Our organisation began as a desire to see more substantial collaboration and coordination in international development initiatives. By reducing silo-thinking and fostering stronger partnerships across civil society, government, and business, impact is enhanced while costs are reduced. To do so, Ingrid Stange began hosting annual conferences in Oslo, bringing a wide variety of speakers and participants from around the world (such as Acumen and Ashoka). These conferences were not only a meeting place but also served to introduce (what was then) new concepts, such as social entrepreneurship and angel investing – which bridges the gap between sectors.
In 2012, Aung San Suu Kyi visited Norway to receive her Nobel Prize and met Ingrid. Myanmar had just opened after five decades of dictatorship, which had left civil society non-existing and the business sector severely uncompetitive. Together, they decided to bring theory into practice and invest in implementing the partnership-based approach in Myanmar. And so, from 2012, we did.
Supporting social enterprises quickly demonstrated that they wanted vocational training just as much as operational support and financing. Products and services had to be elevated to face growing international competition. While we developed our vocational skills programmes, we had the opportunity to work in another rapidly emerging economy – Ethiopia. Anne-Karin Nygård joined PfC in 2014 and took over as CEO after Ingrid in 2015.
With Anne-Karins life-long work and commitment to women’s empowerment, both in Norway and globally, she tilted our focus towards women, still maintaining our partnership approach. Investing in women yields higher economic and social returns. It closes gender gaps, boosts productivity, enhances innovation, and fosters a more inclusive and sustainable development. Our projects centred on promoting economic independence for women – still through education, work, and business.
Running Montessori Schools has been my passion for 35+ years, to give children equal opportunities to grow. It is well known that the stage is set during the first years of a child’s life
Ingrid Stange, Founder of PfC
While doing so, we started noticing something interesting. We, and many others, offered excellent trainings, loans, and business support, but no one targeted the fact that women often drop out because they become mothers. And the fact that they often do not come back, even those with higher education. They never get to use those skills, to grow that business, because they became mothers in a country with little access to quality professional childcare. So, we had long discussions with our partners – Ethiopian government, entrepreneurs, civil society, and participants in our vocational trainings – and we came up with a comprehensive plan. 4 tools were needed.
Quality education at this level is not a luxury but a prerequisite for social change. The first pilot project began in 2017, and due to the huge demand and immediate results, we have since 2022 specialised exclusively in professional childcare, or rather, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). As a smaller organisation, targeting a much-neglected issue, this is where we make the greatest difference and will inform our strategy in the years to come.
Having worked with PfC as a consultant from 2017, Arni Hole was appointed Chair of PfC in 2022. Her vast experience – among others – as Director General in several national ministries in Norway is highly valuable in developing holistic programmes and supporting governments in building necessary legal infrastructure as well as educating professional staff and local leadership.
Establishing national coverage of early childhood care and education is a triple win for any nation: head start for the children, freeing women’s time to paid work, and generating professional jobs in the thousands
Arni Hole, PfC Chair
Inle Heritage House, established in 2013 in Myanmar by entrepreneur Yin Myo Su, offers vocational training in hospitality to local youth. It addressed the urgent need for local upskilling and competence, leading to high employment rates and career success for graduates. The school’s sustainable model is funded by its operational services.
Yangon Bakehouse, a social enterprise, trains and places disadvantaged and disabled women in bakery and café jobs, promoting gender balance, inclusivity, and economic independence in Myanmar.
In 2015, Xynteo, PfC, and partners launched a pilot aiming to integrate over 250,000 villages into the economy via a digital platform. It provided training and crucial information, improving business operations and reducing disease through educational apps, to enhance villagers’ income and well-being.
The project taught women in Inle Lake, Myanmar, sewing and entrepreneurship skills, enabling them to start home-based businesses. Post-training, 93% launched businesses, significantly boosting household incomes.
The project provided hospitality management training to enhance hotel management standards and increase women’s managerial roles. Two batches of women were trained, leading to 91% being promoted, salary increases, and improved job satisfaction and confidence.
The project built a new primary and middle school in Inle Lake, Myanmar, to improve educational outcomes for the next generation of youth. It has capacity for around 900 children, from grade 1 to 10.
The Myanmar Women’s Mentoring Network connected aspiring and successful female entrepreneurs to improve opportunities for women in business despite enduring gender imbalances. This initiative showcased the importance of such networks, influencing subsequent projects and supported numerous businesses.
The Knowledge Sharing Centre (KSC) in Yangon, launched in 2014, provided essential training in vocational English, business, and leadership. It empowered youth and entrepreneurs by offering free courses fostering professional development and networking in a central community hub.
Myanmar’s civil society was severely limited after decades of authoritarianism. PfC partnered with local changemakers to establish a grass-roots organisation to ensure sustainable and inclusive development in democratic Myanmar.
The project, led by ICEI, fostered community-based tourism around Inle Lake, targeting marginalized villages to develop local enterprises, enhancing environmental awareness, and ensuring profits benefits the community holistically.
The project established Myanmar’s first public Certificate in Hospitality to promote career opportunities for marginalized youth, who faced severe under-employment due to a skills-gap. 78% of graduates found steady employment, with average salaries 175% above the national minimum wage.
Thousands of political prisoners released in Myanmar post-2011 lacked formal education and struggled to reintegrate. Training programs by PfC and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights helped them pursue careers and community leadership, strengthening civil society.
The project supported a vocational skills training centre in Addis Ababa that educated 854 women in either cooking, sewing, or beautification. 90% of graduates found employment, and 29 became entrepreneurs by receiving start-up loans to found their own businesses.
PfC and Eng’s Children’s Fund partnered with Siiqqee WDA to build a community centre for marginalised girls in Sebeta, Ethiopia. It provides room and board to 24 girls, as a crisis-shelter, and is the centre of the “Girls as Changemakers”-project with the AKO Foundation.
“Speak Truth to Power” is a global program initiated by Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights to educate youth on human rights, combat extremism, and promote democratic values. It featured local human rights defenders and was facilitated in Norway by Partnership for Change.
