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The New Development Solutions Group (NDSG) is led by proven innovators in rural economic development and education in developing countries. Since 2001, leadership has been identifying long-standing development challenges and designing and implementing appropriate, sustainable responses.
Our successful innovation methodology is derived from creating practical and flexible solutions that address real and perceived needs and offer compelling opportunities. We conduct extensive analysis to ensure that the designed solution and implementation mechanism is one that is appropriate for the local environment and beneficiaries. We emphasize an interdisciplinary, intuitive and non-linear approach whereby all stakeholders both add and derive value. We listen to our clients and "go the extra mile" to ensure that desired outcomes are achieved on both a short and long-term basis. As David Bornstein, author of “How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas,” states, “social entrepreneurs identify resources where people only see problems. They view the villagers as the solution, not the passive beneficiary. They begin with the assumption of competence and unleash resources in the communities they're serving." This is what we strive to do every day. Below we have outlined some of our highlighted innovations over the years.
Models Resources Other
Models
Social Entrepreneur CorpsProblem:
Social Entrepreneur Corps was established as a separate entity by NDSG leadership to provide university students and recent graduates with the means to gain a unique social entrepreneurship perspective and developing world field experience. Volunteers achieve concrete field impact while providing additional financial and human resources to local development organizations and small businesses in developing countries.
Innovative Solution:
Through participation in NDSG's innovative, rural development work within a new cultural, language learning and grassroots environment, Social Entrepreneur Corps participants directly and measurably contribute to the MicroConsigment Model initiatives.To learn more about the impact that Social Entrepreneur Corps participants can have during their experience, please click here.
The MicroConsignment Model
Problem:
Understanding that poverty is a symptom, analysis and observation showed us that one of the primary problems causing this symptom is that in a majority of rural villages there is an extreme lack of basic access to both high and low intervention healthcare products/services that can effectively address pulmonary illnesses, gastrointestinal illnesses, vision loss, malnutrition and the like. This is not only a health issue but also causes a profound direct and indirect negative economic impact on families. Coupled with very limited new income earning opportunities for capable individuals, it became quite obvious why the cycle of poverty was perpetuating itself.
We concluded that with certain pieces already in place in rurual villages (innovative products, existing funds, local human resources), the real problem was that a holistic product vetting, entrepreneur identification, financing, training, marketing and logistical model was needed. Micro-credit alone wasn’t the solution because it only solved one piece of the puzzle: access to financing. Micro-credit is primarily a solution for existing businesses with a known supplier whereby beneficiaries use credit to buy in bulk in order to lower cost of goods sold. What was needed was a new solution that created access to essential products and services through new jobs where none were previously in existence. What was needed was a low cost, sustainable solution that was appropriate for the challenging environment and could be scaled in a variable cost manner. Our search for an innovative solution that addressed these all of these needs led to our creation of the MicroConsignment Model.
Innovative Solution:
The MicroConsignment Model creates village-level access to essential products/services while generating a compelling and profitable entrepreneurial opportunity. The MicroConsignment Model, with the augmentation of Social Entrepreneur Corps, is a proven method that is intelligently addressing the problem of access on a daily basis. CE Solutions' continuous development and implementation of this model has helped tens of thousands of villagers gain access to needed products and services and is continually creating new, compelling income generating opportunities. This “Last Mile Solution” is a proven social entrepreneurship model which is being implemented in the most inaccessible communities of rural Guatemala and we believe that it is replicable in any developing country in the world.
Social Entrepreneur Corps participants execute the MicroConsignment Model to establish profitable income generating opportunities (and the infrastructure and network for a national, local social enterprise) for primarily women that to date are selling products such as wood burning stoves, reading glasses, water filters, seeds and gardening techniques, energy efficient light bulbs and solar solutions to villagers. Through the MicroConsignment Model local individuals with entrepreneurial qualities can start their own business through “sweat equity” and realize profits from inception. We also collaborate with local strategic partner organizations to adapt local solutions and train and support local entrepreneurs who serve rural communities within designated territories.
To learn more about MicroConsignment please click here.
Soluciones Comunitarias
Problem:
Leadership decided several years ago that, while we play a critical role in incubating new ideas, training and growth, a separate, financially and administratively sustainable organization needed to be created to perpetuate the MicroConsignment Model over the long term.
Innovative Solution:
Following our example of creating the locally owned and profitable tourism businesses in Nebaj, we established Soluciones Comunitarias (SolCom), a locally owned Guatemalan company. SolCom is a social enterprise that is supported by Social Entrepreneur Corps and CE Solutions as strategic partners. While these strategic partners continue to be a source of capital, training and ideas, SolCom is owned and managed by the rural entrepreneurs who have “risen through the ranks” as leaders in the MicroConsingment enterprises. Social enterprises, by definition, are social mission driven organizations which trade in goods or services for a social purpose. Their aim to accomplish targets that are social and environmental as well as financial is often referred to as having a triple bottom line (triple bottom line means a focus not only on profit but on "people” and “planet” as well). SolCom, with Social Entrepreneur Corps' and CE Solutions’ support, will continue to manage and grow the hub (regional coordinators) and spoke (entrepreneurs) system that has been highly effective in achieving social, economic, health and environmental impact to date.
To learn more about Soluciones Comunitarias, please click here.
The Exploration Center
Problem:
Improvements in education have long been seen as a key factor in the reduction of poverty. And yet, it remains that the regions which suffer most under the yolk of poverty receive the smallest investment in their education. This is particularly true of the Ixil region of northwestern Guatemalan, a region that has experienced terrible hardship during the country’s recent civil war and that continues to show some of the lowest levels of development and education in the western hemisphere. Only half the population between the ages of 7 and 14 attends grade school on a regular basis and of those who attend perhaps only 70% will graduate. This means that a mere 35% of the population will achieve what in the U.S. would be considered an 8th grade education. The reasons most commonly cited for leaving school are, at base, economic:
- lack of materials necessary for study
- lack of funds necessary to buy material and pay tuition
- unavailability or poor quality of local schools
- lack of time due to the need to work and generate a subsistence income
The poverty of the region thus prevents its people from receiving an education and yet it is this same lack of education which prevents them from eliminating their poverty, effectively locking them in a vicious cycle.
Innovative Solution:
Although there are dozens of schools (ranging from primary school to a teachers college) in Nebaj and the surrounding villages, not one of them has a library, a computer nor any resources to speak of. The few libraries in town have very few books, most of which are either antiquated or exclusively reference material. Most schools simply have classrooms filled with desks and a chalkboard. Textbooks are often “required” but most children and youth cannot afford to buy them. There is no public schooling and families must pay a monthly fee to send their children to school.
As a result of this situation CE Solutions began to work in the region with local educators to devise a solution, if only an incremental one. Tackling the problem of inadequate resources in schools was obviously an insurmountable task. Understanding the environmental, logistical and financial challenges described above along with the inherent problems embedded directly into the educational system in Guatemala, CE Solutions endeavored to create a unique educational model that could be implemented in rural communities in Guatemala and beyond. The first "Centro Explorativo" (the Centro) was established in Nebaj, Guatemala in February of 2003 through the combined efforts of CE Solutions leadership, motivated local educators and with the financial contributions of El Descanso Restaurant and the First Presbyterian Church of New Vernon, New Jersey. An education center that any child from any school could have access to was now a reality and the Centro Explorativo became a solution to a long standing local problem.
For more detailed descriptions the educational initiatives of the Centro Explorativo, please click here.
Integrated Rural Tourism
Problem:
Upon arriving in Nebaj in April of 2001, SE Corps co-founder Greg Van Kirk noticed that although many travellers would come to Nebaj for the amazing hiking and to experience the unique culture, they would only stay for one or two days at most. This was because there was no central place where travellers could hang out, share stories and make friends. Moreover, although there were several restaurants in town, they all offered the same basic menu, drab atmospheres, bad service and no music. From these observations and this perceived need/opportunity came the idea to start a new kind of restaurant: a place where both travellers and locals would want to go that would offer international cuisine, a good atmosphere, great service and a variety of music. A place that would create well paying jobs, could be locally run and owned after a period of investment and training and that would create new income for the community by encouraging travellers to stay a few more days. A place that would bring more tourism to Nebaj, help create more tourist based businesses in the community and create an image for Nebaj as one of the places to go for the adventurous traveller.Innovative Solution:
Our leadership’s first innovation goal in 2002 was to establish a locally-owned group of unique tourism businesses in a rural area in order to create well-paying jobs in a respectful environment and provide a continuous engine of growth and development for the community for years to come. To date, the Nebaj El Descanso tourism social enterprise has been running profitably for nearly seven years, is entirely owned and run by Maya Ixiles and has generated revenues of over $550,000. In the tough economic times of 2007 and 2008 alone these businesses earned nearly $150,000. These businesses (including a restaurant, trekking service, language school, internet center and hotel) have been and continue to be the biggest generator of new capital (tourism income) for the entire region. No other development project has come close. The revenues generated from this one initiative are more than twice our entire funding and budget since we began our work in Guatemala. Given that the average Maya Ixil earns roughly $3 a day, this is equivalent to over 183,000 days of revenue.
To learn more about the El Descanso Businesses please visit Nebaj.com.
Micro Credit through Savings Plus Model
Problem:
The majority of poor families and individuals around the world have no readily available affordable financial services. In many rural areas, banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions are nonexistent. The formal financial institutions that do exist do not consider the poor credit-worthy because they lack collateral to secure loans. This is especially true of women, who in a number of countries own no property or fixed assets due to legal restraints or cultural norms.
The financial institutions that do offer credit to economically active poor people not only charge high rates of interest, but they also do not provide the adequate financial management counselling necessary to help those that receive credit. There are very few reliable institutions that provide reliable credit counseling where it is needed most.
Innovative Solution:
CrediCapaz offers an opportunity for credit recipients to receive training in techniques to efficiently manage their income generation activities and become involved in an advanced form of savings-based community banking that will help them break out of the poverty cycle.
- Small business training and loan education not only allows family members to manage credit received through financial institutions and earn higher wages but also enables them to better manage the family’s scarce resources.
- By acquiring productive assets through savings, small grants, or affordable microloans, a family can increase their capacity to produce income by starting or expanding an income-generating activity. A small amount of capital is all that is needed to purchase a bicycle to get produce to market or purchase raw materials to make handicrafts or other homemade items to sell. A little additional income can make a big difference. It is difficult for people without education to find employment, and self-employment or microenterprise is thus the only option for millions of poor people. Lack of capital to acquire equipment, raw materials, seeds and fertilizer, or farm animals is often an insurmountable barrier.
Around the world, millions of low-income entrepreneurs are building better lives for themselves and their families by starting and expanding small businesses. The vast informal sector of the economy is comprised of microenterprises—microbusinesses with one to 10 workers, including the owner. Poor families launch microenterprises to generate income, build savings, and acquire assets as a cushion against natural disasters, illness or death, and other crises. As these enterprising households pull themselves out of poverty, they can increase their access to safe drinking water and more nutritious food, improve their housing, and educate their children. It is our goal to support these entrepreneurs in their struggle by providing the small business and micro-loan training necessary to truly excel and generate income.
The Community Entrepreneur Fund
Problem:
- Due to the high level of destruction of housing stock, infrastructure and existing industry during the civil war, the population had fled the region of Bosansko, Grahovo, Bosnia-Herzagovina and most had not returned.
- Despite considerable reconstruction, most villages still lacked electricity, running water or health services.
- Most donor organizations had moved on and were focused on more recent regions in need.
- Employment was virtually non-existent with more than 90% of returnees to the area unemployed.
- Those who did have income generating activities relied primarily on limited personal livestock assets. As such, what was once a supplemental source of income had now become a primary source of income.
- There was no access to credit nor any administrative body to create such access.
- There were ample good business opportunities such as milk production but no concerted effort to stimulate them.
Innovative Solution:
In September 2006, Social Entrepreneur Corps leadership was contracted by Church World Service to work with its partners in Bosansko, Grahovo, Bosnia-Herzagovina to create income generation projects in this region still struggling to emerge from the recent civil conflict. Leadership created the “Community Entrepreneur Fund” model, designed to create intelligent income generation opportunities that mobilized local leaders and individuals. The model was created to be an effective training/capacity building, opportunity identification, evaluation, capitalization, and administrative mechanism to establish a rotating fund to be utilized by community members over both the short and long term. The objectives of this model are to create structure that:
- Produces improved standards of living for a continually growing number of rural beneficiaries
- Offers community members an opportunity to choose which businesses and commensurate financing terms are appropriate on an opportunistic basis
- Allows leaders on a community, regional and organizational level to concretely contribute to the feasibility analysis, selection, reporting, administrative, and oversight process in a highly-integrated manner
- Encourages all stakeholders to collaborate on both a strategic and tactical level
- Creates both administrative and financial sustainability on all levels
- Rewards beneficial processes and positive results on a community and individual level
- Builds on current entrepreneurial strengths while mitigating and/or improving current weaknesses
- Creates a mechanism which will foster intra- and inter-community communication regarding challenges, solutions and opportunities
ConsultantPlease Model
Problem:
There is a pervasive need amongst organizations and small businesses throughout the developing world for consulting services and capacity building. There is no Small Business Administration. Due to an overall lack of resources, a poor education system and a very limited training support structure within communities there is a great need of advice, training and support in myriad ways.Innovative Solution:
The ConsultantPlease Model (Asesor Por Favor) empowers local beneficiaries to strengthen their knowledge, abilities and skills and achieve greater outreach in their communities and/or sales of products and services. The goal is that, in response to needs and requests (the “por favor”), we provide hereto for unavailable free services, much along the lines of Peace Corps activities, that help beneficiaries efficiently survive, adapt and thrive in their missions within their communities. As consultants for grassroots organizations and small businesses we work with clients to identify needs and opportunities and deliver what is needed to achieve success. We do a SWOT analysis to identify priority support needs, identify where our areas of expertise can be best utilized and offer high impact services at the request of our beneficiaries. We listen, respond and support as is appropriate.
Invennovations.com
Problem:
There is a lack of communication amongst organizations, companies, and individuals working in the field of international development. People do not talk to each other and, as a result, few understand what is really happening at the base of the pyramid. Manufacturers are constantly reinventing the wheel, and fieldworkers don't know what products are available on the ground.Innovative Solution:
Invennovations.com is a free resource designed to capture and disseminate the inventions and innovations being created and implemented around the world to serve vulnerable populations. It is an effort to support those working in the field in developing countries as they seek to facilitate positive impact at the base of the pyramid. CE Solutions designed Invennovations to address inefficiencies in the design and distribution of products and technologies at the base of the pyramid. The invennovations on this site—the products, services, and distribution mechanisms—strive to help the world's poor improve their standards of living. These invennovations may have a positive health, economic, educational and/or environmental impact.
For the Community Model
Problem:
- There exists significant overlap between NGO work and missions and thus unnecessary replication.
- There is a lack of communication between NGO's and organizations working in Guatemala toward similar goals of positive social change.
- There is a lack of organized information regarding Guatemalan NGO's or a database that has sufficiently collected the information of organizations country-wide. Either such information does not exist, or it is available in fragmented fashion that is difficult to navigate. As such, it is nearly impossible to search for a Guatemalan NGO by desired category or region.
- Community members have no means to access information about organizations working in their regions.
Innovative Solution:
The creation of a website called ParaLaComunidad.com (“for the community”) provides appropriate and well-organized access to the extensive network of Guatemalan organizations that address community needs. This involves an extensive effort by Social Entrepreneur Corps participants to collect useful information from local and international NGO's and other organizations throughout the country. This will greatly enhance the currently prohibitive process of locating organizations for both individuals and other organizations alike.
EmpresarioRural.com
Problem:
- Guatemala suffers from a complete lack of available resources for small business owners.
- Entrepreneurs and business owners throughout Guatemala lack the education, information and resources to become more successful in their business enterprise.
Innovative Solution:
Leadership recently decided to launch a small business resource website and newspaper called EmpresarioRural.com ("rural entrepreneur”). There is currently no appropriate access to helpful business information for rural Guatemalan small business people. It is CE Solutions' and Social Entrepreneur Corps' goal to change this through the creation of a small business newsletter distributed throughout rural Guatemala by the current women entrepreneurs and through organizations. This newspaper is complemented by a comprehensive free website with more in-depth information and resources. By taking advantage of years of experience in the field, the aggregate knowledge of staff, leadership and interns, and the fact that rural internet centers are now the norm rather than the exception, the concept is to help small business people fill in their gaps in knowledge. As well, by having the entrepreneurs act as distributors they can learn new business concepts and enhance their credibility in the field. By working with local organizations and through the growing network of entrepreneurs, we believe the newspaper can deliver necessary information quickly and efficiently to villagers and create an additional revenue stream through advertising once distribution channels are established to these unique markets.Visit EmpresarioRural.com for a first hand view of this innovation.
Semillas de Cambio Seed Guide
Problem:
Many farmers and families have expressed interest in diversifying their gardens or farms to increase their profits. However, they are concerned about the cost of different seeds and are afraid of trying to grow vegetables about which they have limited knowledge.
The majority of families who live in the rural areas of developing countries live a day to day subsistence existence. Access to different types of vegetable seeds in small quantities often does not exist as local agricultural stores do not offer a diverse selection of seeds in quantities appropriate for single families. People who are able to purchase seeds often do not have know how to plant and care for their seeds and garden. For these reasons, many familias in the developing world do not have home gardens and are less able to provide a healthy, well-balanced diet for their families.
Innovative Solution:
With the initiative Semillas de Cambio (“Seeds of Change”):
- We provide local families with access to a variety of different high quality vegetable seeds in small quantities. This allows families to purchase just the amount they need which in turn allows for crop diversity with less investment and risk. We offer ¼ ounce packages of radishes, beets, onions, cucumbers, coriander, carrots, broccoli, green beans and green cabbage.
- As a complementary product, we also offer an image based guide that explains how to plant, care for and harvest the plants as well as educates about the nutritional value of each vegetable. The guide gives clear explanations with photographs on how to plant, tend and harvest the vegetables and care for the garden. It also includes descriptions on the nutritional value of each vegetable and how each helps to create a healthy body.
To read more about Semillas de Cambio, please click here.
Health and Hygiene Game
Problem:
- Only 24 of the 331 municipalities in Guatemala treat their water.
- Guatemala has the highest rate of water-borne illnesses in children younger than 5 years of age. It is also considered to have the worst access to water treatment installations.
- In 2000, diarrhea-based illnesses were the 2nd highest cause of death in developing countries. The #1 cause of death was respiratory illness. There are currently no plans to install water treatment plants in many rural communities.
- In rural areas, the population spends almost 50 percent of their income buying medicines for diarrhea and water borne illnesses, a percentage which would be greatly reduced by the availability of clean water.
- Due to the chronic lack of infrastructure, about 95 percent of the country does not treat the sewage, which pollutes rivers, lakes and wells.
- According to the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare of Guatemala, during 2006 there were 356,668 cases of diarrhea in the country. Of these, 1,225 ended in the death of the patients.
- Studies in recent years show that 90 percent of freshwater bodies in the country are contaminated with fecal material, says Yuri Melini, director of the Center for Legal, Environmental and Social Action Center of Guatemala.
Negative effects on the family economy
- Water-related diseases such as diarrhea and parasitic infections cost 443 million school days each year—equivalent to an entire school year for all seven-year-old children in Ethiopia—and diminish learning potential. Inadequate water and sanitation provisions in schools in many countries are a threat to child health and learning potential.
- Parasitic infection transmitted through water and poor sanitation retards learning potential for more than 150 million children worldwide.
- The time women spend caring for children made ill by waterborne diseases diminishes their opportunity to engage in productive work.
- Waterborne diseases reinforce deep and socially unjust disparities, with children in poor households facing a risk of death some three to four times greater than children in rich households.
Innovative Solution:
By creating a children's game about hygiene we have established an interesting and exciting way for parents and educators at the local level to promote healthy hygiene habits among children in rural communities. In addition, this game is a great mechanism for:
- Increasing awareness about health and hygiene issues related to water and the oral fecal cycle
- Assessing village/individual knowledge about the causes of diarrhea and related sickness
- Assessing current habits related to these issues taking place in homes in the community
- Assessing consequences of diarrhea and related sicknesses
- Assessing effectiveness of our materials and talks
- Looking for new and creative ways to address these issues
Expo Ixil
Problem:
The Ixil Region is located in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. While known for its beautiful mountainous landscape and the unique cultural offerings of its indigenous, the Ixil, the area has remained economically isolated. In addition to its geographic isolation, the Ixil Region was also one of the worst affected areas during the 30-year civil conflict. This has resulted in a communication gap and, as such, a lack of opportunities for producers of high quality products and services in this area to promote their products in neighboring towns and beyond.
Innovative Solution:
In an effort to bridge this communication gap, Social Entrepreneur Corps leadership designed, organized and executed "Expo Ixil." This was the first economic forum of its kind to be held in the Ixil Region. Over 100 local producers of good and services participated in the event and were given the opportunity to present and display their products to groups of buyers from national and international markets. Guatemalan President Oscar Berger was the keynote speaker. Our goals for Expo Ixil were simple:
- To introduce buyers/arrangers from the US, Guatemala City and Antigua to the Ixil region
- To introduce producers of artisan products, tourist packages, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and coffee to potential buyers/arrangers
- To create links between the two above mentioned groups and foster an environment and structures whereby they may work together in the future
- To create an enjoyable atmosphere and activities
- To set up forums whereby both buyers/arrangers and producers can speak openly about their work and vision in the Ixil region and beyond
- To create concrete benefits for both groups
- To set the foundation for future Expo Ixils
- To demonstrate that USAID has a profound interest in the development of the region
- To begin to build the foundation for future growth in the region
Ayudasoft LLC
Problem:
Foundations and granting organizations are continually asking themselves:
- How can we more effectively solicit, review and evaluate program proposals and progress?
- How do we simultaneously capture and tell about our positive community impact?
- How can we make sure that the programs we fund are following a standard performance measurement methodology?
- How can we be continually demonstrating that we offer a high value add to both internal and external stakeholders?
Innovative Solution:
Ayudasoft has created its Impact and Media Manager (IMM) software solution to help professionals working in the non-profit sector create, capture and convey their community impact. Whether an organization is a foundation, a granting organization, a university study abroad office or even the smallest community non-profit, it needs to show evidence to donors that the resources they have provided efficiently and effectively produce benefits for targeted beneficiaries. The scope may differ but the challenges remain the same. Ayudasoft IMM is a uniquely intuitive strategic tool to help you achieve your goals and can be easily and quickly modified to address your specific needs. Ayudasoft IMM differs from what the market currently offers in that it includes a web-based, remotely accessible, multi-user solution which integrates:
- Proposal creation, submission and progress monitoring
- Logic model design and modification
- Media generation including point and click slideshow and storyboards design
Whether you are an individual non-profit managing one program or a United Way challenged with soliciting proposals from and tracking a database of 100 programs, Ayudasoft IMM is the appropriate response.
