca Diez Monje, Bernardo Del Castillo, and Sandra Fabiola Calderon Calvo, for their warm welcome and involvement in the project. We are thrilled to have embarked on this journey with Save the Children Bolivia.