Near the border with China in Myanmar's northern Shan State lies the Ei Naing IDP (internally displaced people) camp. The camp currently has approximately 300 residents, but its population will soon swell to over 500, as more people flee recruitment by local ethnic militia groups who have waged a decades-long guerrilla war against government forces. Life is extremely difficult here in normal conditions, but these have been aggravated by intense pre-Monsoon heat and the lack of water, medical and sanitation facilities.
Tin Nilar Aye, a 29-year-old resident of Myanmar's largest city Yangon, visited the camp with her organisation, Ladder, which works to protect and provide economic opportunities for vulnerable women and children. She explains that Ladder "co-operates with NGOs, business groups and other well wishers to provide for these people with the aim of not only getting them back on their feet, but to leave the camps and get on with their lives."
Tin Nilar Aye is being trained to become a social enterprise consultant through a new project initiated by the British Council. The project, Capacity Building for Social Enterprise, supports local individuals and companies to utilise a business approach to achieve a social impact. It does this by training consultants like Tin Nilar Aye to take on a key intermediary role in fostering the growth of the social enterprises, NGOs and sustainable businesses and ensuring the sector's long-term sustainability. The project is being delivered by the British Council in collaboration with a UK-based charity and social enterprise, Challenges Worldwide, that helps small businesses and social enterprises in countries such as India, Egypt and Malawi gain the critical skills they need to grow.
The rationale for financially sustainable approaches to social problems in Myanmar was voiced by another programme participant. In 2008, Tin Maung Htoo was working with a local NGO in offering aid to the people and villages devastated by cyclone Nargis. He and thousands like him were providing assistance but he says that, "because our organisations were dependent on grants and donors, when the money stopped, we were simply unable to continue our work." He added that, "The second problem with relying on donors is that many times the organisation is led by donor considerations rather than what is actually needed by communities on the ground."
The question of what constitutes a social enterprise in Myanmar is a complex one. Whereas in the UK and other nations there exists political, economic and legal support for social enterprises, Myanmar has yet to produce so much as a basic structure for social enterprise, much less a legal framework. This does not mean that social enterprise does not exist in the country, but it does indicate just how much support aspiring and existing social entrepreneurs require.
Thuta Aung, managing director of Yangon's Hamsahub – a consultancy that facilitates CSR, believes that "social enterprises here in Myanmar lack support and an enabling environment at present, and find little to no practical guidance on the ground. With British Council and other active players promoting social entrepreneurship, more talented young people will be attracted into the sector." Yvonne Witter, international entrepreneur consultant with Challenges Worldwide, adds that "this project will help by developing skills and expertise through capacity building to deliver sustainable programmes which generate income whilst serving a wider community interest."
The nascent sector faces a number of other challenges which the project seeks to address. "A key issue is addressing the problem of the 'pioneer gap,'" says Tristan Ace the East Asia lead for the British Council's Global Social Enterprise programme. "There is no shortage of good ideas and commitment in Myanmar, but social entrepreneurs need support to test and prove to potential investors that their ideas are viable. They also need organisational support to develop robust business plans and impact measurement frameworks to reassure investors of the value that they are creating."
More than 100 people applied for 12 available trainee positions, underscoring the appetite for this type of training in Myanmar. Previous experience of working in a social enterprise or even detailed knowledge of what social enterprise entails were not admission criteria. Rather applicants were selected based on their life and business experiences, desire to work within their communities, and expertise in a specific area that they could share with other participants.
The training programme includes classroom-based training, covering business planning, marketing, finance and consultancy. It also includes consultancy services to the trainees' socially oriented businesses. These are provided by two experienced international business associates from Challenges Worldwide. They will first produce a diagnostic report and then, over a period of months, address those areas that will promote the growth and enhance the long-term viability of the trainees' organisations.
Pamela Woodburn, director of operations at Challenges Worldwide, says, "We believe that building capacity in this way will, in the longer term, contribute to the economic growth of Myanmar and an inclusive society. We are sure this pilot project will prove successful and hope that it can be used as a model in the future."
San Lwin, a business owner and participant in the programme, adds, "the idea of social enterprise in not new in our country. We have a saying that when social programmes are sustained by income from the community, we are planting a pade-tha tree. I believe that in building our capacity and developing our own professional expertise in this programme, we can help that tree to thrive."
Contact the British Council at social.enterprise@britishcouncil.org
More from the British Council partnerzone:
• Social investment boosts Chinese rural economy and reunites families
• Gender equality in India improved by social enterprise training
• Planting the seeds of a social economy in Myanmar
Content on this page is paid for and provided by the British Council, sponsor of the International hub
