• The instruments of data collection and participatory reflection developed in this research are available for open use in four languages: English, Swahili, Portuguese and Spanish. These tools are particularly helpful for the self-evaluation of groups or organizations which aim cooperation & solidarity and to generally advance reflections and debates on the links between work alternatives/relations and wellbeing.

¡¡¡Baja aquí Instrumentos en Inglés, Suahili, Portugués y Español!!!

• Los instrumentos de recolección de datos y reflexión participativa desarrollados en esta investigación están disponibles para uso libre en cuatro lenguas: Ingles, Suahili, Portugués y Español. Estas herramientas son particularmente útiles en la autoevaluación de grupos u organizaciones que aspiren a la cooperación y a la solidaridad, y para que en manera general se avance en reflexiones y debates sobre las conexiones entre alternativas/relaciones de trabajo y el bienestar.

• Download .PPS with the research results / Baja aquí la Presentación con los resultados de la investigación
• Download the Thesis / Baja aquí la Tesis

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Subtitles in English:

Subtitles in Swahili:

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Glucola Youth Group: discussions about the possibility of building
a decentralized value chain comprising youth groups.

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Diagram used to present the notion of decentralized value chain.

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A tree (Reflect methodology) being employed to
analyze the idea of decentralized value chain.

Reflect is an innovative approach to adult learning and social change, which
fuses the theories of Paulo Freire with the methodologies of participatory rural
appraisal. A wide range of participatory methodologies is used within a Reflect
process to help create an open, democratic environment in which everyone is
able to contribute. One of the most applied methodologies in Reflect is the tree;
this is a universally recognized symbol with clear metaphorical meanings, which
people can use to explore issues or processes from a new angle. The various
elements of a tree working together in a cycle are a basic metaphor for almost
any situation to be analyzed: the trunk usually symbolizes the situation to be
studied; the roots represent inputs, whether that be causes of a situation, past
events leading up to it, or things necessary for its existence, or income; the
branches are the consequences or outputs of the situation, or expenditure.
(Source: http://www.reflect-action.org).

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Victorious Youth Group: members watching a short video about Solidarity Economy.
This video was employed as an evocative narrative to launch discussions.

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Victorious Youth Group: members reflecting about the
relative importance of wellbeing aspects.

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Manygro: members analyzing the results of surveys applied in the group.

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Yetu Jeans: members reflecting about their satisfaction concerning
wellbeing aspects, as well as on the relative importance of these aspects.

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Example: charts representing levels of satisfaction concerning wellbeing
aspects, as well as the relative importance of these aspects.

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Research Activities in Dar es Salaam…

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Ngao Youth Group: members filling a questionnaire out.

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Example: relative importance of wellbeing aspects.

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Vijana Fenicha: members reflecting about their levels of satisfaction concerning wellbeing aspects.

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Example: relative importance of wellbeing aspects.

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Vijana Fenicha: members filling a questionnaire out.

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Function Masters: members reflecting about their levels of satisfaction concerning wellbeing aspects.

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Example: levels of satisfaction concerning wellbeing aspects.

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Researcher (Fernando Baptista)

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- Youth Groups – Part 1     (English)  (Swahili)
- Youth Groups – Part 2     (English)  (Swahili)
- Individual Youth Entrepreneurs – Part 2     (English)  (Swahili)
- Individual Youth Entrepreneurs – Part 3     (English)  (Swahili)
- Youths in the High School – Part 2     (English)  (Swahili)

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Example: questionnaire applied to youths in high school – front

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Based on the evidence that the general strategy of liberalization – and in particular neo-liberal entrepreneurship – did not prove to be effective at reducing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa throughout the past three decades, this research ventures to re-examine the concept of ‘entrepreneurship’ through the understanding of the perceptions of marginalized urban youth entrepreneurs in East Africa about a preliminary ideal-type model of ‘grassroots collective entrepreneurship’ and its potential to engender common wellbeing. Two perspectives are used in this endeavour. One draws from the theories and practices of ‘solidarity economy’ and its emphasis on democratic self-management and attainment of collective needs. The second emerges from the ‘wellbeing approach’ and basically considers that psychological and social needs are as important as material ones in terms of generating wellbeing. This study is an example of extensive multi-method approach employed to investigate a certain specific phenomenon, expecting that some of the findings could be extended to understand not only what a more general reality is like, but also to envisage how it ‘could be’.

This research will be conducted primarily with groups of youth entrepreneurs in Nairobi, Kenya. A condensed supplementary phase will be carried out in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to produce a comparative reference. The activities in both cities will be facilitated by local NGOs (Youth Initiatives Kenya – YIKE and Youth Initiatives Tanzania – YITA) which assist marginalized youths in the processes of starting and developing entrepreneurial activities. It is expected that the outputs of this research could be employed by the youth entrepreneurs in their own processes of strengthening their wellbeing, as well as by organizations which somehow support them in this endeavour, such as governments, development agencies and NGOs.

Keywords: collective entrepreneurship; wellbeing approach; solidarity economy; youth group.