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I recently met with Ashoka Argentina to get their take on the trends and challenges that Ashoka Fellows are experiencing. What I discovered was not only is the nature of social entrepreneurship changing in Argentina, but also that Ashoka was following suit with its investor-focused programming. Get out your term sheets; its time to shake with Ashoka.

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There are over 2.2 million disabled individuals in Argentina. Yes, that means over 5% of the population. And while you may find that figure surprising, what I find more surprising is what is being done – or not done- to support this population and its unique needs.

Over the years, micro-enterprises, or mini-businesses,  have sprouted across Argentina to provide disabled individuals an outlet for work, wages and pride. These micro-enterprises have historically been funded by the government (85%). Unfortunately, via its subsidies and 20th century programming, the government produced a culture of production (“keep the disabled working and producing”), without a culture of enterprise (“let’s actually sell the goods”).

This has resulted in a slew of disjointed, disempowered “talleres” or small workshops across Argentina wherein the disabled learn to produce but are left out of the commercial circuit. Imagine a room full of hard-working, highly-focused disabled workers whose workshop walls are lined with dusty inventory, be it belts, bags or boxes.

This is where La Usina steps in. Founded in 2002 by a group of individuals both with and without disabilities, La Usina’s mission is to promote a change in attitude towards people with disabilities by creating awareness and promoting an active citizenship.

Yes, this does ring of a traditional non-profit because it is. But as founder Bea Pellizzari explained to me, La Usina’s drive to raise awareness and opportunity for the disabled is not a battle that could be won by lobbying alone. Bea and her team took the direct approach and started consulting the small talleres around Argentina to turn staid inventory into sales in motion.

This was no small feat. In visiting the talleres, Bea relayed that she found most of them operated in a charity-like fashion with little professionalism and even less accountability. Because products rarely made it out the door, workers considered themselves part of a voluntary workforce, subsidized by the government and visible to no one. Bea and her team dramatically changed this perspective by offering hands-on technical assistance and opportunities for workers to market and sell their goods.

In 2006, La Usina decided to create a separate entity to focus on the consulting, sales and distribution of products made by the disabled. This social enterprise, named Redactivos, was to be a source of sustainable funding and empowerment for the disabled in Argentina. Given new training and a business-focused environment, disabled talleres began producing in a whole new fashion. Redactivos was then responsible for selling these quality products with a brand that said loud and clear - the disabled are not to be ignored.

The real kicker? When Redactivos filed with the Argentine government to establish itself as a revenue-generating non-profit, the legal authorities stood dazed and confused. What? You’re going to do good AND sustain yourself without our help? It cannot be.

It took Bea nine full months to convince the government to grant her NGO (Asociacion Civil) status with a clause allowing Redactivos to earn income for sustainability purposes. The operation today is flourishing. Redactivos sells and distributes hundreds of thousands of products per year, including packaging boxes and bags for some of Argentina’s most well known companies. Working with over 200 disabled individuals, Redactivos offers on-going support through technical assistance, an outlet for sales and a well-deserved feedback mechanism called “revenue.”

Sustainability, enabled.

http://www.lausina.org

Wines in Argentina come in numerous varietals, including the lauded Malbec, Tempranillo from the north and even an uncommon Cabernet Franc. But while gallivanting through Mendoza (a girl has to have some fun), I stumbled on a rare blend, indeed.  Finca La Celia – a blend of wine and social good.

La Celia is not your “wouldn’t this make great PR” type of winery. The social commitment it makes is far from lip service. But what I found most fascinating was how the finca (estate) started with one man giving back, and now thrives, not just survives, under the umbrella of big business.

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I visited today with an associate from Andares, a non-profit foundation that aims to standardize the microfinance industry in Argentina. Serving as part facilitator, part educator, Andares (www.fundacionandares.org)  aims to increase the efficiency and efficacy of Argentine microfinance institutions (MFIs) to “contribute to the eradication of poverty by supporting microfinance sector.”

What struck me most in our conversation were the following themes:

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In the year 2000, a group of university students sat around Buenos Aires pondering what the world would look like if our normal pattern of purchasing were, say, interrupted.

From these informal meetings, the group “interrupcion” was born.

Their goal was to form an organization that would shake up the typical supply chain and create a system founded on fair production, employee, pricing and environmental practices. While this might sound like another Fair Trade fairy tale, it is the way in which interrupcion discovered its prince charming that I find most fascinating. Read more

I know it sounds crazy. A town disappearing into thin air? But over 600 villages in the interior of Argentina are, in fact, at risk of disappearing. When railway stations close, when towns are isolated from paved roads, and when access to information, jobs and economic activity are virtually non-existent, you find the case of the disappearing pueblo.

 What happens?  Read more

Great beef. Delicious Malbec. Tango, gauchos and Maradona.

Okay, now that we have those covered…let’s talk about the Argentina you may not know.

A history of military dictatorships, cyclical economic disarray and a public psyche that exudes both distrust and over-confidence while casually sipping on its herbal, yet highly caffeinated mate (tea).

But that’s not all.

Argentina’s terrain is both diverse and rich in resources, stretching from the sub-antarctic south to the sub-tropical north. It boasts a highly educated workforce, well received exports and has emerged as a tourist hot spot given its high class, low cost value (1GBP = 5.37 Argentine Pesos).

So what is going on then? Why is a quarter of the population still living in poverty?  What are social businesses doing to mend the wounds created by policitical neglect and partisanship? How are Argentine social businesses creating new enterprise models based on “el doble objecto” – both economic and social benefit.

 Stay tuned…

ClearySo In Argentina — Blogger Catherine Markman

Argentina has always held a special place in Catherine’s heart. Half Argentine, she has witnessed first-hand the economic disparity and breakdown of social compacts that occur daily in “La Argentina.” However, Catherine has also been privy to a new generation of leaders who use market forces and innovation to assist the over one million Argentines living in poverty. These are the stories Catherine wishes to tell.

Good News for Readers

ClearlySo in Argentina will provide both information and inspiration regarding the unique social business models that are changing the face of Argentina’s socio-economic landscape. Catherine’s goal is to keep the stories current, compelling and leave you with something to think about – every time.

Good News for Everyone

ClearlySo in Argentina will serve as a platform for social enterprises and social businesses to share their stories, successes and challenges with interested investors and fellow entrepreneurs.

In addition, Catherine has partnered with the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford. During her travels, Catherine will select a handful of social enterprises/businesses to submit for the Oxford Said Business School Summer Consulting Project. This will grant strategic and operational business consulting to the selected social entrepreneurs at no cost.

Contact Details:

If you have a social enterprise or social business you would like interviewed in Argentina, or wish to contact Catherine in general, please email: Catherine@globalbrigades.org 

 ¡Hasta pronto!