Social enterprise and innovation

Updated: Wed, 28 Jun 2017

Roses and childcare: refugee women prepare for tough UK world of work

Refugee women train as florists in a bid to overcome challenges on their way to meaningful employment

Britain trials virtual reality time travel to combat dementia
"If people remember more of their past, remember more of themselves, it just helps with overall mental wellbeing" By Lee Mannion | Tue, 3 Jul 2018
Afghan women refugees resurrected as India plastic waste warriors
How to address India's chronic waste problem and empower refugee women who often flounder in their adopted homelands By Nita Bhalla | Fri, 23 Jun 2017
Community cooker helps clean up Kenya’s choking Lake Naivasha
With waste increasingly out of control, a plan to collect it and use it for fuel is also helping feed workers By Kagondu Njagi | Wed, 21 Jun 2017
Human poo transformed into clean fuel for Kenya's urban poor
Using human waste to make fuel briquettes tackles sanitation and health problems - and they even smell sweet By Benson Rioba | Fri, 12 May 2017
With old bicycles, refugees ride into new life in London
"I'll use this bike to go to college where I can learn English so I can move forward with my life" - Syrian refugee Khalib By Lin Taylor | Wed, 21 Jun 2017
Organic yogurt wins migrants freedom from exploitation in Italy
Migrants set up organic yoghurt company recycling empty jars and offering work for Italians with Asperger syndrome By Umberto Bacchi | Mon, 20 Feb 2017
Water-saving tech, veg gardens grow hope in Myanmar's Dry Zone
In parched lands, families grow food in gardens using drip irrigation, hydroponics and soil moisture sensors to cut down on over-irrigation and save water By Thin Lei Win | Fri, 10 Mar 2017
Latin America impact investors set sights on social returns
Investments in areas such as education, housing, healthcare, agriculture and financial technology can help tackle poverty - and build resilience By Sophie Hares | Tue, 21 Mar 2017
Social entrepreneur weaves together benefits for Bangladesh
Given the right market opportunities, millions of Bangladeshis can lift themselves up financially. By Dan Schiff | Wed, 1 Mar 2017
India's first solar TV service brings 'magic' to villages
Clean energy powers entertainment for thousands in pay-as-you-go scheme in Indian villages By Nita Bhalla | Thu, 8 Jun 2017
Ex-bricklayer makes disaster-proof buildings her mission
The winner of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship first deployed to Indonesia after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake By Astrid Zweynert | Tue, 4 Apr 2017
More community workers needed for 'last mile' healthcare
A billion people don't have access to healthcare By Astrid Zweynert | Wed, 5 Apr 2017
Attract youth to farming in Nigeria to fight extremism
"The problem for small farmers in Nigeria, and all over Africa, is economies of scale, no matter how hard they work" By Astrid Zweynert | Fri, 7 Apr 2017
Ex-pimp helps trafficked women cook their way to new HK life
"I'm a chef. That's my gift. [I want to] use it. Whether it's with prostitutes, drug addicts or refugees" By Sylvia Yu Friedman | Wed, 1 Feb 2017
Can going green help pick the slavery out of cotton?
"The world is changing and it is starting to be far more about local sourcing but getting to the middle of the supply chain is a real challenge." By Belinda Goldsmith | Fri, 10 Feb 2017
India's women farmers battle superstition, patriarchy
Gender roles in rural India changing with women taking control as men migrate to cities and amid a wave of suicides by male farmers By Belinda Goldsmith | Mon, 13 Feb 2017
blog Can solar pumps give Nepal's women farmers a brighter future?
Giving women loans to buy solar panels for irrigation - and access to land - can help them build resilience to climate change By Alina Paul-Bossuet | Tue, 21 Mar 2017
Want to learn Arabic or Swahili? Refugee tutors can help
"It really affirms that you are skilled, and that you have something to offer. Talent doesn't have borders" By Lin Taylor | Mon, 16 Jan 2017
Social entrepreneurs must embrace technology - and each other
Reaching the people who most need the benefits of technological innovation is a challenge By Sophie Hares | Wed, 18 Jan 2017
Slum violence inspires Kenyans to tackle huge housing shortage
Although millions of quality, affordable homes are needed, few are built due to high land prices, lack of access to finance and bureaucracy By Katy Migiro | Thu, 29 Dec 2016
Flat-pack refugee shelter wins top design award
Better Shelter has delivered 16,000 shelters to Iraq, Djibouti, Niger, Ethiopia, Nepal, Greece, Macedonia and Chad By Astrid Zweynert | Fri, 27 Jan 2017
How a bet on horses can help solve social problems in Hong Kong
Betting on the horses is one of Hong Kong's passions - and if you lose, your money is going to a good cause - Jockey Club director Leong Cheung explains how the club creates social impact By Astrid Zweynert | Sun, 25 Sep 2016
US named top country for social entrepreneurs - poll
"There are still too many people who view social entrepreneurs as a bunch of hash-fuming utopian people in knitted sweaters. They couldn't be more wrong" By Pietro Lombardi and Ellen Wulfhorst | Thu, 15 Sep 2016
Fears for social entrepreneurs in Britain as Brexit looms large
"There is a danger that the needs of social enterprises, social investors and mutuals will be sidelined" By Astrid Zweynert | Thu, 15 Sep 2016