Innovative social entrepreneurship solutions

Poverty and profound inequalities are common in many parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. In order to identify innovative solutions to social and environmental problems, Switzerland supports social entrepreneurship.  

In a fragile country like Haiti, economic and political instability and natural hazards deter private economic actors from investing. Social entrepreneurs are therefore an innovative way of providing the population with access to basic goods and services. The nature and reduced scale of their operations, as well as their local networks, make them flexible and responsive. They can therefore play a key role in revitalising the economy. 

Social entrepreneurs put the social and environmental impact at the heart of what they do and help solve the challenges of development using an entrepreneurial approach. In this way, they encourage other companies to copy and improve their ideas. They are niche players in the overall economy, but they are a growing community with a great deal of potential in terms of innovative solutions that can contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the 2030 Agenda. 

Approaches and methods – Poverty reduction through participation in economic growth

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

EkoLakay – the eco-toilet

In many developing countries, sanitation services are provided by private companies and are a luxury that is not accessible to the majority of the population. The technology used is highly water-intensive and often leads to pathogenic waste being spilled in deprived neighbourhoods and aquatic ecosystems. “In Haiti, more than 99% of organic human waste is not treated, which has devastating consequences for the environment and public health,” explains Sasha Kramer, co-founder of Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL). Sasha Kramer is one of five young social entrepreneurs who benefit every year from the SDC’s support in Latin America. Her company SOIL works to promote health and sustainable livelihoods through the use of eco-toilets in Haiti. Her main business focuses on the ‘poop loop’, a process that transforms human organic waste into compost. SOIL builds waterless toilets that are accessible to all. They even work in densely populated areas with poor infrastructure.   

SOIL, Haiti

SOIL’s EkoLakay toilets are an innovative service, which creates new revenue sources throughout the process. For around USD 5 a month, a Haitian family can rent a toilet, which is built by local companies using local materials.

Social entrepreneurs develop solutions based on their perceptions of local needs. “SOIL’s vision is of a world where everyone has access to decent sanitation facilities and where human organic waste is no longer a public health issue, but rather an environmental solution. We believe that, in working to realise this vision, not only can we improve public health and soil fertility, but also build livelihoods in the field of sanitation, thus making job creation the main result of providing such local services,” explains Sasha Kramer. In ten years, her business has become a recognised organisation, which received donations from all over the world for the relief operations in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.

A fitting partnership with Ashoka

In order to identify social entrepreneurs, diagnose needs and provide customised support, the SDC works with Ashoka, the world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs. Ashoka works with potential donors and leaders from the social and private sectors. More than 3,000 Ashoka Fellows run social enterprises in 85 countries. 

In order to receive a three-year grant from the SDC and to take advantage of support from Ashoka’s partners (combining strategic advice, legal support and communication advice), social entrepreneurs like Sasha Kramer must fulfil rigorous selection criteria. The criteria include proof of the project’s impact, a sustainable development strategy, a study on the transformation potential of a whole industry or sector, as well as personal traits, such as creativity, entrepreneurial skills and ethical commitment.  

The SDC contributes to the Ashoka network’s efforts by providing financial support and thematic proposals. This involvement has enabled the network to support 80 additional social entrepreneurs for four years in Latin America, with a particular focus on the SDC’s partner countries and on products and services aimed at low-income households and vulnerable population groups.

Ashoka – network for social entrepreneurship