Social Enterprise Day in Vietnam

The Hanoi event is the third and final event in a series of capacity building and networking events organised by the British Council. The first two events in Bangkok and Yangon have served to start developing the collaboration both within and between social entrepreneurs across Asia and Europe.

 

Mr Jeremy Nicholls, CEO Social Return on Investment (SROI) Network, said: Social enterprises are different from other forms of enterprise because their starting point is the desire to create social value; however, one of the main barriers to investment is a shared language for what we mean by this. So, what is social value?

 

Social corporate responsibility is no longer an expense but part of strategy administration for branding and partnership. This also evidenced that companies are committed to sustainable development and attachment to local communities.

 

Mr Paul Koh, Director of External Relations of ASEF, said that social entrepreneurs are benefiting the society through a for-profit business model. Inter-regional and multi-sectoral networks help in strengthening the capacities of such social entrepreneurs. And this is exactly why and how the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) is supporting the ‘Skills for Social Entrepreneurs’ initiative.”

 

The programme involves field trips to selected local social enterprises, namely To He Company, which produces fabric accessories printed with drawings made by disadvantaged children, Sao Mai Centre, which provides early protection service, care and parental counselling for mentally challenged children and Linktam Company which provides psychological counselling.

 

This event is followed by the first ever Asia-Europe Social Enterprise Day in Vietnam (20 June), showcasing 30 innovative and inspiring social enterprises from Asia and Europe. The landscape of the social enterprise sector is drawn up via the local and international social enterprises on exhibition; among the local enterprises are ECOLIFE – a Vietnam’s enterprise that aims at establishing community-based co-tourism model, Solar Serve, a local enterprise that promotes the effective use of natural resources in people’s lives.

 

Director of British Council Vietnam Robin Rickard said: “The Asia-Europe Social Enterprise Day marks the first time this kind of event has ever been held in Vietnam. More importantly, it creates an exchange platform among the social enterprises and between them and other stakeholders for learning, sharing experience, promoting the collaboration and the development of domestic, regional and global social entrepreneurship.”