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[Lite Beer]

4 social enterprises named 'champions of change'
Kantamanee Baingern,
Sirin Sampaothip
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- FOUR SOCIAL enterprises have emerged as the 2015 champions of an initiative designed to support budding entrepreneurs' dream of improving society.

Each winner received Bt200,000 to pursue their creative projects, such as an online TV channel for the promotion of morality.

Toolmorrow, Earth Dezign, Happy Field Happy Farm, and the Hands Up Network beat nearly 40 other teams at the Banpu Champions for Change.

"These four teams have shown their capabilities and dedication to potentially generate sustainable revenues together with providing positive consequences on society," said Sunit Shrestha, managing director at the Change Fusion Institute and one of this year's jurors at Banpu Champions for Change.

The Change Fusion Institute is a non-profit institute under the Thai Rural Reconstruction Movement Foundation, which is under Royal patronage. It organised the contest in partnership with Banpu. Toolmorrow seeks to develop an online TV programme that inculcates teenagers with morality via fun and creative content.

Earth Dezign is focusing on providing safe, environmentally friendly and inspiring eating utensils for children.

It creates utensils with fun designs to encourage children to eat more vegetables. The materials are derived from nature, such as corn and bamboo.

What makes this social enterprise even more impressive is the fact that a part of its profits will be donated to orphanages and foundations that promote kid-friendly meals with the five essential food groups. Happy Field Happy Farm also rose out of a cool concept - creating an online market for Thai farmers to act as middlemen selling to consumers via an application that can be installed in smart phones.

"We want to enlarge agribusinesses by upgrading and promoting raw local products. Therefore, farmers will get a boost up from our project," said Niloboon Pramarn, the enterprise's chief executive and one of its founders. The first product promoted under the initiative is a weevil-free germinated brown rice.

"I think it is necessary for us to go back to our agrarian roots, though it is still a work in progress. Many of the younger generation often mistakenly think the occupation of farming as been left behind. I want to erase this negative mindset and prove that they are wrong," Niloboon said.

The Hands Up Network, a skill-based volunteer initiative, represents a fairly new business model in which it acts as an agency between non-governmental organisations and social fields.

Its founder, Wanich Jirachaisingh, said: "We aim to bring out individuals' skills rather than focusing on how much they can donate, believing that it is a necessary step to use people's skills to help untangle problems in certain fields. Communicating with social fields assists us in identifying what difficulties they are currently encountering. Then, we will use technology as a valuable tool to search for appropriate volunteers.

Sorrawut Pingkhlasai, a team member of the Hands Up Network, said: "We also established our own formula, which is: small action plus individual skill equals big change."

Banpu's head of corporate affairs, Udomlux Olarn, said Banpu Champions for Change was launched in 2011 and was based on inspirationally supporting young people who showed true potential and creativity when learning from experts, and help them get essential hands-on experience.

"We've seen an increasing number of young entrepreneurs who tackle a social issue or elevate the quality of life for those in need while generating profits just like any other profit-driven business model," Udomlux said.

She said Banpu was committed to supporting new-generation businesses, because it believed "learning" was the power behind change and development.

"We are proud to have inspired them and supported them to improve society," she said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/4-social-enterprises-named-champions-of-change-30267217.html

-- The Nation 2015-08-23

[timewilltell]

Great ideas, exactly what is needed, some sensible forward thinking people with schemes that help people instead of filling their own pockets. I hope it is a raging success to shine the light on the other 99% who are mired in the patronage corruption failed model.

[Krataiboy]

" . . . an initiative designed to support budding entrepreneurs' dream of improving society".

And there was silly old me me thinking most of them dreamed of nothing but making loadsa money.