Episode 123: Paulinho Muzaliwa Regenpreneur Story - How Hungry Are You for Regenerative Change?

regenpreneur startup story Jul 08, 2023

Paulinho Muzaliwa on the Seeds of Tao Podcast

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In this episode of the Seeds of Tao Podcast, we dive into the inspiring story of Paulinho Muzaliwa, a passionate regenpreneur dedicated to solving the challenge of malnutrition in refugee camps. As COVID-19 hit and food rations became limited, Paulinho and his community faced dire circumstances. Their literal hunger led them to discover regenerative solutions, including permaculture and utilizing food waste as organic fertilizer. Overcoming challenges such as unemployment, they initiated entrepreneurial projects like soap making and worm farming to create sustainable change. Join us as Paulinho shares his journey and emphasizes the importance of focusing on regenerative enterprises to make a lasting impact.

Show Notes:

5:15 What got you to start Unidos?
1. Passion to solve the challenge of malnutrition in refugee camps
2. Matter of necessity helped us to be creative in solving our problems
3. During the lockdown we didn’t have food and our literal hunger led us to find regenerative solutions for our camp.
12:10 What did it look like during COVID for your refugee camp?
1. Food rations before COVID were very limiting
2. When COVID Started and lockdowns began the world food program started running out of funds
  1. WFP Stopped providing food rations and gave money instead
  2. Living on $3 per month
  3. It was not for them so they looked for funds elsewhere
  4. Even after distributing food bought with funds found elsewhere it was not sustainable and families were going hungry
3. 15:50 In 2020 Paulinho took my first permaculture course
  1. 25 people learned and started to apply it to our hunger problem
  2. Bringing that knowledge to others was also key first step after receiving a new understanding
  3. Utilizing our food waste as a organic fertilizer was another natural next step
4. 30:53 What are the main challenges in implementing regenerative practices in the refugee community?
  1. Unemployment is a huge challenge
    1. Cocreation spaces for deploying entrepreneurial projects
    2. Helping people to shift from idea to action from a comfort zone to a landing zone
5. 38:10 What are some of the entrepreneurial project that have been started in Unidos?
  1. Soap making and production
  2. Worm farming and food waste management
6. 43:13 What do you hope entrepreneurs can learn from your story?
  1. Create something out of nothing
  2. We can’t rely on business as usual
  3. We have a choice to focus on regenerative enterprises where we impact more than

You can connect with Paulinho on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and his website.

Guest Bio: Paulinho Muzaliwa

Paulinho is Congolese by nationality living in Uganda since 2017. He has a diploma in business and administration in DRC. In 2018 he got a scholarship at Idea4africa where he learnt Entrepreneurship, Business and Leadership and conducted trainings for identifying opportunities with and for the communities. He later founded the project Unidos Social Innovation Center in the same year.

Passionate about Regenerative Agriculture, a permaculture teacher certified by the Permaculture Education Institute, a Warm Data host, certified and accredited by the Bateson International Institute, an Ambassador in SEEDS regenerative financial ecosystem and a business and leadership facilitator.

Connect with Paulinho on LinkedIn

Host Bio: Joshua Prieto

Josh is the Co-Founder and Director of the Seeds of Tao learning platform for regenerative entrepreneurs. He has over 10 years of experience creating, building, and operating startup solutions alongside entrepreneurs of all shapes and sizes. That experience has shown him that entrepreneurs have the biggest role to play in the Anthropocene as we either create the solutions for, or become the root problem of, our people, planet, and future. Josh now co-creates educational programs that disrupt the current way our entrepreneurs learn. His holistically designed educational programs empower entrepreneurs to stop chasing “silver-bullet” solutions and start designing solutions that use regenerative systems.

Connect with Josh on LinkedIn

Blog Post:

Impact Entrepreneurship and Regenerative Business: Empowering Refugee Camps Worldwide

Refugee camps worldwide face immense challenges, including limited resources, food scarcity, and unemployment. However, amidst these difficulties, a remarkable wave of impact entrepreneurs is emerging, using regenerative business practices to tackle these pressing issues head-on. In this article, we delve into the inspiring story of Paulinho Muzaliwa, a regenpreneur who spearheaded transformative initiatives within his own refugee community. We explore the potential of impact entrepreneurship and regenerative business models to create sustainable change in refugee camps worldwide.

In refugee camps, the lack of access to nutritious food creates a grave challenge—malnutrition. The situation worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic when food rations became even scarcer due to funding shortages. Families found themselves with meager supplies, struggling to sustain themselves. This highlights the urgent need for innovative solutions that ensure food security, improve nutrition, and promote well-being within refugee camps.

Paulinho Muzaliwa's story exemplifies the power of determination and passion in effecting change. Motivated to address the challenge of malnutrition in his community, he embarked on a journey of learning and action. By enrolling in a permaculture course, Paulinho gained valuable knowledge and insights that he applied to combat hunger in the camp. His initiative inspired others, fostering a sense of empowerment and collective action.

Implementing regenerative practices in refugee communities comes with its fair share of challenges. The overarching issue of unemployment amplifies the vulnerability of individuals residing in camps. However, by creating cocreation spaces and establishing support systems that encourage entrepreneurial projects, we can empower individuals to shift from ideas to action. Providing resources, mentorship, and guidance enables regenerative practices to gain traction and have a lasting impact.

In refugee camps, entrepreneurial projects have the potential to create transformative change. Paulinho Muzaliwa and his community initiated various ventures that not only generate income but also address other pressing needs. Soap making, for instance, not only provides livelihood opportunities but also contributes to waste management. Similarly, worm farming helps utilize food waste while supporting sustainable agriculture practices. These enterprises lay the foundation for long-term prosperity within refugee camps.

Paulinho Muzaliwa's regenpreneur journey offers valuable lessons for aspiring impact entrepreneurs. Firstly, creating something out of nothing requires resourcefulness and resilience. It involves challenging the status quo and finding innovative solutions to complex problems. Secondly, impact entrepreneurs must prioritize regenerative enterprises over business as usual. By embracing sustainability and social impact, they can create profound change and address the root causes of issues.

The power of impact entrepreneurship and regenerative business models in empowering refugee camps cannot be understated. By fostering collaboration, innovative thinking, and supportive ecosystems, we can enable the growth of regenpreneurs who transform the lives of those in need. Through their endeavors, impact entrepreneurs have the potential to address malnutrition, unemployment, and environmental degradation within refugee camps, creating a brighter and more sustainable future. Let us embrace this transformative approach and work together to make a lasting impact in the lives of displaced communities worldwide.