Brian Mangeni, head of partner organization Einstein Rising, is himself surprised how fast it all went. "Barely a year ago, we got to know OVO because back then we organized the Kampala Impact Day together. That tasted like more. It wasn't until the autumn that I went to Belgium for the first time to get to know OVO and its volunteers and partner NGOs better. A few months later, we had already succeeded in building a local organization with a strong team."
Mangeni himself now coordinates all of OVO's activities in East Africa. For each country where OVO is present in the region, a separate coordinator has also been appointed. This coordinator must organize the further rollout of the local structure, which includes an OVO Business Club and an OVO Volunteers Club.
"We are there to take care of everything on the ground," Mangeni tells us from Kampala. The organization of SusTech4Africa, for example, OVO's coaching program to invest in promising growth companies. Mangeni and his team help set up the event and help put the program together.
"You need people on the ground," he sounds. "We help find entrepreneurs and follow them up. Belgian volunteers can very well coach a project from a distance, but it remains important that someone visits the entrepreneurs regularly. If, for example, problems do arise, we can put an investment dossier on hold until those problems are resolved."
Boots on the ground are also a great asset for building and maintaining partnerships with local organizations, Mangeni points out. "At least that way you can meet regularly and keep in touch."
OVO Business Club
In outlining the new organizational structure in Africa, Uganda serves as a model. Mangeni helped to build the first OVO Business Club there, among other things. This brings together all the entrepreneurs who have completed the SusTech4Africa program. "We look primarily at the companies that have received funding, but other entrepreneurs are also welcome," Mangeni explains.
The club is there to exchange experience and expertise, but also to set up collaborations. The idea is that fruitful cross-pollinations between different projects can occur in the lap of the club. This way, Mangeni thinks that OVO can increase its impact even more.