In India, there live more than 17% of all women in the world. The rate of women below the age of fifteen is even higher: 20%, this corresponds to 174 million young women. Have you ever thought what this could mean economical- and development-wise if these women got a chance of a good education and…
Category: social impact
Why I spent an hour with studying Indian job offers on a local newspaper
Reading newspapers abroad is always an interesting activity to get insights on how local people think and act. National and international events, news, comments should be presented in a similar way all over the world – as it happened and that’s it – , but by doing so it becomes a hundred thousand different realities….
A Christian NGO, caring sisters and brothers and a dinner with the bishop
In Kerala, in the South of India, there live most of Christian Indians. Ca. 20% of the population are Christians, which is very high in comparison with most of all other Indian regions. From there come most of the Christian Sisters and Brothers working all over India – as priests, fathers, social workers, sisters…
Meeting the Children’s club at the end of the world
The children of Mokhmalla in the Gharwal live in one of the most isolated parts of the world. Due to bad roads, missing vehicles and money they live in the upper parts of a Himalayan mountain. They live at the end of a valley, there where the high Himalaya mountains start growing into heaven. It…
Visiting Sanyasi – Religion but also Social work
According to Hindu Mythology in everyone’s life there should be four parts of life, called also the four Ashrams: Vidyarthi, Grihastha, Vanprastha, and Sanyasa. Vidyarthi ashram, the first comprises the first 25 years. From 25 to the age of 50 people should get married and have a family. At 50 then the renunciation phase starts…
Social entrepreneurs, where are You going to? One man or woman shows are not enough!
The trend is obvious: social entrepreneurship is ‘hip’. The number of social business conferences, socent challenges, courses offered at universities and numbers of articles published in all kind of magazines is growing obviously. Not just in USA, U.K. and a few more countries, but all over the world. In tapped and untapped markets, countries…
Social Entrepreneurship has many faces
This week I participated in the Ashoka Social Entrepreneurship conference in Berlin. Besides the official workshops and speeches given in the big glass building of the Allianzforum I had the possibility to speak to many social entrepreneurs cooperating with investors, traditional NGOs and Corporate enterprises. It is fascinating to see how all are looking…
Indian handicrafts in Chennai: stuff dreams are made from and a missed opportunity
When you stay in Chennai, you may hear of DakshinaChitra, an “open air” museum in Tamil Nadu dedicated to South Indian heritage and culture. It is located 25 kilometers to the south of Chennai. The museum was opened in 1996 and is being managed by the Madras Craft foundation. Without doubt – it is worth…
The light bag – simple idea, huge impact
Light is essential. And has a huge impact also on education and how poor children can study. The light backpack offers the opportunity to study when the daylight has gone. But just have a look: Video: If you can’t get access, please click here: https://vimeo.com/118578556 Related material Backpack Doubles As Reading Light So Children In…
To end poverty micro-loans are never enough
Micro-loans – the bestseller among development tools is under fire “Microfinance, not a quick escape from poverty, studies show” – When I came across this article published recently in various media talking about the limited effect of micro-loans, I got angry – and at the same time I was more than surprised that we really need…
Go India, go future! 