Stitch By Stitch Making Sustainability Possible.
When we set out to solve the problem that WeRis(H)er seeks to solve, we faced the question of what structure it needed to succeed. We could either create a non-governmental organization (NGO, also known as a non-profit in some places) or we could create it as a business. This is an important consideration and we carefully thought it through.
We ultimately decided that it would make the most sense to create WeRis(H)er as a social enterprise in order to create a durable and resilient structure that would best reflect several factors we think are key to our model and our strengths. NGO’s certainly have their purpose and place. We believe they are most needed and most successful when there is a market failure or market gap that cannot reasonably be addressed by regular business entities.
-
In our business case, we believe that there is a market that is underserved and is not a failure of the market. We also believe that the inherent entrepreneurial spirit of women drives this business and others to fill this market need and ultimately go beyond it. The nature of the business lends itself to local organizations that will best know the need and can best meet it. WeRis(H)er is being built to be successful itself and support others in their own success.
We’ve all had experiences in the NGO and non-profit sectors and we want to build a company that avoids the pitfalls of dependence on granting agencies. We believe we can build a company and help support others in doing this, so that they too can be stable, resilient and able to stand on their own.
