In this so-called “modern world” we have created, most individuals solely focus on wealth maximisation, and ignore the other aspects of life. This results in a state where impoverished people just barely survive, and rich people get even richer. But as Dr Muhammad Yunus eloquently mentioned in this book the Banker to The Poor: “The poor people are bonsai people. There is nothing wrong with their seeds. Only society never gave them a base to grow on.” These deprived people can break the chain of poverty if they are allowed to explore their own potential and capability. One way to do this is to equipped them with necessary skills and let them use the skills to earn. The matter of optimism is that the younger generation, not infected with parochialism, has the ability and the enthusiasm to put it into action. In many parts of the world, the youth have already started implementing the concept of social business and we are witnessing positive changes in the lives of poor people. The term social business, explicated by Dr Muhammad Yunus, is a cause-driven business where the main purpose is to obliterate social problems through a sustainable business model where investors can gradually recoup the money invested. In Bangladesh, the opportunity for social business is enormous since the country has long been shackled by poverty, natural disaster, malnutrition, illiteracy and many other social problems. Therefore, Grameen has established a number of joint ventures (social businesses), such as Grameen Danone, Grameen Veolia, BASF Grameen, Grameen Intel, and most recently Grameen UNIQLO to solve the pressing social problems in Bangladesh. Most of us are unaware of the fact that besides Grameen ventures, there are a number of social businesses mostly run by young people, which are changing the lives of underprivileged people every day. Punoh is a social business and internet-based store that sells new and rarely-used quality clothing and accessories, online. It all started when Syeda Gulru Hasan, a young, enthusiastic, and creative-minded social worker, along with Rafiqul Islam, an IT entrepreneur, wanted to develop a sustainable fund for poor women and train them with necessary skills so that they can at least have a chance to compete in the job market. The idea of an online clothing store surfaced when Ms Hasan heard, on numerous occasions, that people have clothes that is just “taking up space” but “too good to give away or throw away!” Punoh gives potential buyers/sellers the platform to buy and sell, and actually releases the money which was locked in a closet back into the economy. Since this is a new venture (started in March 2013), the very first “social benefit” from Punoh will come about in July when a number of disadvantaged women will be trained on computers; mainly in MS Office which will enable these women to work as freelancers once they are trained. Panther Social is another very unique Social Business in Bangladesh operated by a talented man whose mission is to help rickshaw pullers become financially independent. The founder, Mr Ahad Mohammad Bhai, after completing graduating from the University of British Columbia, came back to Bangladesh and started his own advertising firm which aimed to introduce new and innovative methods, one of them being branding rickshaws. After being inspired by a speech given by Dr Muhammad Yunus at a seminar, Mr Ahad decided to convert his rickshaw branding business into a social business. The rickshaws are branded by replacing the entire lining of the hood with custom design prints, and are also remodelled incorporating the safety and comfort of the passenger, for example adding headlights and seatbelts. Then the rickshaws are sold at a higher price to clients, such as, corporate houses, small/medium businesses and/or philanthropists. The fund generated from the sales is used to assist the rickshaw-pullers with structuring and setting up a business, focusing on purchasing a rickshaw of their own, setting up a small shop/stall, or a small agricultural project. Panther Social is also planning to launch a reality TV show named “The Social Business” – a competition where people pitch their idea for the best social business, and through a series of tasks and challenges, groups are eliminated until one final winner is chosen, and given seed money and assistance to start and run their social business. Besides Punoh and Panther Social, there are organizations like Living Blue, a strategic business unit of Nijera Cottage and Village Industries (NCVI) that exports quality shawls and quilts to Western nations and improves the lives of poor artisans in Rangpur; and Mpower, a social enterprise that uses mobile technology for rural development. The success of social businesses in Bangladesh reveals that the social business revolution has already begun, and it is not just a theoretical model. The young generation, the driving force in this revolution, is actually making us believe that one day we shall have a society without poverty, and it may not be that far away. dhakatribune/op-ed/2013/jul/02/social-business-revolution
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 11:14:40 +0000
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