Crisis: an opportunity to fill in the gaps

In 2001 Argentina entered a deep economic, political and social crisis. The currency lost its value, people had their money locked up in the banks, looting and protests were a daily sight… we even had 5 presidents in ten days. “In 2001, the year the crisis stroke, 38,5% of the Argentinean population lived in poverty and 13,6% in extreme poverty”.

Nevertheless, this grim situation was a inspiring for lot of people. Whether it was for own need or for empathy, it motivated many to start new things in order to improve the situation, it motivated innovation and solidarity. The gaps in the system had to be filled because they were affecting people: these gaps were pushing more and more people into poverty and marginality. Optimists and fighters started thinking about new things, new ways of solving social problems.

Crises are one side of the coin; the other side is all the opportunities that it creates. When something is gone, it leaves an open space for something new to happen.  Many people decided they would make it happen:   while some felt compelled to fill in the gaps with creative solutions that could help the society recover from the crisis, others heard about these new solutions and decided to trust  and support them.

These people who decided to give new solutions to social problems in sustainable ways are called social entrepreneurs. Their projects took different forms: NGOs, social business, cooperatives, new products inside regular business, are some of them. Social entrepreneurs are everywhere, and despite the institutional form their project takes, the idea is the same: give a solution to a social problem using their entrepreneurial skills. This doesn´t necessarily mean through a business, it means that they can “organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change”. The goals went from creating inclusive economic activities, to supporting education, or providing access to housing or health.

A great example of this social entrepreneurial spirit is Toty Flores. He lost his job during the crisis of 2001 and led the creation of a cooperative of unemployed workers that didn´t want to live out of the government subsidies. Through this cooperative called “La Juanita”, they decided to create their own income and as a first step they set up a bakery and a serigraphy workshop. The years went by, and they continued growing and looking for new economic activities. This is when Toty Flores met Martín Churba, a fashion designer that owned a very well known brand of women clothes. Martín Churba was already an entrepreuner, but Toty offered him the opportunity of including a social drive to his work. This is how they created the project “Let´s make work a trend” (Pongamos el trabajo de moda) that consisted in designing, producing and selling trendy and fashionable uniforms for workers.

The case of Toty Flores is just one example of and social enterprise that was born because of the crises. “La Juanita” with different projects they launched aimed to help fill in one of the many gaps the crises left. Lots of other social entrepreuners started working in that same moment in the same direction, and also in the years that came after 2001, because the gaps were so many …  and they still are. Of course the solution is much more complex and requires the engagement and action of different social actors, but these kinds of projects definitely contribute to it.

Some references

• “Emprender con ganancia social” in http://www.apertura.com/historico/Emprender-con-ganancia-social-20101021-0005.html
• “El mejor pan dulce para estas fiestas, el de La Juanita”  in http://noticiaspositivas.org/gente/comunidad/el-mejor-pan-dulce-para-estas-fiestas-el-de-la-juanita/
• “El rol de los emprendedores sociales en la construcción de Alianzas”  in https://www.udesa.edu.ar/files/img/Resp-social/rolemprendedores.pdf
• Héctor “Toty” Flores: “no importa la condición social en donde estás si tenés sueños, si crees en el otro” in http://www.semanarioprimerdia.com.ar/2013/10/hector-toty-flores-no-importa-la.html#sthash.CCWQ1Ja8.dpuf
• Toty Flores and Martín Churba in TEDxChange TEDxBuenosAires http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOHSbl328Uc

Comments Off on Crisis: an opportunity to fill in the gaps / 22 Mar 2014 por celinalesta
IMSD /

Comentarios cerrados.