This text is part of the special Social Economy section
Before Kevin Ablé immigrated to Quebec at the end of 2019, according to him, there was only the market economy that dominated the world. It was only once he arrived in the province that he noticed that another solution existed and that it placed people at the center of its profits rather than “profit at all costs”. He then decides to devote all his time to improving his living environment as well as that of his community.
Kevin Ablé’s love for his profession as a social business development advisor is contagious and continues to grow, as he works within the Outaouais-Laurentides Regional Development Cooperative (CDROL), an organization dedicated to supporting collectives carrying projects.
“Essentially, I ensure that the groups who come to see us at the coop have identified an important need for the community. I look at how they can respond in an economically viable way by finding them partners who express the same needs and then I support them, in certain cases until they become a company,” he summarizes. to define the mission of your organization.
In just three years, he has lost count of the good deeds carried out with the help of the cooperative. He mentions, among other things, his involvement in the Bouchette solidarity cooperative, located in the Vallée-de-la-Gatineau, which made it possible in 2021 to reestablish a local grocery store at the end of its life and thus avoid the presence of a food desert in the territory.
On a more personal level, the business development advisor cannot leave unmentioned his direct involvement in the start-up of the social economy NPO Bénévoles ivoiriens du Canada (BIC) in 2021, being himself of Ivorian origin. An essential initiative, he says, which works to break the isolation of members of the Ivorian diaspora in the country through cultural and outdoor activities.
The power of community
“The mobilization of a community to materialize an idea by equipping itself with means and solutions remains the most beautiful thing and what touches me the most in the social economy,” he confides, convinced that this model represents an essential economic pillar and the path to take collectively for a sustainable and responsible future.
By his own admission, it is also this civic force which created in him, upon his arrival in the province four years ago, a real love at first sight for the economy driven by social profitability. “I obtained a bachelor’s degree in management and accounting in France, so I decided to combine my expertise in business administration with an economic model that better respected my values,” says Kevin Ablé, now 32 years old and living in Gatineau.
Democratizing the social economy
As part of Social Economy Month in November, Kevin Ablé of course wants several issues related to the environment to be resolved, such as the labor shortage or the transition to digital to improve sales and marketing. interaction between the main players in the field. However, if there is one aspect to improve that would make him very happy at the end of this month, it would be to increase the funding of elected officials from cooperatives, associations and NPOs so that they can fully accomplish their mission.
“It is often difficult for social economy businesses to be eligible for subsidies because they are not often recognized as businesses as such. They are often considered community organizations or simply associations. It’s quite a fight to be recognized,” he explains.
To achieve this, according to him, everything depends on promoting and democratizing the economy among the public and elected officials. “We are not the fifth wheel of the carriage, we are a living and existing company,” he exclaims.
Thus, the CDROL, with the Outaouais Social Economy Pole and other partners, is mobilizing the Outaouais community on November 23 at the Citizen’s House in Gatineau to express their conviction, in the form of a forum, that the social economy is already a form of response to the socio-ecological transition that many are waiting for.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.