And the award goes to...

AND THE AWARD GOES TO…

No, I’m not talking about the MTB Award (the winner will only be revealed in one month!). I’m talking about the SEED Award, a prize that rewards Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development in developing and emerging economies. Each year, the most promising, innovative, social and environmental initiatives are judged by an international jury. Instead of money, the winners receive technical support, advice and networks (we all know how important networking is by now…).

Some of the winning projects include “Karam” and “Man and Man Enterprise”. The first one is a local Egyptian partnership initiative. Rural artisans make traditional handicraft products from natural or recycled resources, which are sold to tourists. “Man and Man Enterprise” is a project in Ghana. It produces cooking stoves that run on biomass, substituting the traditional charcoal-fuelled stoves. This way, they avoid harmful emissions, stop deforestation AND create employment for the local population.

You see, innovations don’t always have to be flashy and technologically complicated. These small initiatives can improve the world, probably more than any I-cat, information ring or pop-up toilet can. Are there any of you interested in starting their own business or initiative after graduating? Take a look at the SEED winners, you can find some great examples.  

For more winners of the SEED Awards 2011, you can always consult: http://www.seedinit.org/en/awards/winners-database/2011-awards.html

Karen V.