Social Entrepreneurship Does not Help the Poorest

http://creativesource.com

Is it possible for an entrepreneurship created to help people and stimulate local economies can actually hurt the very people they are created to help? This Al Jazeera Article is credible due to its collaboration with William G Mosley, a professor at Macalester College. Mosley argues that the social aspect of starting a business is tricky to accomplish and that there needs to be an understanding that the limitations of the model of social entrepreneurship. Mosley addresses the growing fascination of the media  with enterprising youth and their social work. Entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and Forbes Magazine are growing platforms for advocacy of social change.

Often times, social entrepreneurs do not realize the barriers they must overcome to alleviate conditions of the poorest. Muhammad Yunus’s social enterprise called Grameen Bank helps poor Bangladeshi women or One Acre Fund in Africa for small farmers are examples of successful social entrepreneurship. The problem of social enterprises comes in when we considering the truly poor. The truly poor most likely cannot afford risk and the technology that comes with social enterprises. Therefore, the truly poor continue making insufficient wages due to their lack of advancement to work with the businesses.

Mosley asserts that social change is much harder than starting a business. He believes that social organising and facilitation skills are imperative to make real change. Engaging with these poor people directly through their language and education will be the ultimate escape from poverty.

I disagree with Mosley's point of view to some extent because although social entrepreneurship will not help every poor person, it will still help disadvantaged people. As long as some people's lives are being helped by entrepreneur's efforts, that is something to be commemorated, not shamed for not helping other poor people. I believe that social entrepreneurship to educate the poorest is the most effective because then the poor will be willing to take a risk and incorporate technology into their lives. In the future, I plan on researching key aspects of a social entrepreneurship which is most effective.


FUTURE QUESTIONS: What are some examples of SUCCESSFUL entrepreneurships? How do they gain revenue if they donate time/money to less fortunate people?