Social Impact Case Studies
See how we help small businesses understand the social impact they create.
Who We Helped:
Client: Sudara Freedom Fund
Business type: Hybrid: Small Social Enterprise with Nonprofit Arm
Countries: United States, India
What’s the problem?
Socioeconomic status and gender inequities often contribute to women making less than $2 a day. Poverty makes her and her children incredibly vulnerable to many forms of exploitation such as trafficking along with feelings of hopelessness, desperation, and isolation.
How can we fix it?
Impact Thesis:
Providing women at risk of or who have been exploited access to quality education and financial freedom increases their quality of life.
How we measure it:
We applied our impact strategy with a unique combination of indicators from standardized frameworks such as the UN SDGs and WHO Brief on quality of life to understand the connections between sustainable living wages and financial independence that encompass purpose and dignity.
By implementing a mixed-methods approach that combines interview data and anecdotes from the women that Sudara Freedom Fund supports we ensured that they achieve their mission of eradicating human trafficking by creating pathways to independence and freedom.
What did We find?
Our research found that Impact is practiced across four overarching domains where education and financial independence are the foundation of empowerment, increased confidence, and physiological wellbeing.
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Women gained financial independence and were empowered through education. Education creates ta pathway to financial independence by providing the opportunity to work and gain sustainable and equitable wages. In turn, financial independence creates a pathway out of trafficking especially since women can meet their children’s and personal needs such as food, clothing, and housing.
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Confidence & dignity are strongly tied to autonomy and a sense of trust. Women shared that their confidence increased because they felt valued, listened to, and comfortable sharing ideas with their employers. Being valued increases the feeling of dignity, confidence, and self-worth.
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Support and a sense of community create a positive and healthy work environment and increases mental wellness. Women shared that they received support and acknowledgment from their families once they become financially independent and can support their families, which leads to confidence, self-worth, and dignity.
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Access to financial independence by being employed increased the sense of purpose and hope. We found that women become more confident in their future and the future of their children. Confidence in the future leads to the understanding that there is a connection between financial security, empowerment, and mental wellness.
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1: No Poverty
4: Quality Education
5: Gender Equality
8: Decent Work & Economic Growth
10: Reduced Inequalities
