Sunday, February 12, 2012

The Context of an Enterprise

Today we discussed about the magintude of problem that our world is facing. The world is divided among few haves and a billion of have nots. The discussions in the class and the presentations explained how big is this problem. But entrepreneurship is all about opportunity. what looks like a challenge today often creates an opportunity for entrepreneurs. Social enterprises have emerged ovet the years as an alternate to solve third world problems. There are some known stories about social enterprises- ITC, HUL, Grameen Bank. Have you got any new stories that have emerged from Africa, Far East and South American countries? Let us share these new enterprises list on the blog. May be a small write up on each one of them with the weblinks. You can search from Internet and other sources and write about them. Please mention your FT number with your comments also.

52 comments:

  1. T-Shirt Remix: Recycling America's Used Clothes for Social Impact. An inspiring story.
    http://www.good.is/post/t-shirt-remix-recycling-america-s-used-clothes-for-social-impact/

    -Prachi Garg(FT12147)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Serving at the bottom of the pyramid: organizing the rickshaw-pulling sector

    inspiring story of IIM-A alumunus whose start-up "Sammaan" has been acknowledged & awarded

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-09/india/28146550_1_rickshaw-pullers-sammaan-foundation-irfan-alam

    the website
    http://www.sammaan.org

    ReplyDelete
  3. Serving at the bottom of the pyramid: organizing the rickshaw-pulling sector

    inspiring story of IIM-A alumunus whose start-up "Sammaan" has been acknowledged & awarded

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-09/india/28146550_1_rickshaw-pullers-sammaan-foundation-irfan-alam

    the website
    http://www.sammaan.org

    sorry for the repost...forgot to put FT no
    Deepika (FT 12210)

    ReplyDelete
  4. "Seeds of Africa"
    A social entrepreneurial venture in Zimbabwe started by two Africans Simba Makarera and Martin Ganda which primarily aims to foster and fund gifted students who are proactively pursuing education and whose only obstacle to success is the lack of resources or financial help.

    Both Simba and Martin had similar trajectory of achieving merit i.e. by scholarships and external help, as have already been the travelers of this path which led them to be the recipients of Ivy League education; the pioneers believe in the vast pool of talent existing in Zimbabwe and in helping them achieve their dreams by providing financial support and opportunities.

    On a futuristic note, Seeds of Africa plans for a knowledge center which would enable students from far and wide to avail education through better technology, faculty and opportunities.

    Blogs:
    http://www.africa.com/blog/blog,seeds_of_africa_a_new_project_in_zimbabwe,517.html

    The "Seeds of Africa" foundation website:
    http://www.seedsofafrica.com/

    Posted By,
    Debashree Chatterjee
    (FT12421)

    ReplyDelete
  5. A rural retail distribution network.
    Sakhi Retail co.

    They not only work as a distribution network but also work alongside major consumer goods company and help them create products which are rural friendly and economical.

    ChotuKool refrigerator (made by Godrej & Boyce) at INR 3200 was one such example.

    http://www.sspindia.org/SSP-SB-SakhiRetail.html

    Maunil | FT12334

    ReplyDelete
  6. Re-posting the "Seeds of Africa" video link as sometimes its not working from the blog

    http://player.vimeo.com/video/34866223?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

    Debashree Chatterjee
    (FT12421)

    ReplyDelete
  7. A fantastic initiative that we all are aware of : Grameen Bank:

    http://www.grameen-info.org/

    Here is the Forbe's list of top 30 Social Entrepreneurs - The article contains links to their social initiatives and each one is worth looking into !

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/helencoster/2011/11/30/forbes-list-of-the-top-30-social-entrepreneurs/

    Devashish|FT12320

    ReplyDelete
  8. A new form of micro-finance that acts as an enabler for the budding entrepreneurs sitting in Africa. Check out this article to know more about how it operates.

    http://www.socialearth.org/financing-dreams-and-empowering-entrepreneurs-regardless-of-location-2

    Vikram Choudhary
    FT12172

    ReplyDelete
  9. One of interesting read:
    "Imagine being a loan officer in bank, where a psychiatrist shows up asking to borrow money. He says his name is Christopher Columbus and he wants to set a diary company which will employ mostly mentally ill people". This is the story of an unreasonable people who did things his own way...Quite Insane!!!
    http://www.schwabfound.org/sf/SocialEntrepreneurs/Profiles/index.htm?sname=168495&sorganization=0&sarea=0&ssector=0&stype=0
    Abhay (FT12103)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mitchell J. Besser, MD Founder and Medical Director of mothers 2 mothers, 4 October 2010 mothers 2 mothers: Preventing Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission in Africa Using New Paradigms in Health Care Delivery. Mitch identified South Africa's HIV-positive mothers as a valuable, underutilized resource for strengthening public health care systems in the fight for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. 90% of HIV-positive pregnant women are in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1.4 million pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries are infected with HIV. mothers2mothers has developed from this single support-group in Cape Town to a multinational organization employing almost 1700 HIV-positive mothers who work in over 700 sites in 9 countries.
    http://www.m2m.org/about-us/our-team/dr-mitch-besser.html
    Abhay(Ft12103)

    ReplyDelete
  11. KickStart — a non-profit organization based in Kenya that develops, adapts and markets technologies in Africa. Low-cost technologies are bought by local entrepreneurs (often farming families) and used to establish small businesses. They create new jobs and income for poor people. Examples of products include a brick press, oil press, treadle pump and hip pump (a manual water pump).KickStart monitors the number of new businesses and jobs created and the amount of profits and wages earned by the new entrepreneurs and their employees. It has found that its innovations have had a significant impact towards improving livelihoods in their countries of work in Africa, which include Kenya, Tanzania and many others. KickStart estimates that $52 million per year of profits and wages is generated by the new businesses with which it has been involved across Africa.
    http://www.kickstart.org/
    Abhay (FT12103)

    ReplyDelete
  12. AGTR in Peru trains women for domestic chores and then finds them jobs. This in turn generates money for them. For more on this read:

    http://www.nesst.org/?portfolio=agtr
    http://www.gruporedes.org/

    Siddharth R (FT12259)

    ReplyDelete
  13. A social enterprise that sought to provide an affordable and clean off-grid lighting system for the world’s poor. Nuru Light has produced the most affordable and efficient lighting system in the world.

    http://nurulight.com/

    Nitish Salian
    FT12144

    ReplyDelete
  14. From micro finance, to technology , to social emancipation!!!!
    Read about Indian Women shining in social entrepreneurship.
    http://www.naaree.com/social-entrepreneurship-indian-women-shine-social-ventures/

    Sebastian

    ReplyDelete
  15. How can we forget Product Red!! (We also did a case study on this) Started by U2 lead Bono, the idea is to partner with private enterprise and donate funds to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

    A few of the guiding principles of the venture:

    -To expand opportunities for the people in the continent of Africa.

    -To respect its employees and ask its partners to do the same with their employees and the people who help make their products or deliver their services.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_Red

    Siddharth V 12361

    ReplyDelete
  16. Since 1990, Ashoka Africa has supported over 225 dynamic leading social entrepreneurs in 17 countries who are implementing solutions at the grassroots level to solve the continent’s most pressing social problems. It is a social entrepreneurship initiative that supports social entrepreneurs and provide them with network and resources. In addition to supporting social entrepreneurs, it has taken following tasks:-

    - Enriching rural communities by instituting new banking systems in Mali
    - Mitigating religious and political conflict in Nigeria
    - Eliminating land mines in Tanzania
    - Tackling HIV/AIDS through media in Uganda
    - Creating many more innovations that are transforming the landscape of Africa.

    Weblink
    http://www.ashoka.org/africainduction

    Mayank
    FT12481

    ReplyDelete
  17. Aravind Hospital, an ophthalmological hospital, was started by Dr Govindappa Venkatswamy in at attempt to provide cheap treatment to cure blindness. It has two wings in the same hospital one where you are charged the normal fees and other where you can pay as per your capability. There is no difference in the quality of treatment provided. This is one organisation which in spite of providing such cheap and effective treatment has managed to sustain itself.
    Below is a video of Aravind Hospital

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cjnNPua7Ag

    ReplyDelete
  18. Bricks Mokolo's initiative in the informal settlements of south africa which have problems like--shacks, lack of water and sanitation and dumpsites to reduce waste and provide monetary benefits for people working with him.

    They segregate plastics from rest of the garbage near their settlement and earn compensation for it. Money is not big but is certainly a valuable addition to what they earn normally.

    http://www.entrepreneurshipafrica.com/business-resources/multimedia/social-entrepreneurship-initiative-sustains-lives-in-south-africa.html

    Siddharth Yadav (FT12163)

    ReplyDelete
  19. One example could be Amul which is a cooperative. It started the white revolution in India which made India largest producer of Of milk and milk products in the world. The Amul pattern has established Itself as an appriate model for the rural areas.

    ReplyDelete
  20. DonorsChoose
    An online charity initiative that allows school teachers from public schools across United States of America to post classroom requests/problems on the website. The requirements range from pencils to violins. Donors then browse through the posts and choose to contribute towards a requirement that inspires them the most. Once the required amount for a request has been met, DonorsChoose deliver the materials to the school.
    This initiative helps address the problem of inequality in education by allowing individuals to contribute towards simple basic classroom needs.

    Ankita (FT12205)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Apologies for missing out the link in the previous post.
    http://www.donorschoose.org

    Ankita (FT12205)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Bharat Calling :Educating and Transforming Rural India

    Started as pilot in year 2009 in Hoshangabad district of M.P (among the poorest parts of India) by a Social Entrepreneurship student of TISS Mumbai. This program aims at makeover of the rural schools (each connected to 35 villages) from “Delivery to Transformative (development) context”. The program includes aptitude testing, career counseling, tutoring and mentoring.
    They encourage the rural students to take up higher studies in by providing them a platform with complete support from training, information, internet access, counseling, teaching filling of application forms, taking to exam centers, books and linking to scholarships, where they just need to prepare and appear for the entrance exams. With this initiative the Girls enrolment has increased tremendously.

    www.bharatcalling.co.in

    Regards,
    Pranita (FT12444)

    ReplyDelete
  23. People often start thinking & planning about their venture's birth & growth via increasing customer base, yet we find numerous examples that promote the opposite for its sustenance. The catch here lies in the increased usage that makes the idea viable. No company / industry / government (barring those where religious beliefs are prominent) opposes this business out-rightly as the holistic rewards outweigh the increased load on the entire planet by heaps & bounds.

    One such idea implementation is by Mechai Viravaidya who established Population & Community Development Association (PDA) in Thailand in 1974 to tackle overpopulation.

    Mechai, an MBA graduate from University of Melbourne, has always been a master at combining economics & social goals. The extent of his success can be visualized in him being labeled as "The Condom King" & the condom being commonly referred as a "mechai".

    Such a hybrid non-profit business venture would definitely figure amongst the toppers at the social enterprise level.

    Mechai Viravaidya, founder of Bangkok's Cabbages & Condoms restaurant, gave a humor-filled speech on family planning, AIDS and poverty reduction at Melinda Gates' annual TEDx event in New York. The link for the video link is :-
    http://www.cnngo.com/bangkok/life/tedxchange-big-laughs-thailands-condom-king-031201

    A good detailed read about the same is on the following link :- http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1374/is_n3_v56/ai_18292689/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Posted by -
      Aniruddh Sukhwal (ft 12411)

      ** forgot to mention ft no

      Delete
  24. Started as a movement in 1972, SEWA brings together women who have excellent skills and are capable of selling their products to different parts of the world. The organisation inculcates entrepreneurship, if u say, to help women become independent and get better returns for their hardwork.

    About SEWA: SEWA’s main goals are to organise women workers for full employment & self-reliance. Full employment means employment whereby workers obtain work security, income security, food security and social security (at least health care, child care and shelter). SEWA organises women to ensure that every family obtains full employment. By self-reliance we mean that women should be autonomous and self-reliant, individually and collectively, both economically and in terms of their decision-making ability. Founded by Magsaysay winner Ela Bhatt, at present SEWA has a membership base of 1.2 million.

    http://www.sewatfc.org/pages/SEWA_the_movement.html

    Eklovya Jain
    FT12323

    ReplyDelete
  25. Sero Lease and Finance Limited (SELFINA),was founded by Victoria Kisyombe in Tanzania in 2002 . Kisyombe’s financial inclusion service provides an innovative credit solution exclusively to women ,especially widows and young girls, who do not own any assets. SELFINA micro-leases equipment to these women with facilities of financial leasing, sale and leaseback, and social security facility.
    Dr. Victoria’s successful microleasing model has generated praise beyond Tanzania, and efforts are under way to expand the model to other countries in the region. To date, SELFINA has helped over 185,000 Tanzanians out of poverty and its activities are expected to impact the lives of 440,000 individuals by 2014.

    http://selfina.com/index.htm

    ReplyDelete
  26. Safecast.org

    This one might not be tagged as a social enterprise by some of the people. the reason why I believe what i said is simple.
    -This enterprise has roots in Japan which is one of the most developed nations of the world.
    -The companies emerging out of those countries are normally not tagged as social enterprise but thought as CSR stunt of corporates.

    But i would still put in social enterprise because
    -there are people in Japan those do suffer a lot because of radiations. After 3/11 information of this sort was actually scarce. I can vouch on this because i was there. these people took instant initiative to start the movement.


    Safecast Story:
    After the 3/11 earth quake there was chaos all over Japan. people were moving in all directions just to know what is happening and what to do next. People have stopped drinking water after hearing small rumor. government was giving information to best of its abilities but it did not had much capabilities for radiation measurement at all the places.
    this company was started by group of people with a thought of how information can be extracted out of data. with almost a year later now this org has grown big and are doing good.


    Why i chose this:
    I was there during 3/11 earthquake and realize the importance of information during critical times. information such as this can help you have a sound sleep. also, i was working with one of the founders Pieter Franken during my previous employment and know him well. i have been following this initiative almost since the day of its inception.


    Here is the link for you.: http://blog.safecast.org/

    Thanks,
    Dagar Katyal FT12318

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. did some one delete my older comment?? i did it last night but its not there now.

      Delete
    2. dagar...it has happened with me before as well...seems like a website glitch

      Delete
  27. Sughar - Women With Wings (Pakistan)

    About: Engaging Customs to End Customary Violence Against Women in Tribal Areas of Pakistan.

    Sughar in local language means 'skilled and confident woman'

    Write Up: Sughar aims to end the wrong side of tribal traditions like “Honor” Killing, Exchange Marriages and Child Marriages of women in tribal communities of Pakistan by providing the women socio-economic empowerment and opportunities to use the beautiful traditions like embroidery as means of business and to defend themselves against customary violence.

    Sughar looks forward to empower women with the traditional skills and make them an earning, independent and powerful member of family hence less prone to treatment as a commodity and to male attack.

    Sughar has won various prestigious awards in youth and social venture segment such as Young Champion Award by University of Singapore and Unreasonable Institute Fellowship Award.

    Day after tomorrow Sughar will add one more feather to cap by launching Sughar as an official brand of traditional embroidery products. It will be a unique brand that is created, designed, owned and yet launched by the Rural Women from Pakistan!

    Facebook Page Link: https://www.facebook.com/SugharWomen?sk=info

    By: Ajit Singh (FT12107)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Environmental degradation due to improper waste management is a harsh reality that our country is facing. With the quantity of waste generated increasing day by day and the composition becoming more and more non-biodegradable, solid waste management is going to be a critical issue in future.

    Eco Wise is a leading provider of solid waste management services in India. The company manages the entire range of waste management activities starting from collection, segregation, transportation, recycling, treatment to land filling. Currently, Eco Wise collects 100 Tons of waste every day in NCR region and is the largest private operator in the space.

    http://www.eco-wise.biz/

    - Vijith V.P.
    FT 12373

    ReplyDelete
  29. greenlightplanet.com

    Millions of people around the world still rely on oil lamps and candles for lighting. Disadvantaged families spend billions of dollars every year to fuel these dim, flickering lights, which fill cramped homes with carcinogenic fumes, and routinely start fires or explode, soaking residents in burning fuel.These lamps emit billions of kilograms of carbon each year.

    Solar Lantern Sun King offers the villages with no electricity connection a sustainable and cheaper way of lighting. The new lights are bright and long-lasting.

    Social Impact : Reduces dependence on kerosene, Savings for BOP families, provides alternate employment in rural India

    Wall Street Journal did a story on this venture:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd5UIuq3aoQ

    Priyakshi - FT 12242

    ReplyDelete
  30. Transforming Africa through Social Entrepreneurship
    Ashoka celebrated the 2nd Pan African Orientation and Induction of its elected Fellows from across the African continent. From April 16-20, 2007 South Africa hosted Ashoka’s largest gathering of African Fellows and key players dedicated to collectively working for systemic social change in Africa. The week long gathering featured:

    A series of orientation workshops for new and select veteran Fellows
    Partnerships building sessions between the business and social sectors
    The Induction Ceremony formally welcomed the new African Fellows into the global Fellowship


    Since 1990, Ashoka Africa has supported over 225 dynamic leading social entrepreneurs in 17 countries who are implementing solutions at the grassroots level to solve the continent’s most pressing social problems. 2007 Fellows engaged in:

    Enriching rural communities by instituting new banking systems in Mali
    Mitigating religious and political conflict in Nigeria
    Eliminating land mines in Tanzania
    Tackling HIV/AIDS through media in Uganda
    Creating many more innovations that are transforming the landscape of Africa.


    Aditya Gupta
    FT 12303

    ReplyDelete
  31. We know that different countries have different culture and they all want to cherish their culture. There are many countries, where the culture prevents women from taking part in lot of activities at par with men. One such country is Saudi Arabia. Law here is stricter than many other nations. An organization called ICF is working on it. They are trying to train Saudi girls on social entrepreneurship.
    The link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie_ktX6P14s

    FT12136

    ReplyDelete
  32. http://www.oneacrefund.org/

    This is an agricultural focused organization that aims to solve the problem of hunger and starvation in Africa, by empowering the locals to farm by providing them with environment friendly supplies through a credit system. The have reached a 100K families in the past 4 years and doubled their farm income.

    ReplyDelete
  33. The Lagos Digital Village (LDV) is another example. With increasing demand for qualitative mainstream and supplementary Information Technology education, over one thousand five hundred (1,500) young people have applied for training at the center in less than two years of operations. The LDV is a multi-stakeholder partnership project between Junior Achievement of Nigeria, Lagos State Government and Microsoft.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hi, i posted a comment around 15:00 yesterday .. can't seem to find it anymore has anyone deleted it by mistake..

    ReplyDelete
  35. Mann Deshi Mahila Bank
    Their mission is to provide women in impoverished areas with an innovative combination of financial and non-financial services that will help improve their standard of living. With an aim to increase their quality of life by providing capital and financial training services which will lead to rural economic empowerment and financial inclusion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is a video depicting their work

      http://www.manndeshi.org/films/MarFilm.wmv

      Delete
  36. Fresh drinking water in Africa.

    http://www.waterforpeople.org/

    This initiative revolves around the idea of low cost / low tech solution for developing nations , where potable water is scarce and one of the main reasons for high mortality rate.

    The idea is quite innovative - the water pump used is in the form of a merry go round, which revolves when children play on it, pumping water - something similar to the churning mills ones used in India , pulled by animals from getting oil from seeds or water pumping for agriculture.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Like to share a little more about Muhammad Yunus—the world’s leading social entrepreneur, founder of the revolutionary Grameen Bank, pioneer of microfinance, and winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. He described his breed as “70 percent crazy.” It’s extraordinary how often entrepreneurs have told that they have been called crazy by the media, by colleagues, by friends, and even by family members. They look for—and often find—solutions to insoluble problems in the unlikeliest places. The Grameen club has inspired ventures like Grameen Shakti for energy and Grameenphone with Norway's Telco to make a huge impact in the lives of women and BPL in not only bangladesh but inspired a crop of other entrepreneurs to do much more in their respective countries.

    One such upcoming example is that of the young and dynamic Daniel. Below is his profile.

    Name: Daniel Gomez Iniguez, 20

    Company: Solben

    Year founded: 2009

    Location: Monterrey, Mexico

    2010 Revenue: $1 million

    2011 Projected Revenue: $3 million

    Employees: 15

    Website: Solben.org

    While doing a research project for his university, he learned enough to start making biodiesel from used cooking oil at restaurants, and compared it to making biodiesel from animal fats (the subject of his research project), to learn the process. He started a not-for-profit foundation with three partners in early 2009 to develop biodiesel production technology. The fuel called Solben—which is a made-up name that combines the Spanish words for "solutions" and "biodiesel"—sells technology for biodiesel production from nonfood products like algae and Jatropha, a plant.He is targeting America and India apart from mexico for his product. Slated to finish his degree this year he has already won awards like Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the Global Impact Award.

    Shashwat Rai | FT12356

    ReplyDelete
  38. 'Nano Ganesh' is a product which was launched with the sole intention of solving farmers problems. The idea was conceived by Mr. Santosh Ostwal and the product is a step towards rural automation. He is very known to us, as he participated in the event 'Proto.in' last year in our college. I had an opportunity to interact with him that time and he told me about all the harships he had gone thru to bring his idea into reality. Leaving an apartment and moving into a hut would be really something great......

    Have a happy read about the concept, product and the personality....

    http://www.nanoganesh.com/
    http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2010/08/jugaad

    Pranoy Hari | FT12188

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hello Guys,

    I came across an excellent social initiative in Latin America. Hope you all will enjoy reading about it.

    Terra Nova is a social enterprise committed to the sustainable regularization of illegally occupied properties in Brazil’s urban areas.

    Focus: Land Ownership, Urban Planning, Civic Participation
    Geographical Area of Impact: Brazil
    Model: Social Business
    Number of Direct Beneficiaries: 5,700 families (2001-2011)
    Recognition: Regional Social Entrepreneur of the Year, Latin America, 2009; SEOY, Brazil, 2008

    About the Tera Nova social initiative:
    http://www.schwabfound.org/sf/SocialEntrepreneurs/Profiles/index.htm?sname=216537

    Tera Nova's official Website:
    http://www.grupoterranova.com.br/

    Video:
    http://www.dw.de/popups/popup_single_mediaplayer/0,,4280852_type_video_struct_12046_contentId_4283456,00.html

    Amit Mehendi| FT12410

    ReplyDelete
  40. “Isang Litrong Liwanag” Project In Manila was started in province San Pedro, Laguna by a social Entrepreneur. The houses are so tightly constructed and even during the day time there is no light inside the houses. This innovation of simple bottle bulb helped the residents to get cheap and free light during the day. Please see the video.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0_4qFrxw_4

    http://ecopreneurist.com/2011/09/14/an-innovative-and-cheap-solar-light-bulb-lights-homes-in-manila/

    Sahil Kumar
    FT12454

    ReplyDelete
  41. A story of soap and hope:

    Chris Shaw set up a business in South Africa with a hope to give poor people in a township the chance to develop new skills.

    Township Trades, a not-for-profit business where young adults, most of the people who had lost parents to HIV/Aids, can make soap that can be sold at local markets.

    The business, is based on the outskirts of Cape Town in the Khayelitsha township which employs 16 locals who are trained to make soap from natural ingredients, which is then sold at market stalls.

    The youtube link gives a clear picture about the execution of the program.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atlEvW6mIB8

    And the news covered by BBC

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7559138.stm

    Adveta Dwivedi FT12304

    ReplyDelete
  42. RANGSUTRA

    Rangsutra is a company of a thousand artisans from remote regions of India – the deserts of Rajasthan, hill regions of Uttaranchal and Assam.
    Our goal is to ensure sustainable livelihoods for artisans and farmers, by creating top quality hand made products based on the principles of fair trade and a celebration of India’s rich craft heritage.
    Socially, craftspeople and artisans come from some of the most disadvantaged communities, with very little opportunities for self development and growth.
    The fact that artisans and craftspeople still retain their skills is a miracle, given the fast changing trends in the urban market, which are the mainstay of many a rural artisan.

    http://www.rangsutra.com/

    Tushar Arora FT12168

    ReplyDelete
  43. Aporv

    Aporv, in Sanskrit, means Unique. We are as unique as every handcrafted product we sell.

    Every craft holds secrets, myths and faiths that have transferred through generations either by the craftspeople or through people related to this field. We at Aporv are making an humble effort to bring these stories to our appreciators. These stories will help the appreciator know the craft, its history and how it is made, thus facilitating them to make an educated buy. Through this effort we are trying to bring our appreciators close to the craft form. Aporv.com is the platform to facilitate the artisans reach their appreciators directly and sell products not as just artifacts but as stories that will be cherished by our appreciators. Team Aporv shares a passion for art and craft, and the fundamental belief that owning this unique (Aporv) art or craft will enrich your life and bring you happiness for many years to come! Aporv.com is an online marketplace that gives handcrafted product lovers all over the world easy access to our unique collection of ancient, modern as well as contemporary Indian art. Your support offers us the opportunity to provide a platform for both well-established as well as up-and-coming craftsmen from all over India, and to give their work the global recognition it deserves.

    http://www.aporv.com

    Vineshkumar FT12273

    ReplyDelete
  44. ASHOKA INDIA
    INVESTING IN NEW SOLUTIONS FOR OUR WORLD'S TOUGHEST PROBLEMS.

    Ashoka is leading a profound transformation in society. In the past three decades, the global citizen sector, led by social entrepreneurs, has grown exponentially. Just as the business sector experienced a tremendous spurt in productivity over the last century, the citizen sector is experiencing a similar revolution, with the number and sophistication of citizen organizations increasing dramatically.

    Rather than leaving societal needs for the government or business sectors to address, social entrepreneurs are creating innovative solutions, delivering extraordinary results, and improving the lives of millions of people. It is this insight into the power of social entrepreneurs that led Bill Drayton to found Ashoka in 1980 and that continues to guide Ashoka today.

    Beginning with the first Ashoka Fellows elected in India in 1981, Ashoka has grown to an association of over 2,500 Fellows in over 60 countries on the world's five main continents.During its first decade in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Central Europe, Ashoka focused exclusively on launching leading social entrepreneurs and helping them succeed. But in the 1990s as the citizen sector evolved and grew, Ashoka responded with a wider range of programs and initiatives to deal with the sector's growing needs. Ashoka grew as well, tripling in size from 1988 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2002.

    Today Ashoka is in its third period of rapid growth, electing record numbers of Fellows in 2006 and expanding its programs in Western Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East.Along with our global network of Fellows, business entrepreneurs, policy makers, investors, academics, and journalists. Ashoka is now working collectively to ensure that social entrepreneurs and their innovations continue to inspire a new generation of local changemakers to create positive social change.

    As we celebrate our 30th anniversary year, we are constantly innovating new programs that advance our field, using our long history and broad geographic reach to lead the transformation of the citizen sector .
    more information can be had at : http://india.ashoka.org/ashoka

    by Mandeep Singh ( FT12437 )

    ReplyDelete
  45. Pardada Pardadi Educational Society ..
    education , empowerment and empowerment for rural girls ..

    Since 2000, Pardada Pardadi Educational Society (PPES) has been improving the lives of girls in rural India. Its mission is to uplift and empower girls from the poorest section of society by providing free education and vocational training - creating a new generation of self-reliant and educated girls who will break the cycle of poverty in the region.

    PPES is based in the village of Anupshahar, in the Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh, India. This area is one of India' poorest. It is infamous for being crime-ridden. Moreover, it is one of the least-educated and least-literate sections of India.

    PPES was founded by Virender (Sam) Singh, a retired head of DuPont South Asia. Sam grew up in Anupshahar; although he left many years ago, he moved back in 1999 to use his success for the benefit of the people he left behind.

    Sam knew that to break the cycle of poverty, he had to first focus on improving the quality of life for the weakest members of this society: rural female children. Since they're often neglected and uneducated, they're forever dependent on male family members for their livelihood.
    more information can be had at http://www.education4change.org/About/index.html

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  46. Another name that I think should be included in invigorating list is Kiva ( www.kiva.org ). A initiative that allows users to lend money based on the borrowers profile online. It has built a support system for the micro finance institutions and has lowered the operational costs.It has changed thousands of lives and inspired many entrepreneurs around the world. At the same time, it taught world that the credit and social entrepreneurship space has immense potential to generate newer,innovative and crispier business models, while creating social and financial value. There are few Indian Companies that have adopted similar models and quite successful.

    Vaibhav Mehrotra
    FT12473

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  47. Below is the one which I had mentioned in the class during the discussion of the book.
    1) MyShelter Foundation: Lighting Up Homes With A Plastic Bottle and Some Chlorine
    The you tube link in which the creator the idea explains how is works and how it has lighted up millions of homes.

    Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9mG6viOGdU

    This concept is designed and developed by MIT. If this could be replicated easily, millions of houses even in India could be lighted. There are some NGOs who work to light up these unlit houses by using Solar Bulbs, but the most common problem is Theft of these bulbs These bulbs are costly and the NGOs cannot keep in replacing it. So the idea of myshelter foundation could be of one such help.

    Abhishek Palo
    FT12403

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