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Hand in Hand named ACT Charity of the Year 2018

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Hand in Hand International is proud to announce our selection as the Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT) Charity of the Year for 2018/19.

The award, which culminates at the ACT Annual Dinner in November, follows a competitive bidding process to the ACT charity committee. Proceeds will fund an entire Kenyan village’s journey from subsistence to success, creating an estimated 275 new microbusinesses and 350 new jobs.

“From financial literacy training to the creation of sustainable microenterprises, so much of Hand in Hand’s work centres on sound financial management,” said Hand in Hand International CEO Dorothea Arndt. “That’s why it’s with particular pleasure that we accept this honour from Britain’s professional body specialising in corporate treasury.”

Although the designation lasts all year, fundraising peaks on 14 November with a charity auction at the ACT Annual Dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, hosted by Sandi Toksvig of Great British Bake Off and featuring John Kay, one of Britain’s leading economists, speaking on behalf of Hand in Hand.

We are looking for volunteers to help in those efforts, attending the dinner to speak with interested ACT members about our work. For more information about how you can help, please email Hand in Hand Head of Media Ann Dickinson.

To read the ACT’s Charity of the Year announcement, click here.

Dorothea Arndt appointed CEO of Hand in Hand International

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Hand in Hand International wishes to announce the appointment of Dorothea Arndt as CEO. She replaces Josefine Lindänge Gutman, who is stepping down on 22 February after 10 years at Hand in Hand.

Dorothea joined Hand in Hand International in 2013 as Head of Communications. In 2015, her role expanded to include Corporate Partnerships, and for the past year she has acted as Co-CEO responsible for Hand in Hand International’s UK operations during Josefine Lindänge Gutman’s maternity leave. Before joining Hand in Hand International, she managed sales and communications teams at companies including Shell and PwC, and transitioned to not-for profit at the British Red Cross.

“What we’re doing to fight poverty is working, and today’s announcement reflects that,” said Dorothea. “It is a vote of confidence not just for me but for everyone who helps us to transform lives with entrepreneurship: our staff here in London, our colleagues in the field, and all of the donors and partners who make our work possible.”

Outgoing CEO Josefine Lindänge said:

“Helping to grow Hand in Hand International into the truly effective organisation it is today has been among the greatest honours of my life. I am certain Dorothea will take us to the next level.”

Hand in Hand International Chairman Bruce Grant said:

“Dorothea steps into the CEO role bringing intelligence, dedication and tenacity to the Hand in Hand cause. On behalf of the entire board of trustees, we look forward to working with her to raise the funds to transform a targeted 13.7 million lives by 2021.”

Hand in Hand speaks at World Bank

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Washington, DC – The world’s poorest residents are doomed to stay that way until governments do more to nurture them as entrepreneurs. That was the message delivered by Hand in Hand Eastern Africa CEO Pauline Ngari to hundreds of MPs from dozens of countries at the World Bank last week.

Speaking to the Global Parliamentary Network, a group of policymakers who meet each year as part of the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings, Pauline urged parliamentarians to:

  • adopt accelerator programmes to help grow SMEs;
  • put entrepreneurship studies front and centre in national curricula;
  • foster relationships between microfinance institutions and training organisations.

Her session, ‘Fighting Inequality Through Job Creation & Growth’, also featured speakers from the World Bank, IMF and Peace Child International. It preceded a roundtable discussion featuring Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, and Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank.

“Delivering programmes is what we do – and advocacy helps us do it,” said Hand in Hand International Co-CEO Dorothea Arndt. “The World Bank is the perfect venue to share our message, establishing jobs and entrepreneurship as key planks in the development agenda. Thanks, Pauline, for sharing it so ably.”

Youth Job Creation

The conference also hosted the launch of the ‘Youth Job Creation Policy Primer – 4th Edition’, a document outlining the problem of youth unemployment and proposing solutions for policymakers. Hand in Hand figured centrally, not least for our Entrepreneurship Clubs and four-step ‘systems approach’ to job creation. Several case studies featuring our members were also featured.

Click here to visit the policy primer website.