Event

To showcase and talk about examples of social entrepreneurship in Latvia on a broader scale, from September 24 to 26, the Social Entrepreneurship Association of Latvia (SEAL) hosted foreign guests – the WAMA COOP Association for Social Entrepreneurship from Poland and the social enterprise KNOF from Slovenia – and introduced them to various Latvian social enterprises and organizations that incorporate adult and community education, as well as green living and sustainability into their work.

The represented fields included literature, music and performing arts, environmental adaptability, startups, green lifestyle, catering and event organizing, idea workshops, education, and more. We participated in visits, engaged in practical activities, and also held discussions, exchanging experiences with each other.

We introduced the guests not only to social entrepreneurs in Riga, but also visited the city of Jelgava, which is a great example of how a growth-promoting environment is being created not only in the capital.

And now, a little more about what we experienced:

In the morning of the first day of visit, representatives from three countries gathered in the cozy office of the Open Society Foundation “DOTS,” where we got to know each other a bit better. We also introduced our project partners with social entrepreneurship and the field of the social economy in Latvia, as well as the various focus areas of SEAL, one of which is education of a society.

Inga Muižniece, the founder of the social enterprise “Sonido,” shared her success story. “Sonido” is a call center for people who feel lonely and want someone to talk to. As representatives from KNOF and WAMA-COOP pointed out, neither Poland nor Slovenia has a similar phone line dedicated to people, who simply want to talk and to feel heard.

After Inga’s inspiring story, it was time to stretch our legs and to physically visit other SEAL members and explore their experiences in their actual working environments.

The first in-person visit was to the SEAL member, the non-governmental organization “Apeirons,” which actively educates the public on various issues related to improving the quality of life for people with different types of disabilities. Public education takes place in many forms – through social media and influencers, interviews in traditional media, and memorable advertising campaigns. We saw several of these campaigns in the “Apeirons” office and learned the stories behind their creation. “Apeirons” has also developed an innovative service called “Sensory Lunch,” where participants, during the meal, learn several sign language signs, gain insight into Braille, and learn about environmental accessibility.

After a lunch at the social enterprise café “Boršč in Old Town of Riga/Delicious with Ukrainian women”, which provides employment opportunities for people from Ukraine, we headed to the museum of SEAL member, the social enterprise “Invisible World.” This enterprise educates the public about vision impairments through an interactive experience. In the “Invisible World” museum, visitors, guided by a blind guide, walk through completely dark rooms and try to complete various tasks related to touch and movement. At the end of the activity, visitors have a chance to ask the blind guide various questions to better understand the daily life of a visually impaired person and the barriers they face every day.

On the second day of the visit, we traveled to Jelgava City, where we met the people making a difference in the city and its surrounding areas.

The day began musically with a visit to the social enterprise “BJMK Rock School” the only accredited music school offering a professional music education program in “Rock Music.” Here, not only children and young people, but also adults can fulfill their dream of learning rock music by playing rock instruments and mastering vocal skills. We saw this firsthand when one of the school’s teachers greeted us with a song and a virtuosic guitar performance.

By organizing various events, the rock school also contributes to the city’s cultural and community life, providing its students a platform to showcase their talent to a wider audience.

The city of Jelgava is actively creating an environment where social entrepreneurship and various citizen initiatives can thrive. One of the key contributors to this effort is “KOPRADE,” a special space for young people established by the Zemgale Business Center. Young people aged 13 to 25 from the Zemgale region come together here to enhance their entrepreneurial skills. The Zemgale Planning Region (ZPR) promotes not only traditional entrepreneurship, but also supports social entrepreneurs and creators of social innovation. SEAL collaborates with ZPR to promote social entrepreneurship and innovation in this region.

The Zemgale Regional Competence Development Center (ZRKAC) provides lifelong learning opportunities tailored to the needs of the Zemgale region’s residents, considering the wishes and needs of every individual. The center embraces various innovative methods and organizes a grant competition for social entrepreneurs called “Impulse.”

On the way back to Riga, we stopped by the social enterprise “Branku Brančotava,” a catering and event venue. It was established by the association “Tuvu,” which helps families in Latvia who are in need and lonely individuals. The organization also works with young people by organizing camps and events. Thanks to the profits from the charity shop “Tuvu” and the cultural venue “Branku Brančotava,” various charity projects are carried out.

The visit to the second-hand clothing and goods store “Otrā Elpa” (Second Breath) was a fantastic opportunity to purchase beautiful and practical souvenirs as mementos of the trip. The company’s team introduced the guests to ways of caring for the environment by applying business methods. This meeting was especially valuable for the Slovenian company KNOF, as they, like “Otrā Elpa,” specialize in the reuse and resale of clothing and furniture. Both companies shared their experiences and exchanged ideas.

From saving the planet, we moved to literature. The social enterprise “Ziedoņa klase” (Ziedonis Class) introduced the Polish and Slovenian guests to Latvia’s outstanding poet and thinker Imants Ziedonis. The organization focuses heavily on educating and inspiring teachers, because only inspired and happy teachers can make their students feel the same way. They also offer activities for children – classes can sign up for a team-building game in a closed room inspired by Imants Ziedonis’ works, where students solve various puzzles.

The day continued in an artistic atmosphere as we arrived at the creative spaces of the social enterprise “Zvaigznājs,” where young performing artists express themselves musically and creatively using modern sound and visual techniques. The studio was created by the well-known Latvian singer Agnese Rakovska, who represented Latvia in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest.

“Viskaļi” also offers workspace for creative and positively “crazy” people who want to develop their ideas, projects, or businesses while looking for a vibrant community to grow in. The large and empty former building of the Riga Technical University was given to the social enterprise “Free Riga,” which renamed the space “Viskaļi.” They’ve also been granted two other buildings in Riga, where new tenants are breathing life into these spaces.

At “Viskaļi,” the foreign guests, shared impressions, discoveries, and feelings from the past few days.

Here are a few quotes from the them:

“A great opportunity to meet like-minded people with similar life paths and challenges. After participating in such an event, I no longer feel so alone in my work. I feel positively ‘recharged.’”

“The visit program was very rich. I liked that we had the opportunity to meet representatives from various fields.”

“Great experience! I gained new ideas on how I can help develop new initiatives in NGOs in Poland.”

We extend our thanks to our members and social entrepreneurship support organizations that opened their doors to our guests and shared their stories: Sonido; Apeirons; NeredzamaPasaule.lv; BJMK; Zemgale Planning Region;, Zemgale Regional Competence Development Center; Branku Brančotava; Otrā Elpa; Ziedoņa klase; Zvaigznājs and Viskaļi.

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The trip took place as part of the project “Think globally, act locally – international partnership for effective social entrepreneurship education,” co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ program.