House of Deliverance: 10 Teams, Zimbabwe 2022

The leanest version of the challenge still works: $15 a team, two weeks, thirty young people.

Context

In February 2022, House of Deliverance in Zimbabwe ran a 14-day challenge with 10 teams (30 young people, aged 13 to 37), facilitated by Joice Dutuma, closing with an award ceremony on 6 March.

The Act of Trust

Each team received a $15 trust-based investment, about as small as the stake gets, and two weeks to turn it into something real.

The Proof

Seven of the ten teams returned their investment. The numbers at this level are small on purpose. What the round demonstrates is reach: even a $150 total fund can put thirty young people to work as entrepreneurs for a fortnight.

A Story

One group had to overcome open peer pressure to sell at their own school. They pushed through it, made their sales, and became, in the facilitator’s words, “heroes” among their classmates. The change was as much in status and confidence as in cash.

What It Means for Institutions & Funders

House of Deliverance is the proof that the barrier to entry is almost nothing. An institution does not need a grant or a budget line to begin. A few dollars per team and a willingness to trust is enough.