A business mind, turned toward the world's most vulnerable communities.
When communities take control of their own development and sustainability, great things happen. Greener Africa exists to make that control possible.
The founder
Pa Joof
Gambian-British · Social entrepreneur
“If Greener Africa were to take a similar approach to anyone, it would be Bill Gates — using a business mind and problem-solving skills to help the world's most vulnerable communities.”
Greener Africa was created by Gambian-British businessman Pa Joof, out of a desire to give back to the community that raised him. He founded it to approach sustainable development in Africa in a genuinely new way — one that promises lasting and monumental change.
His design brings together NGOs and the private, public and local sectors, working in consortiums to tackle different aspects of socioeconomic and environmental problems at once. The aim: the most significant positive impact on local communities while protecting the environment, so future generations can lead healthy lives in harmony with their surroundings.
It is about empowerment and challenging norms — creative thinking and technology-driven solutions. Communities gain skills training and jobs, and with them self-reliance: the ability to care for themselves without depending on outside aid. And unlike so many cases where job growth harms the environment, every job Greener Africa helps create is a sustainable one.
Our vision
To empower Africa to become a leading light in sustainable development — a social enterprise helping communities achieve ambitious social and environmental goals.
Our mission
To bring fresh thinking to both social and environmental challenges in Africa. We collaborate to bring about lasting change — empowering communities to take steps toward environmental sustainability in a way that generates jobs and opportunities. With consortiums of NGOs, investors and community leaders, we can help shape a positive future for Africa, fuelled by the dedication of our regional partners.
What we hold to
Four values, plainly stated.
Teamwork
We believe bringing people together creates great ideas.
Be different
We are challenging established thoughts with new approaches.
Passion
We are driven by our desire to create a sustainable world.
A better world
It is all our responsibility to build a brighter future for everyone.
Greener Africa is
- Ambitious
- Compassionate
- Innovative
- Groundbreaking
- Humble
Never
- Patronising
- One-size-fits-all
- Superior
- All-knowing
- Self-congratulating
How we work
A method, repeatable across a continent.
Consortiums, not silos
The answers to today's challenges don't come from one place. We bring together NGOs, government agencies, private enterprise and community leaders — group thinking from mixed experts, pooled toward a single project.
Pilot first, then scale
Every project is researched, developed and tested as a pilot with strict impact assessments. Only what demonstrably works gets rolled out to new communities across the continent.
Ultra-local by design
We think global and work local — tailoring each solution to a specific country, environment and community, working hand in hand with the people who know the land best.
We think global, work local, and create the change we want to see in the world.