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Ending poverty seemed impossible a generation ago, but recent events will bring to light that this is not the case. The idea was first announced officially in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as something that would be achieved by 2030. Inspired by this notion, I have dedicated my time and resources to research what people (specifically young people) who live in poverty face and how entrepreneurship can bring an end to their extremely negative circumstances. I have done this research in my own capacity and ventured on an independent challenge to help young people escape poverty through entrepreneurial thinking. My independent challenge was conducted in my local community and is still ongoing...
What do young people born in poverty face?
I first considered what people in poor communities have to endure and how it affects their personal and social well-being. A poor neighbourhood is not just an area where poor people live – it is an area that is poor in resources like good schools, quality child care, and safe recreation. Children need these resources in order to thrive. On average, growing up in an area of concentrated poverty means poorer health, lower school achievement, and worse adult outcomes.
• In poor neighbourhoods, parents are less likely to have the social support of a network of friends and family. Low levels of social support increase parents’ stress and make it more difficult for them to be effective.
• In neighbourhoods that are unsafe, children watch more television, take part in fewer after-school activities, and are more likely to suffer from chronic health problems than in safer communities.
• Children who live in high-poverty neighbourhoods are less likely than their peers to graduate from high school, and their adult earnings are lower.
Children who live in high-poverty neighbourhoods are more likely than other children to witness domestic violence. The fear, stress, and self-blame that often accompany exposure to family violence are traumatic for children and can have long-term consequences.
• The negative effects of exposure to domestic violence include low self-esteem, sleep disturbances, physical symptoms, aggressive behaviour, and impaired social development.
• Children who are exposed to domestic violence are at increased risk for emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
• Witnessing domestic violence represents a serious threat to a child’s development regardless of age.
How can entrepreneurship bring an end to poverty?
Extract from a Forbes Article – “The Role Of Entrepreneurship In Ending Poverty And Homelessness”
Entrepreneurship—especially social entrepreneurship—brings value to the fight against poverty that other players—governments, corporations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) don’t.
Social entrepreneurs have a unique mindset... “Social entrepreneurs never give up, they think outside the box and are willing to empower ‘others’ to help solve their own challenges.”
Effective social entrepreneurs relieve burdens by selling products that customers need to improve their lives. The profits from sales create a sustainable impact and provide returns to investors.
Anne Riechert founded her coding school for refugees after 800,000 arrived in Germany in 2015, overwhelming government resources. She noted that even after they arrived, Germany had 51,000 open jobs in the I.T. field. The economy was constrained by a lack of available talent. So, she launched her school training refugees to fill those vacant positions. Her students quickly coded an app called Bureaucrazy to help other refugees navigate the German bureaucracy.
Arlene Samen, whose grassroots efforts in Nepal and Tibet have made dramatic improvements in maternal and child health, says her One Heart World-Wide is a beneficiary of a social enterprise in Australia called Thankyou that donates 100 percent of its profits to charities. The company sells water, body care, food and baby care products.
Samen says, “They set it up that, so when you buy the product it has a code bar and you can actually see where your money is going to be invested.” She would like to see this model grow and replicate.
Javits, whose entire business model focuses on funding social enterprises serving people who are at risk of homelessness, offers an example.
“Nonprofits that provide services to people experiencing homelessness have started new businesses in property management that employ their clients, paying them wages, and preparing them for long-term employment. By selling their services like a business, while hiring people who most companies would not give a chance, offering a more supportive work environment, and investing 100% of their ‘profits’ in their employees’ success and well-being, the social entrepreneurs who start these enterprises offer a more sustainable approach that gets to the root of the problem.”
These inspiring stories are just a few great examples of how entrepreneurship has played a role in eradicating poverty.
How can we incorporate entrepreneurship into the minds of young people?
After coming to the conclusion that entrepreneurship can indeed bring an end to poverty, I asked myself, “What can I do to encourage entrepreneurial thinking into the minds of young people born in poor communities?”
If we could empower the very same young people who face the problem of poverty, we could eradicate poverty from its roots. I have taken the initiative of testing out this theory by volunteering at a local primary school in the community of Bontehewel - a poverty-stricken community in cape Town subjected to drug abuse, crime and violence - where I taught young kids in Grades 4-7 how to think and act like an entrepreneur over the course of two weeks. The first half of the program encouraged learners to think creatively, combat setbacks and be more curious in their pursuit to solve problems. The second half of the program focused primarily on goal-setting and planning with the help of WOOP (a science-based mental strategy that people can use to find and fulfil their wishes, set preferences, and change their habits).
At the end of the program, learners had a better sense of direction and were able to identify problems in their community they could solve through entrepreneurial thinking. They also felt more comfortable setting goals and had more confidence in their capabilities.
We should encourage creative thinking & curiosity in young people and equip them with the tools to combat setbacks. If we can build a strong foundation for young people to pursue a life in entrepreneurship, or even just encourage entrepreneurial thinking, we will be building a generation that will bring an end to poverty.
Read the article of my project here:
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