In January 2012, 100 workers from an M&S Kenyan supplier, VP Group, got a chance to change their lives for the better by taking part in a pilot training course called "leadership for hope".
Developed by an NGO called Emerging Leaders with support from M&S, the intensive three-day course benefited suppliers, trainees and the long-term sustainability of the retailer's supply chain.
M&S needs to train the next generation of workers if the company is to safeguard its supply chain against a range of issues, from climate change and rising costs, to declining yields and dwindling natural resources.
There is a need to adapt quickly to change and build resilience into the company's supply chain. "Leadership for hope" develops leaders who are capable of coming up with solutions that support business and the community.
Following the success of the pilot, in May 2013 Emerging Leaders trained 400 workers from 10 suppliers in a three-day event, which was also attended by 40 potential trainers.
Training workers who supply a wide range of produce, including vegetables, tea, coffee and flowers, proved that the training worked for all businesses and sectors – and whetted the appetite for training among other M&S suppliers. In all, more than 2,000 people have taken part since May 2013 with M&S extending the training right across its Kenyan supply base.
During the course workers are asked to teach what they have learned to others, make a change that benefits them and set up an income-generating project.
In the workplace, businesses said communication, productivity and worker engagement improved. More than half the attendees set up income-generating projects and for every 100 people trained, more than 20 projects are still running after a year.
People close to participants noticed a difference too, saying that trainees had become more positive and constructive, and more inclined to look for solutions to problems.
Increased financial literacy and earnings have led to higher savings and better livelihoods for many people. In turn, that means more people are able to send their children to school. The average household earnings for tea trainees, for instance, rose by 94% and savings by 51%.
Emerging Leaders have turned "leadership for hope" into a professional product, have developed a train-the-trainer programme that is training 17 new trainers, and created a series of training DVDs explaining the effects leadership has on everyday life.
After running more training courses in Kenya and South Africa, the plan is to extend the programme to west Africa and south Asia.
Lorna Thorpe is part of the wordworks network
The Guardian Sustainable Business Sustainability Case Studies contain articles on all the initiatives that met the criteria for the GSB Awards.
