The Doctor Weighs In

There are two interesting articles in the Sunday NY Times (Jan. 27, 2008).  One is about the failure of President Bush's Volunteerism Initiative, the other is about the rise of social entrepreneurs.  Volunteerism is usually about helping people.  Social entrepreneurism is about helping people help themselves.  I won't dwell on why the President's Volunterism Initiative is "sputtering," because the story about social entrepreneurs is so much more interesting and inspiring. 

Nicholas Kristof introduced us to social entrepreneurship in a NY Times op-ed when he wrote about Kiva, an online site where you can make microloans to entrepreneurs across the world.  In his most recent Times editorial, "The Age of Ambition," Kristof describes a number of other organizations you might want to include in your list of online favorites:

• Unite for Sight (www.uniteforsight.org) was started by Jennifer Staple, who founded the organization in her dorm room while in college.  Unite for Sight collects old reading glasses in the US and ships them to poor countries.  Last year the organization provided eye care to 200,000 people.
• Injaz (www.injaz.org.jo) trains Arab students in the fundamentals of starting a business.  It was started by Soroya Salti, a Jordanian woman.  It has spread to 12 Arab countries and has the goal of teaching one million students a year.  Per Mr. Kristof:  "My hunch is that Ms. Salti will contribute more to stability and peace in the Middle East than any numberof tanks in Iraq, UN resolutions or summit meetings."
• Orphans Against AIDS (www.orphansagainstaids.org) was founded by Andrew Klaber while he was "playing hooky" from Harvard Business School."  While traveling in Thailand, Mr. Klaber was shocked to learn that teenage girls, orphaned when their parents died of AIDS, were forced into prostitution.  Orphans Against AIDS pays school-related expenses for children  in poor countries orphaned by AIDS.
• Cinepop is one of the most interesting of the organizations described in the Kristof article.  It was founded by a 27 year old Mexican, Ariel Zylbersztejn after learning that 90% of Mexicans can't affort to go to the movies.  The company projects movies on inflatable screens and shows them for free in public parks!  The movies are paid for by advertising.  But Mr. Zylbersztejn didn't limit his focus to just movies.  He "works with micro-credit agencies and social welfare groups to engage the families that come to his moves" in order to help them start businesses or otherwise try to rise out of poverty.  Cinepop plans to take the model to other countries, such as Brazil, India, and China.

Bill Drayton, CEO of Ashoka, an organization (tagline "Everyone is a Changemaker) that supports social entrepreneurs says, "such people neither hand out fish not teach people to fish; their aim is to revolutionize the fishing industry."

It is terrific to read about a this new generation of social entrepreneurs.  Unlike some volunteer programs that falter after the volunteer goes home,this new approach raises the distinct possibility of sustainable improvements in the lives of people struggling with poverty. 

I think Nicholas Kristof sums it up nicely, particularly during this election period when almost every candidate is running on a platform of change, when he says, "Only one person can become president of the United States, but there's no limit to the number of social entrepreneurs who can make this planet a better place."