Co-creating Solutions that
Unleash
Entrepreneurship in Rural India
Despite
the crucial role of micro enterprises in promoting job creation, the
growth of these enterprises, is limited owing to the lack of a positive
ecosystem that nurtures their development. The need of the hour
therefore, is to focus on promoting inclusive and innovative solutions
that stem directly from the needs of the small and micro entrepreneurs
in the underserved regions.
Work 4 Progress (an initiative of
Development Alternatives and “la Caixa” Banking Foundation) was born out
of the need for a multi-faceted and innovative approach to creating
systemic solutions that unleash entrepreneurship – not only creating
enterprises in the tens of thousands but more importantly, enabling them
to create 'dignified' and 'attractive' jobs. The first step in this
process was to listen deeply and to have a meaningful 'dialogue' with
the existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, to understand their needs and
identify solutions that are then co-created 'with' them, proceeding then
to prototype solutions and share learnings among a network of
change-makers to eventually create impact at scale.
It is imperative to learn to 'unlearn' most
of what we know. Rooted in the belief that deep listening can allow us
to uncover trigger points in the ecosystem, the Work 4 Progress
programme has engaged in a series of dialogues and conversations with
communities and stakeholders in the regions of Eastern Uttar Pradesh and
Bundelkhand. These conversations were undertaken through a variety of
tools – which borrowed from participatory research methods while
remaining aware of the contextual surroundings. The attempt was to
uncover narratives which would allow the programme to listen to and
learn from different segments of people. The intention was to create
forums that were inclusive, accessible and equitable to voices of men,
women and youth of these communities.
Every entrepreneur's story is important to
understand the nuances and trigger points of untapped economic potential
and upward social mobility. Development Alternatives has, through deep
listening and interactive processes, built an understanding of the
entrepreneurship landscape in hundreds of villages in Uttar Pradesh.
Resources have been pooled to introduce innovative, systemic solutions
in over 40 villages. One such example is the use of community radio to
launch a competitive 'reality show' for entrepreneurs called 'Kaun
Banega Business Leader' in which 800 participants are at different
stages of co-creating business models and enterprise solutions to tap
emerging opportunities in the local market. The competition allows the
community to raise voices on what are the problems that they face
specific to entrepreneurship in their area and consequently the support
that they seek. The information is obtained from them in an interactive
manner through infotainment as a medium. The aspiring entrepreneurs that
apply for the competition are also made to answer a few questions during
programme promotions. The competition also gives the team a chance to
have a 'dialogue' with the community on the topic of entrepreneurship
and gather genuine responses.
As a means to catalyse entrepreneurship
built within the programme is the component of capacity building to
co-create with the entrepreneurs. International Labour Organisation (ILO)
certified Start and Improve your Business (SIYB) training modules have
been used. One of the most important factors here has been that unlike
any other training programmes, impetus has been laid on working upon the
existing strength of entrepreneurs rather than only imparting new ones.
On one hand, the SIYB manual described step by step the process to
prepare and implement business plans. On the other hand, the SIYB
Business Game enabled the potential entrepreneurs to simulate a small
business. With the experience of running a small business, they were
able to immediately apply the theory of learning in practice.
Co-creating solutions 'with' the community
itself is the best way to design solutions that are effective and
meaningful to them. This also lets them take ownership of the solutions
that they create to solve their own issues and thus leave a social
legacy even after a programme or project gets over.
A variety of enterprise opportunities and
narratives in the rural enterprise landscape need to be unearthed. By
finding solutions, we can steer the nation towards growth and
development and make way for a better and more enterprising India.
■
Priyali Bhardwaj
pbhardwaj@devalt.org
Ayesha Bhatnagar
abhatnagar@devalt.org
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