At SE International, we also believe in the support of youth, women, local and national NGOs, private and public partnerships, and technology development. It is part of our core values to support socio-economic initiatives for impoverished women and young people, sharing experiences and cultural exchange.

In this spirit of promoting entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within communities, we work hard to develop effective ways of eradicating poverty and affirming our beliefs that “No Condition is Permanent.”

Our conviction is that through hard work, proper training, and support from the help of sponsors and donors, even the most impoverished woman from a rural community has the opportunity to become a successful entrepreneur or small business owner within her community.

With the help of the sponsors and donors and the support from SE International, she will have the opportunity to build her business and afford the resources needed to care for and educate her children. She will also contribute to community development projects such as communities’ schools, boreholes, and health facilities, which she could not otherwise be able to do if she had not become an entrepreneur.

This example illustrates SE International’s core values and approach to improving sustainable socio-economic development for women, youth, families, and the community.

In 2000, SE International was founded in Eugene, Oregon. It was called Humanitarian Efforts to Lessen Poverty in Africa (HELP Africa), and the mission was to provide humanitarian aid.

In 2006, the mission of HELP AFRICA (Humanitarian Efforts to Lessen Poverty in Africa) changed its focus to capacity building for NGOs, small and middle-sized entrepreneurs both in development and humanitarian settings by strengthening partnerships among NGOs, private and public institutions. We also prioritize innovation and technology, support women and youth in employment, business development, peacebuilding, sharing knowledge, and promoting cultural and exchange programs. At the time, we also changed our organization’s name to Social Entrepreneurs International (SE International) to reflect our core values. In the same year, the first office outside of the United States was opened in Togo, followed by the DRC in 2010 and Madagascar in 2012. Since 2014, SE International has extended its programs in Ghana. In the United States of America, SE International programs focus on Public Health Professionals Without Borders –groups, capacity building, business and enterprise development for the immigrant population, and deprived women and youth in urban and rural communities. Our initiatives in the US cover the cultural and exchange programs, innovation and applied technology, public health/health care, food for all/modern agriculture, affordable housing, and giving a second chance to ex-prisoners. It also focuses on partnerships between the US entrepreneurs and those in Africa within the WASH sector, agriculture and food security, communication technology, transportation, public health, health innovations, education, and tourism.

In 2020, due to the adverse effects of COVID-19 on our programs and projects, we decided to review the scope and size of our programs. We also developed new strategies and approaches, restructured its governance, and appointed new leadership to lead and meet the organization’s 2030 goals.

To meet our 2030 goals, SE International broke down its programs in institutions, centers, and departments into the following: