The 3ZERO House: A collaborative hub for changemakers working towards creating a 3ZERO world

Different local stakeholders like MSMEs, CSOs, citizens, activists, institutions and more can meet regularly in this hub and work together on resolving environmental, economic and/or social problems that they might face in their country.   

The 3ZERO House functions as a central hub with the mission to foster a fair social and ecological transition within a country. It achieves this by interconnecting poverty, carbon reduction, and inclusion challenges together, thereby guaranteeing the emergence of solutions that can provide enduring sustainability in underserved local communities.  

Each 3ZERO House is unique and has a dedicated mission and scope. It offers different types of activities and services based on the needs in each area or country. The 3ZERO House is managed collaboratively by various local in-house partners who roll-out different types of activities aligned with the 3ZERO objective (specific 3ZERO incubation programs, micro-financing schemes, vocational trainings, leadership coaching etc…) for a wide range of targets (social and environmental entrepreneurs, CSOs, local changemakers).  

With the help of a local 3ZERO House coordinator, the partners of the 3ZERO House work together in co-hosting events and co-creating a specific 3ZERO House agenda that they roll-out every year with specific events and activities happening every month.  

Within a 3ZERO House, you can usually find:

• Co-working spaces, offices, and event spaces
• Incubation services for entrepreneurs and CSOs
• Specific Acted trainings on capacity building with ECAT (enterprise capacity assessment tool) & GOCA (grassroot organization capacity assessment)
• Leadership & empowerment coaching with specialized experts.
• Thematic workshops and hackathons to find 3ZERO solutions and create promising innovations.
• 3ZERO events like networking sessions, national 3ZERO forums, award nights to foster connections and partnerships.
• Other specific activities related to the country’s needs and to help connect and empower local changemakers.

The 3ZERO House is implemented in countries of Acted operations to support and find solutions for and with marginalized communities.  It aims to support, equip, and empower the next generation of change-makers (CSOs, entrepreneurs, activists, citizens etc..) who want to work towards a 3ZERO world.  The 3ZERO House is meant to create long-term impact for communities in need and accelerate economic and ecological development. 

Being part of the 3ZERO House can allow partners to have a bigger international platform that they can use for 3ZERO advocacy. They also become members of the 3ZERO House network – formed by all the 3ZERO House partners in the world – which gives them access to broader networks, annual 3ZERO forums etc.  

The 3ZERO House provides a collaborative framework where members can share their financial, technical, and human resources. Financially, members can organize crowdfunding campaigns and form consortia to increase their chances of obtaining grants. They can also share costs related to resources such as rent and equipment. Technically, the house facilitates knowledge-sharing sessions, mentoring, and the organization of workshops and training sessions. It enhances the visibility of NGOs through shared communication skills and offers other shared services such as accounting, finance, or event management. In terms of human resources, member NGOs can collaborate more effectively on projects, participate in networking opportunities, scale up citizen mobilization and advocacy efforts, and collectively engage in volunteer initiatives, thus strengthening the social impact of their actions. 

By encouraging collaboration and sharing within the 3ZERO House, members can optimize the use of their resources, promote collective growth, and achieve their goals more effectively. 

• The 3ZERO House Manila
• The 3ZERO House Dushanbe
• The 3ZERO House Colombo
• The 3ZERO House Yangon

The first 3ZERO House was launched in Manila, Philippines, in October 2019, with our local partner and co-founder of the 3ZERO Global Alliance, Gawad Kalinga (GK). The 3ZERO House is a six-storey building with more than 2,000m² located at the heart of Metro-Manila. The Manila 3ZERO House has been providing services to the public since the end of 2021. 

The house hosts a collaborative coffee-shop, with 60-seating capacity to co-working spaces; meeting rooms, business incubation; sustainability trainings; and a recording studio. All of these services will support the local ecosystem and cooperation between CSOs and social entrepreneurs.

The 3ZERO House in Dushanbe is a unique collaborative space established in December 2022 by Acted Tajikistan and Bactria Cultural Centre. It connects diverse actors from various sectors – civil society organisations, public and private sector representatives, and other agents of change – to drive the transition toward a world with Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, and Zero Poverty. This hub fosters innovation and pilots impactful solutions for local challenges related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, economic development, and the inclusion of vulnerable populations not only as beneficiaries but as co-creators and decision-makers. 

3ZERO House Dushanbe is centrally located in Dushanbe and features spaces for partner organizations, training, meetings, co-working areas, as well as a library, language learning classrooms, and a social cafe. 

At present, we have seven collaborative partners spanning various sectors with whom we are actively co-creating innovative initiatives, such as a tourism information center and tourism coordination platform, social entrepreneurship and creative economy programs with tailored financial instruments, youth education camps, forest and pasture management coordination mechanisms, and video production on development issues for awareness-raising and advocacy. 

In the long run, 3ZERO House Dushanbe aims to become a hub for capacity building and development for civil society organizations, creative economy as well as the center for supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises.

The 3ZERO House Colombo opened its doors in Acted Colombo premises in October 2023 to support, connect, build capacities and create new opportunities for young people and any changemaker (entrepreneurs, CSOs, students, companies) willing to tackle major challenges in Sri Lanka like waste management, gender equality, women inclusion, climate change and resilience, etc.  

The hub is built around an original concept, an awareness exhibition space on one of the major issues to address, to trigger discussions and actions. The first topic we are covering in Colombo is around the waste management issue and the circular economy.  

All the other activities that will be conducted by the 3ZERO House will be addressing this topic (Entrepreneurship programs, networking events, program co-designing etc.).  

The 3ZERO House in Yangon, Myanmar, is a community-driven space designed to tackle challenges like youth unemployment, increasing poverty, and the need for support for local civil society organizations (CSOs) and entrepreneurs. 

Launched in November 2023, the house is operated by local partners. Situated in the heart of Yangon in a century-old building, it boasts modern furnishings and easy accessibility. The two-floor setup includes a ground floor for co-working, meetings, workshops, and private sessions, while the first floor accommodates 70-80 seats for events, forums, workshops, and training. Additionally, there are private meeting spaces, a pop-up market area, and a mezzanine co-working and meeting space with 15-20 seats. 

These services aim to support the local ecosystem by fostering collaboration among CSOs, social entrepreneurs, and youth.