[UgaBYTES] EATLF- Social enterprise and how to sustaintelecentres
Loic Comolli
lcomolli at nesst.org
Mon Oct 22 23:53:46 GMT 2007
Hi Hilton,
I want to respond to two of your points (one of which was made by a few
other people).
1. Need for an African telecentre association: while this is a good idea
with the potential to have many benefits beyond social enterprise, in the
short term there are organizations that can play the role you mention of
championing and driving replication of models that work, providing
capacity building programs, negotiating for better pricing with telco's,
etc. For example, in East Africa, UgaBYTES's reach of close to 100
telecentres allows for it to play that role. And we are working with Sulah
and his team to develop UgaBYTES's capacity to identify, develop, and
promote new social enterprise models within its network.
2. Social enterprise v. social entrepreneur: in my key note address I
purposefully described the phrase social enterprise, as opposed to social
entrepreneur. That's because social enterprise refers to the telecentre
(or organization) and not the individual. The objective is to make the
telecentre/organization sustainable, not the individual. This is quite
different, as social enterprise requires building the vision, capacity,
and systems of the telecentre/organization. Focusing on the social
entrepreneurs would mean designing and delivering a set of services for
the individual, not for the organization.
Loic
-----Original Message-----
From: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org
[mailto:ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] On Behalf Of Hilton
Theunissen
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2007 4:15 PM
To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
Cc: Phumelele Zonela; Wayne; mendenyo at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] Sustainability.....are there any in africa..???..!!!
Hi Harsha
In SA as soon as one makes money through a social project - you are
considered to have change profile to COMMERCIAL:-(
We started the tuXlab entrepreneur model which I presented in Benin,
just last week we celebrated the birth of 6 new budding social
entrepreneurs at a ceremony. Over the pas weeks they have entered in
negotiations to turn the school labs into profit generating centres by
providing services to this "captured" market. We do consider Inkululeko
to be a social enterprise and I consider myself as a social entrepreneur
before philanthropist, open sourcerer, IT professional,etc. In SA
Corporates get browny points for investing into development sectors like
education, community development and small enterprise support. So we get
the Corps to subsidise the communities, it might seem that these guys
are the "funders" but this browny point system is worth over ZAR1bn and
Government will start dishing out fines if they don't comply. The above
may seem easy business but it is easier said then getting the actual
funding. Corps want to see the mileage and get the points - so
enterprises like Inkululeko have to juggle and get it right through
social innovation mixed with nine commercial hats.
I do feel Social Enterprising in Africa is not a well understood concept
- many African leaders will consider themselves as social entrepreneurs
like Nelson Mandela, who uses his brand to drive social programs, Tokyo
Sexkwale once politician now worth ZAR1bn commercial entrepreneur - now
using this mix to push entrepreneurship and the list will grow when
others start adding the country social entrepreneurs.
On a more micro scale we have the likes of MTN, Vodacom,etc. that
empowers small internet cafe's to sell airtime, phones, internet access,
copy print services,etc to the community. Then their is the power
company, Eskom in SA, that sells pre-paid electricity through these
centres. I am told we have over 20000 "telecentre" kiosk throughout SA -
I figure some entrepreneur came up with that idea.
So what is missing?
I have mentioned this before - an African telecentre association with
champions that will drive replication of models that work, provide
capacity building programs, negotiate for better pricing with telco's.
donors, hardware and software providers,etc. The possibilities goes
on-and-on....Africa has 47 countries, 600 000 schools, close to a 1bn
people---endless possibilities.
If people of Africa get skilled, educated,etc. - Africa can become one
of the most powerfull Economies in the universe. An african telecentre
Association --- WILL BE A GOOD START TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS DREAM
Kind regards.
Hilton Theunissen
Inkululeko Technologies
Tel: +27 11 462 9124
Fax-to-mail: 0865033491
Mobile: +27 72 900800 1
E-mail: hilton at inkululeko.co.za
http://www.tuxlab.org.za
Harsha Liyanage wrote:
> Hi Hilton, Peter & Jose,
>
> Thanks for your comments...!
>
> I still see the passion - for engaging and *serving community*. That's
> the common blood stream in many of us > the *'social obligation'*.
>
> But, what I DONT see yet is the *Entrepreneurs* talk > how to keep this
> Social Obligation going - paying the bills, updating the computers,
> adding more services....making the telecentre attractive....and after
> all continuing the payslip of telecentre operator even after *Donor
> Disappear* at the end of project cycle.
>
> Can I hear a voice of an African Entrepreneur....(in fact a
> Social-entrepreneur)...??
>
> I met few in Asia and Latin America...(see www.sustainabilityfirst.org
> <http://www.sustainabilityfirst.org>), aren't there any in Africa..????
>
> Looking forward.
>
> Harsha Liyanage
> visiting fellow,
> telecentre.org <http://telecentre.org>
>
>
> On 22/10/2007, *Jose'* <ngunjirijnr at yahoo.com
> <mailto:ngunjirijnr at yahoo.com>> wrote:
>
> Dear Colleagues,
> As Peter has mentioned "Issues are different from community to
community
> ".
> Thats is the reason before opening a centre,you have to seek the
community members opinion.
> It is very very important in my own opinion because,you fulfill the
communities hearts desires"
>
>
> Its like when a politician comes to seek votes,he promises things
and when he delivers them,
> he gets back to the throne!For telecentres,if you deliver
communities desires,
> they have an obligation to support your en devours in serving them!!
>
>
> what is it going to take to have the community sustainable ?
>
> A community knows what they need.By involving the community in
bringing their opinions and us as
>
> telecentre practitioners acting on them,reciprocates the community
> having to bring the concept of ownership thus for anyone time,you
shall create revenue,
>
> and at the same time searve them.
> Regards,
> Jose'
> ... and then to ask what role the telecentre can have in the
sustainable community.
>
> The telecentres role in the community and the community inhabitants
> is to maintain,inform and keep up to date with the current changing
> trends in the market.The community at this point trusts in you and
> are willing to go there way you "walking your talk" and lending an
> ear to the community members.
>
> For example,if a community says they need internet connectivity,your
> role is to look for the resources and man power to provide the
> same!after bringing the internet,inform them and charge for
> browsing!!to cater for the hard work done.
>
>
> */Peter Burgess <peterbnyc at gmail.com <mailto:peterbnyc at gmail.com>>/*
> wrote:
>
> Dear Colleagues
>
> I think of telecentre sustainability at two levels:
> 1 .... enough cash to pay the bills and stay in business
> 2 .... doing something that has real socio-economic value at a cost
> that is small relative to the value.
>
> The telecentres that have been designed by the international relief
> and development community tend to achieve the first by getting
> money
> for a rather short time from the donors ... no matter what the
> costs,
> the donors cover the bills for this short time. When the donors end
> their support, these telecentres are in trouble.
>
> But worse, the question of socio-economic value has not been
> sufficiently addressed and often there is not much real useful
> socio-economic value and the costs are high, and there is not even
> sustainability at the level 2.
>
> If a telecentre strategy is designed around what is going to be
> useful
> in the community ... what is going to be affordable by the
community
> ... what technology can be low cost and satisfy criteria 1 ... then
> there is a chance.
>
> Issues are different from community to community ... but the
> role of
> jobs in the community and cash to pay for services is a part of the
> problem and solution. Telecentres are probably the best tech job in
> the community, and perhaps the only tech job in the community
> ... but
> the value of giving jobs to this group of people is NOT, sadly a
> way
> to telecentre sustainability.
>
> Perhaps the first and biggest question is to find out what is it
> going
> to take to have the community sustainable ... and then to ask what
> role the telecentre can have in the sustainable community.
>
> Sincerely
>
> Peter Burgess
>
> ____________
> Peter Burgess
> The Transparency and Accountability Network: Tr-Ac-Net in New York
> www.tr-ac-net.org <http://www.tr-ac-net.org/>
> IMMC - The Integrated Malaria Management Consortium Inc.
> www.IMMConsortium.org <http://www.immconsortium.org/>
> 917 432 1191 or 212 772 6918 peterbnyc at gmail.com
> <mailto:peterbnyc at gmail.com>
>
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>
>
>
> Best Regards,
> Jose' Njuki-Imwe Ngunjiri || +254 722 336754 ||
>
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>
> --
> Harsha Liyanage, PhD
> Managing Director, Fusion, Sarvodaya. www.fusion.lk <http://www.fusion.lk>
> Regional Coordinator, South Asia,
> GKP
> Visiting Research Fellow, IDRC ( telecentre.org
> <http://telecentre.org>), Canada.
>
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