My world changed because of 2 weeks.

"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get use to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget" - Arundhati Roy

It's been a little over a week since I've been back home. I can't get India out of my head. I can't stop thinking about how little my life compares to everything I've seen, all the kids I played with, all the poverty I saw, the vulgar disparities and all the injustice that continues to take over our world. I go back to this quote because I haven't forgotten. I can't ever forget what I saw and how I felt. I can't even explain it. I've spent the last 10 days telling friends and family about my 2 week experience and it doesn't seem like it provides justice at all. How can the world be this jarring?

I spent the first day on my own crying. I wasn't sure how to express my emotions on that first day sitting at home and so crying just made sense. Since then every night before I go to bed I think about the kids the most. I miss their ability to be so innocent. It's not fair for kids to resort to drugs because it numbs their pain from abuse, violence, rape, forced labor. They were too small to make the decision so their path was chosen for them and now they suffer from addiction, loneliness, prostitution, and the liberty of basic essentials - a home, parents, food.

Our last full day in Delhi we went to Salaam Balaak Trust (SBT), an NGO dedicated to pulling kids off the street. Their mission - "to celebrate the spirit of survival". I can't help but think that so many organizations have the mission space to further livelihood - this NGO just wants you to survive.

Our role for that day was to go on a citywalk, otherwise known as a walk down memory lane. Our tour guides, past street kids, walk us along their journey of being a street kid to now having the opportunity to improve their lives. Our tour guide, Satender is a 19 year old boy who ran away from home because his father abused him, his siblings and his mother. He wanted to die but SBT saved him and brought him into a shelter. From there he learned English and is learning computer skills. To also help the visibility of SBT and to help show the world about the unspeakable violence he is a tour guide for the NGO. He walks us along the inner city of Paharjung, the railway stations where kids are belligerently high and how they get saved by SBT community workers, and the shelters where the children temporarily live. It was the hardest day for me.

I go to bed every night thinking about them. I continue to think what else can I do in this world. I have my own bed and I have support. I am damn lucky. How can I share that? How can these boys and girls sleep in their own bed and read their own books and be educated and change their life?

Our class ends by writing a business plan. Our goal is to build sustainability and self-sufficiency. I continue to contemplate how I will do this because what I write needs to be implemented. It just takes more than me. I didn't see a world through a different lens to just continue and watch. I did it so the world changes. I just hope it does...

Unlimited Capacity for Change

Our last day in Mumbai we went to the “Hub” - a place where social entrepreneurs, visionaries, and volunteers have a place to share ideas, and create and implement change. I loved being at the Hub. The place was built to welcome innovation and collaboration.

At the “Hub” we met with UnLtd India and Acumen Fund – both organizations that help build capacity for social entrepreneurs and projects.

UnLtd India is an organization that provides seed funding to start-up NGO’s and stands as an incubator for social entrepreneurs. Their goal is to help initiate NGO’s and accelerate their progress from inception. Whereas, Acumen Fund seemed more similar to an investment fund, supporting social enterprises.

I was particularly intrigued by UnLtd India and the sustainability they provide in initiating ideas and organizations. With such a large number of organizations failing within the first six months of inception due to various reasons (lack of money, sustainability, resources, etc) UnLtd India provides a mechanism for these organizations and ideas to continue to exist. Its just so much more than an organization folding within six months. It’s the community that could have been saved or the people that could potentially have better access to health care, better education or improved lives. UnLtd India really attempts to alleviate this.

It seemed quite fitting to be at the hub as today provided more of a space for us to think about logistically how this all works. How do non-profits exist? How do they remain sustainable? How do they get to the bottom line: Social Impact? Today helped hone in even more questions I continue to ponder over and marinate as I continue to think what else can I do and how else can improve existing organizations and/or ideas to maintain sustainability while improving lives.

The Tortoise and The Hare -- UnLtd India

On Monday we met with both UnLtd India and the Acumen Global Fund. Each of these organizations operates with the goal of encouraging social change through the financial support of social entrepreneurs. UnLtd India financially incubates the ideas of social entrepreneurs in the first four years of the life of an idea. I love this model because, by reaching out with support in the first years UnLtd India that idea can grow from a solid base.

Both of the meetings took place at “The Hub”, which is an open air loft space that functions as rentable office space for social entrepreneurs. I love this idea because it promotes so much peer support, idea sharing and support and I truly feel that the greatest ideas arise from peer collaboration.

I was particularly inspired by our meeting with UnLtdIndia. We met with Pooja Warier, the vivacious and extremely intelligent co-founder and Director of the organization. Her vision and acute awareness of the social climate of entrepreneurs in India lends itself to creating a functional launch pad for those entrepreneurs’ ideas, through UnLtd India. We met at “The Hub”, which is a lofty area where entrepreneurs can meet, share ideas, work and be inspired.
Following the conversation with Pooja, we engaged in a very interactive session with two UnLtd India employees – Karen and Roshan. The interactive and informal nature of our meeting lent itself to a very open, question-driven session in which many members of our group were able to really connect with the organization, its’ people and its’ mission.

Karen led us through three examples of social entrepreneurs who had been funded and launched by UnLtd India. This was the most inspiring part of the meeting for me because these ideas, which have gone on to receive additional funding and success, are not grandiose. I think that so many people in our field of work, myself included, sometimes feel that the need “the one” great idea that will change the world. Even the title of our class textbook encourages this mindset. What UnLtd India showed us was that even the smallest or most basic idea can, in fact, change the world. It may not be changing the entire world as we think of it, per se; however, if an idea changes the way or scope in which an individual lives their life – isn’t that changing their world?

The greatest social change need not affect masses and masses. If our ideas can simply change one aspect of one community’s existence I truly believe that then, the goal has been met. Social entrepreneurship, social impact, social change – these buzz words tend to create a feeling of need to create an impact for the greatest amount of people possible. I certainly relate to this and understand those feelings. The meeting with UnLtd India was so valuable because it started me thinking about narrowing the scope of my interests and truly perfecting a program that will seamlessly and effectively create an impact for that group. Once tested, only then would it be appropriate to scale up the intervention, program or business to reach the masses.

This sentiment is analogous to the simple children’s story of the tortoise and the hare. We can hope and we can certainly dream about truly “changing the world” and there is no fault in that. What I will carry with me from meeting with UnLtd India is that it doesn’t take a “change the world” idea or mindset to truly affect the ways in which people live their lives. Focusing on a smaller population, with one simple idea can certainly carry out the tenets of social entrepreneurship and social change and provide a platform for that big, change the world idea.

Reality Check

After meeting with Acumen on Monday and hearing about their projects, challenges and successes, it gave a great frame of reference for our following two meetings with international, American-based organizations. On Tuesday, we flew from Mumbai to Delhi and, during dinner that night, met with Nandita Chopra, a representative of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), living and working in Delhi on the NIH's India portfolio. It was really interesting to speak with her about her role and what the NIH is doing to promote health in India. She has an extensive history in HIV/AIDS research and it was amazing to hear about the work the NIH is doing, particularly for me, in the way of HIV/AIDS prevention in India.

The following day, we met with PSI – a HUGE international NGO with thousands of projects across the globe – I was definitely interested in PSI prior to the meeting, and was pleasantly surprised at the level of depth we were afforded to experience. I figured we would meet with them in a similar fashion as with Acumen or UnLtd - they would discuss their projects, provide some interesting examples and allow us to ask questions. They did that, and so much more. The PSI staff really engaged us. After a presentation of their current local women's health projects – working to increase access to low-cost intrauterine devices (IUDs) and medical abortion – they requested that each of us provide criticism of the project.

Obviously each of us would come away with thoughts about the program – the model, the implementation, the evaluation methods - but it was so refreshing to be asked, point-blank, about a real, functioning program (and then have the opportunity to go out and see it; to meet the people who take the theory and models about which we learn in class and turn them into something tangible). Amidst the craziness and uncertainty which India can breed within you, our time with PSI was the professional reality check I needed and really solidified much of my India experience thus far. Though our meetings and interactions with other organizations have been enlightening and engaging on a number of levels, I am still figuring out what social entrepreneurship means to me, and what role I can play within that sphere. Regardless of how India or social entrepreneurship strikes me, today reminded me that soon, I will be done with my degree, and will be doing work like this; work which will have the potential to make a real impact on people's lives.

Andheri

I finally made it to India! After having my itinerary changed about 4 times, we finally landed in Mumbai yesterday around 2am and were welcomed by a busy crowd and the monsoon season (which in India means 80%+ humidity!).

After failing at getting some much needed sleep we were thrown right into the depths of India. The group visited the offices of AmeriCares, an organization that strives to provide mobile medical services to India’s largest slum, East Andheri. The main focus of the organization is to provide on site medical care, free medications as well as disaster relief whenever needed (Note:

Did you that about 50% of the population live in slums? Unbelievable).

It’s hard to describe what I saw once we got to the slums. We got off to bus and were hit by a strong putrid smell coming from the enormous mountain of waste sitting right next to the slums. If you didn’t know any better you’d think it’s just another mountain decorating the horizon.

The medical van parked in front of a garage-looking structure and proceeded to set up so they could start seeing patients. In the meantime we stood there, trying to take it all in as we started to get the attention from people in the community. The little kids were the first ones to come over to take a closer look and pose for the cameras. Then women started to line up to so the doctor could see them.

Looking around you realize these people have no access to clean water, health services, education or a steady income. Living in unsanitary conditions, among animals and waste is the norm for all the people in slums.

I left E. Andheri feeling disheartened. How can we help? Where to even begin? I hope by the end of this trip I will have a better idea of how to answer these questions.

Can't wait to see what India has in store for us on Day 2!

Day 1: Greetings from Mumbai

I landed tonight and was welcomed by the thousands of people rushing through the airport, the smell and of course the monsoons. I definitely forgot what monsoon really meant until tonight.

Our first assignment is to review and discuss the following websites: Kiva, Global Giving, Samhita and the Global India Fund. These websites share similar mission spaces. Each of these organizations focus on funding projects in developing nations. These websites have portals that empower donors to contribute to organizations (with as little as $10) that have been identified as credible, integral, and key to social change.

Kiya empowers individuals around the world through loans, in hopes to alleviate poverty – a broad mission, however, critical in providing safe and affordable capital to those in need. Global Giving is a portal that allows users to donate their time on projects. The homepage focuses on key events going on the world so that the end user has an understanding of what part of the world that moment may need the most help. If that doesn’t interest the person, you can also search projects by topic (education, health, human rights, etc) or by the region in which you want to donate. It also shows how little money takes a person, a village and a country so far. For example, $14 vaccinates four cows against disease in Ethiopia and $24 provides 4 severely malnourished children in Ethiopia with 4 servings of fortified food.

Samhita and the Global India Fund (GIF) work in concert with each other. These organizations have done the due diligence necessary to ensure that donors are contributing to credible organizations. A many know, India is home to over 2 million NGOs, making it challenging for international donors to donate if they are unsure which of these organizations are accountable and reputable. Samhita and GIF provide that information so these NGOs can be self-sustained, make social impact, and change the world for hundreds of thousands of individuals in India living in poverty, famish and economic restraints.

India is just fascinating. Coming for probably the 30th time now, its different this time. It's different because for the first time in 30 years I am using a different lens to see, understand and explore a country full of love, color, surprises, success and hope. My time previous to this trip was mainly focused on shopping, seeing family and spending time with family members I never knew I had. Although my previous trips have been fun, I am excited about this trip and this wonderful adventure we are about to begin. This journey is part of the class, Social Entrepreneurship, a class empowering us to become leaders of a world that contributes to supporting and improving social and economic conditions. I am looking forward to the next 12 days.

For now, I must sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day, trekking through East Andheri Slums and working alongside a mobile medical unit.

Halfway there!

Greetings all from Paris!

It was a quick and easy flight from Minneapolis and now I, like Kelly below, am ruminating on social entrepreneurship, my upcoming experience in India and my thoughts on the blogs we were assigned to look at.

Each of the four organizations has their own perspective on social entrepreneurship and seeks to fulfill its’ mission in different ways. Samhita and Global India Fund provide a veritable database of worthy organizations that have been exhaustively vetted, such that potential donors can feel confident in where there money is going. I try to make several small donations to causes I feel strongly about throughout the year and as my interests take on a more global perspective, the value of a service like this becomes more and more apparent. Global India Fund and Samhita truly take the guess work out of making a charitable donation abroad and, by way of the vast database, provide different ways to do so. Having the choice of making a donation directly to an individual, or to a bank that will distribute the funds as a loan or any other option really gives the donor a feeling of control over their donation.

Kiva is one of the more compelling sites of those we were tasked with visiting. Of course, all of the organizations provide wonderful services and convincing reasons to be charitable; however, I think that the actual aesthetic of the Kiva site provides the best user experience. There are so many different options available to donors now; I feel that having a unique and gripping user experience can really set an organization apart from the others. I really love the ability to scroll over the different individual boxes on Kiva’s home page, see their personal story and really understand how Kiva has helped them. For me, this added a very personal element that I feel is slightly lacking on the other organization web sites. In class we heard from Kate Roberts, the powerhouse PR and Marketing genius from PSI. Not only was her presentation exciting and informative, it also helped us understand the value of making the social entrepreneurship truly personable and relational. I honestly feel that, when soliciting funds for any organization, it really is all about two things: 1) who you know and 2) how you engage them. Although Kiva is quite different than PSI, I like to make the connection between an individual who has the keen ability to connect with others and an organizations website that really does go the extra little bit to make the experience of the user better – and thus create a more likely environment for donation.

GlobalGiving also provides this type of personalized user experience. I appreciate how they separate the available projects by both geography as well as topic so if I were interested in donating money to say a maternal and child health program in sub-saharan Africa, I would be able to make one click of a mouse and see the project options available which fit those specific parameters.

All of these organizations provide ways to truly make a difference, no matter the size or scope of the donation. Each has its’ own personality which caters to, potentially, a certain type of philanthropist. Social entrepreneurship, as we have studied in the classroom and through our own personal experiences, doesn’t fit into one category. The term can really be experienced and encompassed in a variety of different ways, whether it is a charitable organization, a profitable company, or simply a grass-roots way to provide support for a cause an individual deems worthy. What ties all of this together; however, is the need for financial backing. The organizations mentioned above all provide this service, but in different ways.

I still have 10+ hours of travel until I get to India, and I truly cannot wait to arrive and see some of the tenets of social entrepreneurship at work. Undoubtedly this will be a challenging experience – emotionally, mentally and otherwise. I am thrilled to be joining such an esteemed, smart and adventurous group of people on this journey and look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow morning.

Brooke

Sleepless in Doha....Thoughts on Social Entrepreneurship

I’m writing this from halfway around the world in Doha, Qatar where I’m waiting for my flight to Mumbai. Although I’m a little groggy for the 12+ hour flight here, I can’t sleep because I am so anxious to get to India and start what will no doubt be a life-changing experience. I am thrilled to be traveling to India to study social entrepreneurship, a topic I have had a growing interest in over the past year, and something I think is a key tool in reducing poverty and improving the health and wellbeing of people around the world.

As we’ve read and discussed in class, and as I learned firsthand in trying to write a paper on the subject, social entrepreneurship is difficult to define. What interests me most is the characteristic of social entrepreneurs to continuously find creative solutions to problems. In our course text, David Bornstein’s How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas, there are many stories of entrepreneurs who come up with a great idea to solve a social problem, such as lack of electricity access in rural Brazil or need for support for street children in India. But they do not just stop with one idea. If a challenge comes up, they come up with another idea to get around it. Or, if one thing works, they figure out what they can add to help people even more. I’ve never thought of myself as overly creative, but I hope I can channel some of the creativity from the many social entrepreneurs we will meet on this trip.

One thing that social entrepreneurs—like all entrepreneurs—need is start up capital. We were assigned to look at three Web sites that focus on funding projects and people in developing countries: www.globalgiving.org, www.kiva.org, www.globalindiafund.org, and www.samhita.org. I love the idea behind all of these sites, which is that people, in general, are very generous. When a natural disaster strikes, or a community member gets ill, or a family member loses their job, people reach out and help in anyway they can—no matter how small. By making giving easy, particularly across international borders, these sites create a network of helping hands around the world.

Each site takes a slightly different approach. GlobalGiving lets donors make tax-deductible contributions to projects around the world, who otherwise might not be able to afford tools to collect donations. The site presents projects by topic and region, making it easy for donors to find something of interest, and it gives specific details about what your gift can buy (for example, $10 can buy a backpack full of supplies for a child in Liberia). According to the site, GlobalGiving has had 205,406 donors give $48.7 million to 4,260 projects since 2002.

Kiva has a similar setup except instead of making donations, users making small loans. It also has great stats—since 2005, 602,445 lenders have loaned $232 million with a repayment rate of 98.79%. I love this idea because it helps people around the world start a small business, without relying on donations. You can choose to give to individual entrepreneurs, based on their vision for their business, or to community banks, who lend to many individuals. I also love that Kiva relies on volunteers to run its network, edit Web stories, and so on, so that 100% of your loan goes directly to the entrepreneur.

In class we have talked a great deal about Dr. Vyas’ efforts with Global India Fund. Key to this site’s model is that Global India Fund, along with Samhita, takes on the due diligence of vetting all the organizations on its site so that donors can feel confident they are making a contribution to a reliable, transparent organization that is effective and also uses its resources efficiently.

All of these sites let users make a real difference in the lives of people around the world. It is truly amazing what just $10 or $20 can do. I encourage you all to check them out.

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