A Call to The Bristol Business Community To Help Entrepreneurs In Africa Set Up Their Own Businesses

Charity Deki launches ‘Bristol Businesses Against Poverty’

Deki, the Bristol-based microfinance charity, has launched a bespoke initiative to work with businesses in and around Bristol in order to fight poverty in Africa. The crowdfunding website deki.org.uk offers long-term solutions to poverty by providing access to small loans and business training to entrepreneurs in the developing world where loans would traditionally be inaccessible to them.

A Deki loan allows an entrepreneur to build a profitable business, which will provide them with a steady source of income. Then they’re able to secure their own futures, send their children to school for longer and employ people in their local community.

The event is to be launched by the founder of Deki Vashti Seth, who’ll tell her inspiring story about how she set up the charity with just £2,000 and a note left by her late father telling her to “do something good” with it. Since its founding in 2008 the charity has gone from strength to strength, impacting the lives of more than 10,000 people in the developing world.

Vashti Seth, Founder and Chief Executive of Deki said: “We are inviting Bristol businesses to come along to our launch to find out more about how they can get involved. Our business partnerships are bespoke and we can tailor them to fit companies of all types and sizes. It’s an exciting time, with the help of Bristol businesses we aim to provide 7,000 new loans and help change the lives of 35,000 more people over the next 3 years.”

Ocean Estate Agents was one of the first businesses to sign up to the new initiative. Via a long term partnership Ocean is donating £10 to Deki for every house they sell or managed property they let. They also offer sellers and landlords the opportunity to match fund their donation.  Paul Harris, Ocean’s Founder said ‘We were really keen to support Deki, as someone who has been through the process of starting their own business, I know how hard it can be.’

Friska have been a partner of Deki since 2012 and offer a daily ‘Deki Dish’ in stores. Co-Founder Griff Holland said: “Our partnership has had a really positive impact on the business... we are excited about the future of the project as it continues to grow and offers more opportunities for entrepreneurs in developing countries.”

This event will also be showcasing a short film created especially for Deki by the acclaimed animation studio Aardman Animations and Deki’s patron Nick Park.

Notable confirmed attendees so far include the Lord Mayor of Bristol, Alastair Watson, Stephen Williams, Liberal Democrat MP for Bristol West and Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of University of West of England.

Deki was the first charity in the UK to raise loan capital through lenders and donors on its crowd-funding website deki.org.uk. Established in 2008 with seed funding from UWE Deki has now lent over £400,000 to entrepreneurs in the developing world. Deki works in partnership with numerous high profile Bristol Businesses which include UWE, Ocean Estate Agents, Friska, Ecosurety, Simpleweb and Paradigm Norton.

Email bryony@deki.org.uk for more information.