OpenIDEO - How might we use social business to improve health in low-income communities? - Concepting - Mobile training camp for Entrepreneurship

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How might we use social business to improve health in low-income communities?

Inspiration 290 inspirations

Concepting 97 concepts

Evaluation 20 final concepts

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Mobile training camp for Entrepreneurship

Everyone in Caldas is an Entrepreneur, that's something we learned in the inspiration phase. What if there was a service that trained people in the skills to turn those entrepreneurial instincts into viable social businesses?

Because Caldas is so mountainous, a central place may not be the best solution, though that could be a component. What if there was a mobile training camp - like a travelling library - which would teach the principles of social business, how to find investors, set up your business, and provide ongoing mentorship?

The Mobile Camp

As well as providing teaching materials, courses, and resources for budding entrepreneurs to get started, The bus itself could act as a showcase for the best local talent, showing off the ideas and potential of the community.

"You could also imagine that the truck could even provide ways for local crafts to show and sell their stuff. Imagine women weaving in a village. They could give one or two samples of their work which could be exhibited in the truck." Thanks to Anne-Laure Fayard for this great addition.

This could be extended into a network which would act as a virtual incubator for new businesses so that new entrepreneurs could connect and share best practice.

"Another way to make it more 'sustainable' is to build a network of local mentors (established entrepreneurs who have gone through the training and who have proved to have a certain business acumen). These could help as local relays for when the mobile truck is elsewhere." Thanks to Sarah Fathallah's great suggestion here.

Also see attached these great photographs taken by Juan Cajiao of a square of a small village he met people from a "cooperativa" in Mallorca, Spain.

"These people are looking for jobs for retiree (retirement money is not enough to live in many countries). They were also trying to gather "gente sabia" (wise people) to give them advise them management advise...When people wants to make things happen they are thirsty for advice!" Juan Cajiao.

How do you envision this idea making money?

There's probably a few options:

– Sell additional services on the side - e.g. fresh coffee :) or juice, or smoothies etc.
– Provide higher value services such as consultancy to more established entrepreneurs, proceeds of which are reinvested in the outreach program

How does this idea create social impact, particularly around improving health?

By educating entrepreneurs with business skills so that they in turn can create impact. Plus what if the smoothie's / juices provided education about their health benefits?

16 Evaluations so far

How well do you think this concept considers life in low-income communities?

It is highly relevant to low-income communities
It is somewhat relevant to low-income communities
It does not significantly consider low-income communities

How effectively does this concept use social business principles (that is, it has social benefits for the community but does not pay dividends?)

This concept uses social business principles very well
This concept could be easily modified to incorporate social business elements
This concept does not connect with social business very well

How easy would it be to implement this concept?

Easy! This could be started immediately
It would take some time and planning – but I bet I could see progress in the near future
This concept would need extensive planning, partnerships & resources in place to get going

To what extent will this concept improve people’s health?

This concept would significantly improve people’s health and wellbeing
This concept seems like it might improve health, although maybe indirectly
This concept doesn’t really have much to do with health

Overall, how do you feel about this concept?

It rocked my world!
I liked it but preferred others
It didn’t get me overly excited

How well do you think this concept considers life in low-income communities?

It is highly relevant to low-income communities It is somewhat relevant to low-income communities It does not significantly consider low-income communities

How effectively does this concept use social business principles (that is, it has social benefits for the community but does not pay dividends?)

This concept uses social business principles very well This concept could be easily modified to incorporate social business elements This concept does not connect with social business very well

How easy would it be to implement this concept?

Easy! This could be started immediately It would take some time and planning – but I bet I could see progress in the near future This concept would need extensive planning, partnerships & resources in place to get going

To what extent will this concept improve people’s health?

This concept would significantly improve people’s health and wellbeing This concept seems like it might improve health, although maybe indirectly This concept doesn’t really have much to do with health

Overall, how do you feel about this concept?

It rocked my world! I liked it but preferred others It didn’t get me overly excited

Any other feedback or comments you’d like to share with Grameen Creative Lab and the OpenIDEO team? These comments will not be shared publicly.

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Laci Videmsky

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July 13, 2011, 03:48AM

Hi Nathan,

This seems like a very appropriate and nimble concept. One could easily imagine an energy best practices narrative as well. Maybe... the mobile camp could be run on biofuel, and collects vegetable oil (or other lipids) on its journeys from town town showcasing such techniques along the way. Or, solar panels on the roof that pivot and become a shade structure or awning w/signage. Or, the trailer broadcasts a point-to-multipoint WiFi node. Just thoughts that could complement a decentralized and mobile idea such as yours. Look forward to seeing this develop further!

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Nicole Coatta

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July 03, 2011, 06:07AM

Fantastic concept with a lot of room for further growth! This concept brings to mind a current initiative of the UBC Sauder School of Business in Vancouver, Canada. Sauder students teach and mentor Nigerian youth in the field of social entrepreneurship, establish microfinancing projects, etc. Perhaps this idea of mentoring and networking could be incorporated into your concept - maybe on a smaller scale, with mentors coming from other parts of Colombia.

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Nathan Waterhouse's reply to Laci Videmsky's comment

Nathan Waterhouse

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July 05, 2011, 02:11AM

Nicole, that's really interesting, so if I understand what you're talking about, the Sauder students teach the Nigerian students remotely? If so then maybe there's a separate concept in that that you could submit yourself? Thanks again.

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Nicole Coatta's reply to Laci Videmsky's comment

Nicole Coatta

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July 12, 2011, 12:37AM

Nathan, you can find more info here: http://www.africa.sauder.ubc.ca/ I'm brand new to OPENideo so I'm still getting used to everything but I hope to contribute a concept in the future.

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Ashley Jablow's reply to Laci Videmsky's comment

Ashley Jablow

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July 12, 2011, 08:47PM

Welcome Nicole! Glad to have you onboard :)

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James McBennett

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July 08, 2011, 02:27PM

Hope there will be case studies of failure as well as success. http://j.mp/qpJXVC

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Luz Alba Gallo

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July 08, 2011, 04:18AM

This reminds me of a project that became really popular as an icon por the colombian proud call "El biblioburro". http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblioburro
Is a really nice project and it has help educate a lot of children in the rural areas.

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June 28, 2011, 08:41PM

I really like this concept. Maybe another way to make it more 'sustainable' is to build a network of local mentors (established entrepreneurs who have gone through the training and who have proved to have a certain business acumen). These could help as local relays for when the mobile truck is elsewhere.

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Nathan Waterhouse's reply to Laci Videmsky's comment

Nathan Waterhouse

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June 28, 2011, 09:56PM

Thanks Sarah, I'll build that in - great suggestion!

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Dave Anians's reply to Laci Videmsky's comment

Dave Anians

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July 02, 2011, 04:04PM

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Dave Anians's reply to Laci Videmsky's comment

Dave Anians

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July 02, 2011, 04:06PM

Sorry, I put this in the wrong place : p. I'll post it again at the bottom.

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Anne-Laure Fayard

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July 01, 2011, 02:48AM

Hi Nathan,

I really like the concept. The mobility component is great in that geographic context. I can see how the program could spread and how lead to the emergence of local mentors in each village.
Selling coffee is a nice idea. Linking it to the concept of the Nutritious lunch program from Krassimira (and per your last point about smoothies and juices), you could also think of selling some healthy food / meals, which could help educate people and make them healthier.

You could also imagine that the truck could even provide ways for local crafts to show and sell their stuff. Imagine women weaving in a village. They could give one or two samples of their work which could be exhibited in the truck.

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Nathan Waterhouse's reply to Laci Videmsky's comment

Nathan Waterhouse

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July 01, 2011, 02:55AM

Hi Anne, thanks so much, what a great suggestion. I've added your idea to the concept!

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Johan Löfström's reply to Laci Videmsky's comment

Johan Löfström

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July 02, 2011, 11:19AM

is the idea that the truck should ride around with lots of samples of local arts and crafts? wouldn't it become a load on fuel costs and lots of administration? Turn it into a on-line version instead. Staff in the truck have cameras to document the products and place it in a web shop like Etsy or similar for global customers to see. (similar to other concepts here like : http://www.openideo.com/open/how-might-we-improve-health-care-through-social-business-in-low-income-communities/concepting/internet-shop-w-mentor-tutor-guidance/

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Johan Löfström's reply to Laci Videmsky's comment

Johan Löfström

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July 02, 2011, 11:28AM

the staff could create the Etsy-accounts for each individual or make one account per each village, or only one for the whole Mobile camper-truck.

If all individuals want their own Etsy-account, you should make a central portal or group-page for all the involved Caldas-entrepreneurs, so as to create an entrypoint for international clients to find all that are connected to this Mobile-Camper-project in the same place.

When a customer buys something online, the staff sends out a text message to the producer, with postal address and brief info to send the item with post to the buyer. Payment could be managed and centralized through a PayPal-account or similar that the staff in the camp-truck are in charge of, and distribute the payment in cash, retroactively next time they are in the village of the seller.
(Perhaps you could get Paypal as sponsor to the concept, to make their fees lower for this purpose?)

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Anne-Laure Fayard's reply to Laci Videmsky's comment

Anne-Laure Fayard

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July 02, 2011, 11:48AM

Hi Johan,
to reply to your first comment: my idea was to piggy back on the truck route already suggested by Nathan. It was more to create links between villages, in the style of peddlers. Back to Nathan point: because of the geography, it might be easier to travel to the village than create a central location.
Re. the Etsy-account: it can indeed be a way to provide access to more things and to more people, maybe a way to solve the geography / central location problem. For expanding and accessing international clients, this can be a great idea. However, for local communities, I'm wondering how good is the internet connection in Caldas.

cheers,

al

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Johan Löfström's reply to Laci Videmsky's comment

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July 02, 2011, 10:29AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHrQa4imwv4

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Meena Kadri

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June 28, 2011, 10:24PM

Nice one! And I like the idea of coffee being sold on the side – it certainly fuels a lot of entrepreneurial thought globally! And I wonder if some adults who sign-up for training might also be co-opted to provide short sessions for kids on things like financial literacy (they could be provided with tool-kits for this) so that the mobile training camp becomes relevant to the community at large. And perhaps there might be revenue in encouraging schools to host the occasional session?

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