Bringing Social Change through Entrepreneurship

We routinely hear, read and write about entrepreneurs who have come up with remarkable innovation with respect to products, technology, service delivery etc, creating a “paradigm shift” and many of whom have made remarkable progress in a short time, achieved VC funding and might soon get listed or have become an attractive proposition for high value acquisition.

One fine morning about a month ago, we received an email from a gentleman I knew through prior interaction on organic farming. He observed that SME WORLD might be interested in a very revolutionary example of entrepreneurship from one of the remotest corners of our country. Of course the email grabbed our entire attention! He referred to a case from an unheard place -Wakru. Wakru??? We wondered! We had to immediately “Google” it. We were pleasantly surprised with our search result.
 

Wakru is a quaint place in the easternmost part of India – Arunachal Pradesh. The state is surrounded by the magnificent Himalayas. The state has abundant forests, greenery and a host of flora and fauna. With high altitude, cold climate and extremely good rainfall, agricultural is one of the main stay of the state. The main residents are the original tribals who practice shifting cultivation
 

Imagine if a person like this writer who was born and has roots in the North East with family and relatives staying there does not know of Wakru, what are the chances of average people across this vast country to even bother about it. This thought prompted us to write about this remarkable case of entrepreneurship which truly creates social change for a ameliorating the future of a huge section of people otherwise living on the sidelines and are often disregarded. How many stellar entrepreneurial initiatives are able to achieve what Basamlu Krisikro is accomplishing each day for the community around her?

 

Wakru in Arunachal Pradesh is one of the remote corners of this vast country bearing witness to the amazing power of entrepreneurship and change for a better tomorrow. Basamlu Krisikro is a lady of the Mizu Mishmi tribe of AP who is slowly but steadily driving an extremely socially conscious and responsible entrepreneurial voyage by transforming the local farming preference from damaging opium to ecologically and healthy option of organic tea. Basamlu is a true symbol of change driven by education, foresight and sensitivity about the environment to make a real difference amongst her tribe people and society at large.

 

Published in SME WORLD Jul 2012 Issue - Click Here