Summary
As Burma surfaces from years of isolation, young people are increasingly showing an interest in engaging in the world of social entrepreneurship. Yet the knowledge in this field is still in its infancy.
To address this, the Foundation for Local Development (FLD) developed teaching materials for online learning and training programmes for social entrepreneurship.
In order to ensure effective application of these programmes, FLD contacted Loka Ahlinn (LA), a youth-oriented education and community development organisation based in Yangon, Burma. FLD proposed a plan to train LA staff and volunteers to provide online training, counselling and support for social enterprise trainees.
Philanthropy Connections connected FLD to a sponsor who financed the development and implementation of the online course.
Background
The Foundation for Local Development (FLD) was established in 2009 to promote community development and further educate community workers in Southeast Asia.
FLD develops online education programmes that include distance learning materials, online tutoring and face-to-face workshops. This includes a Social Enterprise Training course.
The objective of the Social Enterprise Training course is to teach young people how to use the internet for study purposes, encourage them to think critically, develop their sense of social responsibility and convert all that into practical activities which benefit their communities.
The online course includes counselling and support, group activities and discussions managed by local tutors.
Goals and Results
We were able to put FLD in touch with a sponsor who funded the Social Enterprise Training course. In 2011, 14 students completed the course. Seven students successfully developed a social enterprise plan. Seven students were also trained to deliver the programme as online tutors and have trained over 385 students.
