Publications
Publications
  • September 2010 (Revised July 2021)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Gone Rural

By: Andre F. Perold
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:10
ShareBar

Abstract

Gone Rural employs 750 women in rural communities across Swaziland to produce handwoven baskets and other hand-crafted items. The women are mostly grandmothers caring for children orphaned as a result of the country's high AIDS-related death rate. The company has a strong social mission to improve the economic situation of these women and wants to grow rapidly. It has been very successful designing, making, and selling its products in the high-end global marketplace. It now needs to raise significant external capital to build new facilities. This may be the first time in its 18-year history that the company brings in external profit-minded stakeholders.

Keywords

Social Enterprise; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Growth and Development; Buildings and Facilities; Business Growth and Maturation; Corporate Finance; Business and Shareholder Relations; Swaziland

Citation

Perold, Andre F. "Gone Rural." Harvard Business School Case 211-016, September 2010. (Revised July 2021.)

About The Author

Andre F. Perold

More Publications

Related Work