Be Creative, Innovative, And Beneficial Through Social Entrepreneurship

Multiplication of Stube HEMAT in Bengkulu.          

Social entrepreneurship, a term that is not widely understood by the public, is an interesting topic for discussion, so the Stube-HEMAT community in Bengkulu held a discussion and sharing session about it (Monday, June 12, 2023), A discussion on Social Entrepreneurship with the Sub Theme: Building Entrepreneurship by reading opportunities to discover creative innovations that have a positive impact on society. Facilitated by Yosafat Gratia Prasetyo, the discussion was attended by students from Arastamar Bengkulu Theological College (STTAB).

The activity encouraged students to become pioneers in creating and starting creative and innovative businesses as well as having a positive impact on the surrounding environment. Social Entrepreneur has the definition of someone who can take advantage of ideas and innovations from various kinds of problems encountered in business as an opportunity to create new businesses that are useful in the context of community empowerment. The main goal of social entrepreneurs is not to make profits or customer satisfaction but, to focus on results that bring a positive impact on society. As the Ashoka Foundation states, 'Unlike traditional business entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs are primarily trying to generate ‘social value’ rather than profit. And unlike most not-for-profit organizations, their work is targeted not only for small-scale direct impact but also for long-term change or impact.

Regarding the definition of a social entrepreneur, there are several aspects to make a person or an entrepreneur belong to the category or referred as a social entrepreneur which include; business objectives (solution of social issues) and management of business results (granted for social activities).

In the STTAB, waste management activities have been carried out, by processing wet waste into compost and recycling dry waste. For a larger scope of waste problem in Bengkulu City, there is no temporary waste disposal site provided by the government, consequently, it is disposed directly to the garbage dump, located far enough from Bengkulu City. The condition drives people to throw garbage carelessly, even though there are residents who take the initiative to collect domestic waste with a minimum tariff reaching Rp 30.000 per family. For those with a moderate economy, this is not a problem, but for those with a low economy, it is a big problem. So, finally there is careless waste dumped in various places, in particular, piles of household waste are often found on the roadside, and it caused discomfort among residents.

The social problem related to waste opens business opportunities actually, for management, recycling, transportation, and many more. By involving the community and related parties, social entrepreneurs will help the community respond to the waste problem in Bengkulu. (IKH) ***