Micro – EntrepreneurshipZero interest loans coupled with financial literacy training and business mentoring
Empowering change
Aotearoa’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme is making a positive impact in the Pacific Island communities, with many of the RSE workers using their salaries to buy homes and land, start businesses, help develop infrastructure such as power and clean water for their communities, and pay for their children’s education. By working together, we can multiple this impact and give back to back to the whole community of the RSE worker - those who have given up their mums & dads, their rugby team, the young men of the village, and those who step up to fill the gaps when parents are overseas.
Micro-entrepreneurship
We provide zero interest loans coupled with financial literacy training and business mentoring to enable RSE workers to set up small businesses in their home countries. This assists RSE workers to develop financial stability and build financial resilience for their communities.
Our Programmes
Simple Technology Solutions
A $600 sponsorship will ensure an RSE worker receives a biomass solar powered cookstove. For every cookstove sponsored $25 will be donated to the Fred Hollows Foundation to help fund vital cataract surgeries and $200 will go towards our community fund to help fund local projects.
Micro - Entrepreneurship
In collaboration with corporate sponsors, V2V will administer a fund to enable RSE workers to set up small businesses in their home countries. An RSE worker may apply for up to a $5,000 interest free business loan and benefit from ongoing mentorship.
Student Scholarships
Scholarships will be provided to secondary school students throughout the Pacific from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Community Projects
Community funds will help finance community projects that improve social and environmental outcomes.
Our First Initiative - Clean Cooking
As part of the sponsorship each worker will be given a biomass
solar-powered Cookstove. The distribution of 'Clean Cookstoves'
throughout the Pacific Islands will provide a pathway to enabling
social, environmental and economic change. On top of the
environmental and health benefits, this directly addresses
inequality for women and children, freeing up their time to embark
on education and enterprise.
As well as providing a means of clean cooking, the stove’s solar
powered battery will also enable charging of mobile devices and
lighting. This then creates a platform of connectivity that in turn
enables other community initiatives and micro-enterprises.
DEFORESTATION
The unsustainable harvesting of wood is causing massive deforestation, especially in Africa.
ACCESSIBILITY
Around 2.6 billion people in the world do not have access to modern, clean energy. This restricts them to using open fire cookstoves which emit high levels of smoke, exposing users to Household Air Pollution (HAP). Without access to electricity, these households must resort to buying paraffin and candles for lighting, as well as extra phone charging costs.
HEALTH
Over 4 million people in the developing world die every year from illnesses attributable to HAP. Most of these are women. Diseases related to HAP kill more people every year than AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis combined.
CARBON EMISSIONS
21% of global black carbon emissions come from residential fuel burning, mostly in the developing world.
HOW YOU CAN SPONSOR A WORKER
Sponsor an RSE worker for $600 AND MAKE AN IMPACT in 4 ways
By Gifting an RSE worker a Biomass Solar-powered Cookstove to take home to their community, reducing the harmful environmental and social impacts of open-fire cooking.
With every Cookstove a $25 donation will be made to the Fred Hollows Foundation for cataract surgeries in the Pacific, acknowledging the harmful effects of open-fire cooking on eye health.
Make a contribution of $200 this will be made to a community fund to finance community initiatives and micro-enterprise for enterpunership. As more RSE workers are sponsored the funds will grow.
Support your worker to participate in a network of mentoring and training through our partner network while here in NZ.
Contact us for tailored sponsorship options.
Our vision is 'Changing Lives in the Pacific'
Our mission is 'Communities helping Communities'
Joyce Iaris
Pilot programme participant 2021
I am Joyce Iaris, I have been part of the New Zealand RSE scheme for 13years. This Season I have been with Focus Labour Solutions on vineyards throughout Marlborough spending a lot of my time at Dog Point Vineyards. I live in the Port Villa Capital of Vanuatu. My village is called Teuma Green Hill. We have a church and a primary school. We grow our own food and crops using rain water, cyclone Pam flattened our houses and crops, we had to rebuild our house, replant our crops and gardens. This was hard and used all our income. My dream when I go home is to start a small business selling our pineapple and other crops, I will buy them from my family and community and sell in the big markets in Port Villa and hope to find a market to bring them to NZ. In my rest time I walk and visit family, swim and go to church, I love to play volleyball. Being part of the Impact education program with Entrepreneurial Women with Purpose and Village to Village Charitable trust has help us communicate, discuss and share ideas, making us feel positive about ourselves and the possibilities for the future. l feel so supported by the mentors, Cath, Jill, Sarah, Tracy, Alex and Mandy. Thank you to my mentors and my sponsor I have enjoyed and gained so much from this programme.
Isabel Ronnie
Pilot programme participant 2021
My Name is Isabel Ronnie, I have been working for Focus Labour Solutions on vineyards throughout Marlborough spending a lot of my time at Dog Point Vineyards. I have been part of the RSE Scheme for 13 years.
I am from a small island of 4 villages called Tongariki, my village is called Leiwaima, it is only a small community of about 50 people. We grow our own food from the garden, our village has a church and a primary school which combines the kids from 4 villages together.
In my village most houses are built from local materials such as wild cane and coconut leaves, only a few houses are built from iron roofing. We collect rain water and store it in wells and tanks.
When I return home from working this year I would like to generate income by sewing the ZECO bags and selling them at the market.
My future dream is to further my studies in running a small business.
I love spending time with different people and learning from them so
being part of the Impact education program with Entrepreneurial Women with Purpose and Village to Village Charitable trust has been a wonderful opportunity. To be supported by the mentors, Cath, Jill, Sarah, Tracy, Alex and Mandy has been so amazing, I now know I can reach my dreams.
Thank you to my mentors and my sponsor. I am so privileged.
Foundation partner
