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Text 100, a global public relations agency, is engaged in a pilot employee volunteer programme with TechnoServe, a global NGO, which benefits thousands of entrepreneurial men and women in developing countries each year.

The corporate social responsibility partnership was announced in February 2008 and as both organisations are global and also place great emphasis on encouraging and supporting entrepreneurialism, it was clear that there would be a great deal of common ground. Text 100 has committed to providing $300,000 worth of PR support each year to TechnoServe.

Participants are selected from Text 100’s 31 offices worldwide and spend eight weeks with TechnoServe on development projects in South America and Africa. During this period, volunteers help raise awareness and understanding of TechnoServe’s brand, acting as business advisors while sharing skills and expertise with the local project teams. Initiatives focus on assisting individuals in emerging countries with building and growing businesses, and in turn creating opportunities to generate income for their households and support the local economy. Text 100 will also send at least one employee per year on a global secondment with TechnoServe.