A profusion of change | Feature

Social entrepreneurs use commercial principles to run ventures that are ultimately geared towards social change. Although they aren't charity organisations that run without profit, their goals reach deeper than mere profit accumulation. Social entrepreneurships have the potential to recruit large numbers of people whose traditional skills such as weaving straw mats, pottery and traditional forms of painting, may be going to waste because they haven't been utilized properly.

An organisation based in Thailand, Change Fusion has been working towards encouraging social entrepreneurships flourish in Asia. The bend is that Change Fusion wants to encourage young entrepreneurs, who are in the age group of 20-35 years. A year ago, it entered Nepal realising that the war had made most young Nepalis prone to political recruitment and left them largely unemployed and their potential for innovative ideas, untapped.

Luna Shrestha Thakur, country manager of Change Fusion Nepal, says, "We want to transform young people from job seekers to job creators." During the war years, most young Nepalis were involved in warfare or left the country as labourers or for education. Change Fusion wants to discover interested youth wherever they are as they believe that anyone can contribute as long as they are willing. That's why they are hosting a competition in Nepal that's looking for ideas and ventures that young social entrepreneurs have initiated.

Luna was first impressed by the projects that youth across the world have been involved in. In Canada, a youth-initiated project ended up turning over enough money to feed the hungry, when a college student started collecting left-over meal vouchers. And in India, a girl who designs websites for the UN, began designing websites for small organisations for free. But the submissions for the competition here in Nepal have been as impressive and range from growing olives to promoting traditional Newari décor.
Although how far the idea has been implemented may be a factor, "We're looking for the real diamond in the sea," says Luna, "More than the idea, we want the individual–someone motivated enough to carry the idea through and create an impact on policy makers."

If a submission is qualified, Change Fusion will help in a number of ways that includes networking, funding and marketing. "Just providing the funding is not enough" says Luna, "We want to groom them fully to make good social entrepreneurs." The organisation has a number of contacts the qualified youth will be able to utilise, management experts, source for seed money and help for funding.

With a month before the deadline, the organisers hope for more submissions from all over the country. "Nepal already has the products and skills to sell," says Luna, "We just need enterprise."

For more information about the competition, forms and deadlines visit: www.changefusion.org