#6. Get your head out of the ☁☁☁

Cathy Pharoah gave a little commentary on social enterprises.

READHERE! 

She used the example of Linda Kirk who was a very enthusiastic but maybe rather idealistic social entrepreneur who failed to sustain her social enterprise.

Her idea was to provide employment for poor and vulnerable women in County Durham. Her business caught the attention of local media and of course she had many requests to fund her enterprise. And yet, with a sufficient demand, and financial fundings, Ms Kirk an experienced business woman had to close her business down.

Ms Pharoah mentioned this "The cult of enterprise has held iconic status in the sector over the past decade or so. But the fact is that in a sector where income is under pressure on all fronts, entrepreneurialism is no longer just an aspiration; it's a necessary condition of survival. "(2012, para.1)

It is SO true that the entrepreneurial aspect of an SE is very essential to keep it sustainable and unique. It is not sufficient to get by with passion and a business head, being innovative and creative is equally if not more important for social entrepreneurs.  

In the last paragraph, she mentioned that we mustn't rely on charitable funds to sustain us because social enterprise are essentially businesses! And businesses have to be sustainable and self-reliant. 

She proceeds to say "Existing social enterprise approaches place huge importance on entrepreneurial mindsets, on personal abilities to be innovative, creative, action-oriented, problem-solving, a leader (are you feeling up to the job?). But I think the sector already has these qualities in bucket-loads. They explain its successful growth over decades."(para,5) 

Do you feel up to it?? I have always looked at social entrepreneurs and the big responsibilities that embody.

Even as I endeavour to start up my own social enterprise (8fahrenheit) with my classmates, I am preparing myself for the future challenges that it might bring. Especially when we start to incorporate the social side to our business. I am most worried about the part what we have to mangage beneficiaries because I feel that that might be most difficult. Not too worried about the sustainability though...everyone likes icecream right?!

Ms Pharoah continued "Enterprise failure (or success) in the social sector has little to do with these attributes, and the rhetoric is masking the real challenges of the small-scale local enterprise sector. One is poor access to intelligence and analysis of local market opportunities, and how they can best be used to meet need, or to fund ways of meeting it. The other is the ongoing lack of appropriate easy access to small-scale, higher-risk social finance. Small ventures need help to respond quickly and flexibly when a market opening appears."(para.6)

^^v

Isn't this where we come in? 

Seems like we're all trained to retrieved information and properly analyse the market opportunities!

Maybe all what would be good is to have upgrade classes for social entrepreneurs training them in analysis skills and things like that, so that everyone would be well equipped to harvest opportunities in the social sector sustainably. 

So, r u ready?

Reference

Cathy Pharoah: Heed the case of Linda Kirk who tried and failed to get local social investment. Third Sector. http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/1129332/cathy-pharoah-heed-case-linda-kirk-tried-failed-local-social-investment/. Retrieved on 27 November 2012 

#5. THAT'S an idea!

HEYLO.

Aren't they familiar?

Well known amongst us all!

The article that I'm sharing says that social enterprises are able to stop acts of terrorisms, say whhhaaattt?

Clickclick,readread!

For me, this article really challenged me to see how the SE model can do so much more good that what I imagined!

There are no limitations!!! (Maybe a little idealistic, but hey, a wonderful thought that keeps the passion alive~)

Mr Noor Huda Ismail, the author of the article started an interesting SE idea by starting programmes for post-detention convicted terrorists. That was a social issue that I completely missed, like it wasn't even on my radar...

One very important piece to how this whole thing works is that Mr Ismail was able to understand how a terrorist thinks because he went to Islamic school and knew how twisted these people's ideas can be. Mr Ismail also attended school in Scotland, there he gained greater insight on the Western culture.     

These experiences helped him to achieve a balanced attitude towards them, not judging them but understanding how they became who they are.

His idea was to employ them, and reintegrate them by helping them see that they can contribute back to the community. His SE restaurant hires drop-out terrorists and drop-out students. 

The best thing is that he gets the ex-terrorists to search for drop-outs, giving them a sense of communal usefulness. By doing so, they are less likely to go back to their old network of terrorist groups.

Towards the end of the article, he seeks greater support and involvement of the government and encourages more NGOs to look into this social gap.

I am not yet convinced that this is the problem I wish to address, but it is nonetheless an important issue that has been overlooked.

Any of you keen to take this up?;)

#4. GIRL POWER

Watch this clip! It's really interesting!

I was really inspired by Kiah Gek's post on Betty Makoni, this amazing lady who started an organization called Girl Child Network, which aims to empower girls all around the world with knowledge on their rights.

Soooo, I want to share with you this movement called The Girl Effect.

I chanced upon this organization 2 years back when I watched a video on Eve Ensler on TED.

She is an advocate on women's rights, do watch her videos!

like this one over here!

Back to The Girl Effect: http://youthinkyouknowme.girleffect.org/

Why are organizations such as these important?

SO many so many girls are being robbed of their basic rights, most of the time, girls are being sold off as child brides. Sometimes even as young as 5.

These girls would then never see the chance of ever being educated. No education would mean that she would be fully dependent on her husband's family. She would probably never find a job and never be able to support herself.

Last video! on child marriages.

This issue on women's rights and empowering women is very dear to me.

It was actually the reason why I wanted to join BZSE three years back. 

Along the way I've learnt more on other equally important and imminent social issues, but providing help, safety and empowerment for women has still remained #1.

See, movements like The Girl Effect is very powerful. It provides all the information, resources and materials for anyone around the world to educate and share about this issue. By doing so, they create advocates for the cause all around the world, yet what they sorely lack, is sustainability.

The Girl Effect is fully dependent on donations to fund their programmes.

That is why I think social enterprises would play an integral role in helping such organisations do much more.

& I guess that's why I'm here!

I don't know if this counts as a proper post... Will do a normal one next week haha!

{WATCH THE VIDEOS!! its so cold and rainy so you can just snuggle up with tea and watch and be inspired!!}

#3. I WANT CANDYYYY

Hello! Week 4 already, 1 month has passed!!!

So anyway, I picked an article titled "Social enterprises 'a key priority'"

It sounds so positive and happy, makes ya hopeful for the future, no? 

Do click and have a read, 90s The Candy Studio was featured  in the article, like their FB page!

The candy shop was started by 3 students from Nanyang Polytechnic, who hires hearing impaired individuals. 

They just started in August this year and I always get inspired when I hear of success stories such as this. They are located at Bugis, really prime location for sale since so many youths frequent that area.

Anyway, you can find out more about their business from their website!

The article talks about the increase support for social enterprises from both the public and private sector. In a reading article Mr Damien shared, it mentioned that social enterprises are forming the 4th sector. The public sector being the traditional businesses and the private sector being the NGOs etc. It is great and important that people from these two sectors are being involved in the formation and strengthening of the 4th sector since its like a mix of them both.

I think what SEA is doing is really good, organising events such as Social Collab which provides a platform for social entrepreneurs, businessmen and government representatives to meet. We should have went you guys!!!! 

Such events are essential for fostering greater understanding and cooperation about all these different players in the economy. If we want the social sector to grow it is important that we have the support from all these bigger partners as they have the resources and influence. 

At this year's Social Collab, Acting Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing mentioned that he hopes "that more businesses could take the lead in working with social enterprises, in addition to the "broad-based support" the Government provides." 

Well, don't we all hope that there will be more of such collaborations as well?

But from a businessmen's standpoint, what does he have to gain? What are his incentives?

I believe very few companies would be so kind or have the time to spare to impart industry skills to social entrepreneurs.

In the article, Ms Siti mentioned "It's a two-way learning experience. We learn from them and they learn from us.""

If only more business people would see the value in social enterprises, and adopt such a mindset, i think we would be able to see a greater increase in businesses such as 90s The Candy Studio.

References

Social enterprises 'a key priority'. Asia One. http://www.asiaone.com/A1Business/General%2BNews/Story/Social%2Benterprises%2B%2527a%2Bkey%2Bpriority%2527.html Retrieved on 8 November 2012