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Ending poverty is a journey with many routes. Find new and exciting ways to get involved and make a difference in the lives of others today.

Doing good makes good business sense
by Paula Nierras



The 3rd Social Business Summit hosted at the GK Enchanted Farm last January 15-17 saw yet another gathering of people hailing from different parts of the globe and of different backgrounds to learn, unlearn, experience, and discover collaborative solutions that will champion for and concretize inclusive growth. Over the course of three days, 500+ delegates were challenged to examine the Business of Kindness - a business paradigm that combines competence with compassion, excellence with kindness, hard work with heart work.


Finding the WHY

Setting the context for the summit was the Executive Director of Gawad Kalinga, Luis Oquinena.




In a world where the richest 1% have accumulated more wealth than the rest of its people combined, the rising inequality brings forth not just economic consequences but also more divisiveness. It depicts a grim picture of a future that we are collectively facing, and it is up to each and every one of us to undo this by creating opportunities that build people up and building communities where no one is left behind.



Finding gold in the not so obvious

“When you combine the genius of the rich with the genius of the poor,
so many things you couldn’t have imagined can happen.” 

- Social entrepreneur Tajen Sui of First Harvest



 

French social entrepreneur Fabien Courteille and his community partners Kim Barcelon,

Lanie Lazarte, and Rosalie Barrite are the geniuses behind Plush & Play – the first Filipino

 stuffed toy distributed at the country’s largest toy retail chain store.


Like Plush & Play's pairing of a French guy's business sense with the craftsmanship of mothers from a GK community, social enterprises are the outcomes of unlikely partnerships that when nurtured, the results are nothing short of amazing. Human Nature, Rags2Riches, Bayani Brew, and Plush & Play are among the first social businesses to have hit the mainstream market, and as they shared their journey during the summit’s plenary sessions, we learned that businesses anchored on kindness are possible, sustainable, replicable, scalable, and most of all, sensible. When we go beyond charity and instead strive to empower, we also go beyond profits by starting a continuous cycle of hope and goodwill.

 



TOP: Shanon Khadka of Bayani Brew
BOTTOM L-R: Hot Papa Social Enterprise, Reese Fernandez-Ruiz of Rags2Riches


“I’m here to turn my dreams into reality. And I'm here to help others do the same.”
– Franz Trajano, SEED student


The resilience, passion, and commitment can come from those who are most forgotten. Franz is a scholar at SEED (School for Experiential and Entrepreneurial Development) and a member of Agri-Nation, the winning team from the summit’s Social Business Competition. He and four other SEED scholars proposed a 1-ha farming model that will help farmers maximize land use throughout the year. Their vision: to create more opportunities for countryside development and end poverty for farming communities.


The likes of Franz is but a glimpse of a world where the poor begin to dream big. Imagine how powerful that can be.




Team Agri-Nation with the Social Business Competition judges and Tito Tony Meloto



Finding our place in this journey


“Yes, poverty can end. As long as we find our role in it, and we do things together.”
– Social entrepreneur Shanon Khadka of Bayani Brew




TOP L-R: Tom Graham of MAD Travel, Team GK Capiz of Bonami
BOTTOM: Olivier Girault leading the  toast to celebrate the friendship between France and the Philippines



The breakout sessions gave participants the opportunity to explore different areas of interest where they can be involved in. Whichever sector – whether in education, travel, public health, agri-business, or even fashion, there is more than enough avenues to do good and impact the world. Collaboration is key, as finding that point where our different passions intersect with our shared humanity only amplifies our impact.



“Most young travelers want to travel deeper, to travel with purpose.
Through tourism, we hope to connect poor communities to the market.”

–Social entrepreneur Tom Graham of MAD Travel




 

Connecting goodness throughout the 3-day summit


The good news is, that space where this convergence can happen already exists. GK Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan is the first Farm Village University in the world – 3 big ideas in one place as one cohesive whole. It is the first of the 25 Farm Village Universities to be put up all over the Philippines, intended to serve as ecosystems conducive for linking people, learning, and opportunities.


The other good news is, the convergence is end to end. The bigger institutions like the government, multinational companies, and even the international community are also taking notice. They too, are finding their place in this journey.





Finding the future full of hope
 

“The future of the country cannot lie on the shoulders of just one person.
Each and every Filipino must contribute to achieving our collective goals as a nation.
And today, having witnessed the goodwill, the kindness, and the talent of those in this farm,
I am confident than ever before that the Philippines is indeed in good hands.
This nation will choose to tread the straight path, and eventually bequeath
to the coming generations a Philippines we can even be more proud of.”

– His Excellency Benigno Aquino lll




Fast forward to 2024 - a time when we envision to have ended poverty for 5 million families with the help of 500,000 global social entrepreneurs. This version of the future is a world that is kinder, safer, and happier. It is also a world where the business of kindness ceases to be a novel idea and is but plain common sense, an observed truth that guides our conviction.


What has love got to do with business? The answer is, EVERYTHING.











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