"We" are the Solution: The case for Social Enterprise in Zambia

I have really been thinking of how Zambians can change Zambia. Social entrepreneurship is something that is foreign to our nation and has not been given the attention it deserves. For profit enterprises are the most common. A for-profit enterprise looks at the profit margin as its measurement of progress. Market share is another factor that is given much attention. There is of course nothing wrong with for-profit enterprises and entrepreneurs engaged in it should be encouraged because they are the engine of job creation in an economy though we are yet to see their impact in Zambia.

Social enterprises are driven, not by profit but rather by lives changed or improved. Their goal is to alleviate poverty or confront social ills by offering solutions through the vehicle of enterprise. These entrepreneurs should be encouraged to emerge and act on their ideas.

In an economy like Zambia, there of course many challenges for social entrepreneurs one of them being the fact that most of them do not have a steady income and, therefore, are more inclined to form for profit enterprises. This fear stems from the misconception that one cannot make a profit and solve social problems at the same time. The key to profitable social entrepreneurial ventures is to have a business model that is driven first of all by a strong social change agenda that has the potential to be an income stream.

For example, a social entrepreneur can be driven by a desire to solve the food crisis problem in a village by teaching peasant farmers how to grow crops that can yield more and can withstand drought conditions. At first glance this seems like a service that is given free of charge. However, after getting a good foundation in place and having buy-in from the villagers, the social entrepreneur can eventually offer this service for a small percentage of the harvest. He then can turn around and sell this harvest for a profit.

The other way would be to enter into partnership with the farmers in which the entrepreneur offers his knowledge of crop production and or high yield seed while the farmers contribute the land and labor. At harvest time, after making sure that the farmers have enough food supply for the year, the surplus can be sold for a profit which is shared by all involved. Again the entrepreneur achieves his goal of alleviating the food crisis and also turns a profit, however small it might be. This venture can grow if all parties involved decide to continue their partnership and expand the percentage of land cultivated.

This concept can be applied to solving many other social problems. My point is that WE the people are the solution. While I believe that government should be in the forefront of fighting social ills, we the people also have a role to play. We need to change perspective and look at the opportunities around us. We must take it upon ourselves to change our world and not rely on the politicians and technocrats to come up with a magical way to solve all our problems.

So what social ills around you can you solve? The ball is in your court.