Sheffield Company Supports New Global Social Revolution
A revolution is underway to help create a sustainable planet and improve the lives of millions of poor people and communities across the globe.
(PRWEB) April 14, 2005
A revolution is underway to help create a sustainable planet and improve the lives of millions of poor people and communities across the globe.
This is not simply a matter of charity but a new movement to encourage ‘social entrepreneurship’ where leading corporates and financial institutions team up ‘in an unholy alliance’ with philanthropists and NGOs to help poor and disadvantaged individuals and communities worldwide develop more prosperous and sustainable lives.
The ‘social entrepreneurial’ movement is happening all around us. Here in Sheffield, organisations like ProWorld are playing a pro-active role in creating new relationships and micro-business ventures with young people living Peru, Mexico and Belize.
The men and women driving this social entrepreneurship movement forward are innovative individuals in the business of building a better world, taking complex social problems and producing life changing solutions with their exceptional insight. They focus on the local and marginalised sectors of society – aiding them in promoting their standard of living in relation to the preservation and protection of their natural environment.
Social entrepreneurial initiatives like Café Direct, Camfed, People Tree and the fair trade movement are making big business and government sit up and realise the magnitude of these previously ignored groups, in the overall economic status both nationally and internationally.
The Skoll Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, founded by eBay co-founder Jeff Skoll, is a major advocate of this movement. Supporting its momentum by providing funding and focus for innovative programmes across the world, with ground-breaking programmes impelled by the belief that ‘small investments can spur significant social change.’
Here in Sheffield, ProWorld is also stimulating social change with exciting and inspiring new entrepreneurial initiatives aimed at improving the living standards for poor, disestablished young people in Central and South America. ProWorld places volunteers, students and people from small businesses in innovative new development projects in Central and South America.
ProWorldÂ’s programmes are run in close association with local NGOÂ’s and the communities in which we work. Together we strive to promote social and economic development, while cultivating educated compassionate global citizens. Both sides gain immeasurably from the programmes and relationships formed.
Andrea Leitch, UK Marketing Director of ProWorld says: ‘The student and graduate placements we offer are very challenging and diverse. ProWorld is dedicated to a number of fascinating projects working with NGO’s such as the ‘Clean Stove Burning Project’, Ecotourism Chicon and local Women’s Rights Centres – to name but a few. We strive to implement lasting and sustainable development projects, making a real difference for the local communities with which we work and all involved.’
Organisations like ProWorld and the Skoll Foundation are trying to make a real difference for poor and underprivileged people worldwide, based on our common belief that that small changes can lead to a big benefits for all.
As the saying goes: “If you think something small can’t make a difference – try sleeping with a mosquito in the room!”
EditorÂ’s Note
Cleaner Burning Stove Project: In many of the high-altitude communities in the Sacred Valley of Peru, food is prepared over an open fire in the home. The result is a very unhealthy atmosphere for people to be cooking and living in leading to a host of respiratory illnesses as well as eye maladies. In addition, much of the wood used to fuel the fire is from native trees which are rapidly decreasing in number. ProWorld is involved in the Cleaner Burning Stove Project to support implementation of a stove that provides proper ventilation and burns wood more efficiently. The stoves are very effective for improving the health and environment of local communities. ProWorld supports this project by aiding in the construction, installation and education of the health and environmental benefits of clean burning stoves
Nuevo Amanecer is a womenÂ’s centre in Urubamba, Peru, dedicated to the protection of the rights of women, particularly those who are victims of domestic violence. The centre offers psychological, legal, and social services to women as well as workshops to enhance self-esteem, craft and knitting workshops for economic gain, and education about human rights and laws against domestic violence. The crafts produced are sold in local tourist markets, generating a small income for these women - a first step towards financial independence. ProWorld volunteers are actively involved in providing workshops and support both practically and financially.
Chicon Ecotourism Project: Chicon is a neighbouring community of Urubamba. Due to poverty many children are unable to study beyond primary school and enter lives of extreme hardship and crime. The Chicon Ecotourism Project provides vocational training to some of the unemployed and under-educated youth. The success of the youth group could greatly benefit the future economic health of the community and transmit important knowledge and skills to a new generation.
On a financial level ProWorld has injected over $340,000 into such projects and the local economies of Peru, Belize and Mexico (Est. $560,000 by end of 2005)
For more information please contact:
Andrea Leitch
UK Director of Marketing and Administration
Www. proworldsc. org
Andrea@proworldsc. org
08707507202
###
