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SHARJAH / WAM
Thirteen UAE-based female entrepreneurs have started their social entrepreneurship training journey with the pilot edition of Badiri Social Entrepreneurship Programme (BSEP), which kicked-off in the UK.
BSEP is the brainchild of Sharjah-based NAMA Women Advancement Establishment’s education and capacity building arm, Badiri Education and Development Academy, and the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE). Through their collaboration on BSEP, SSE is expanding its reach into the Arab region for the first time.
Spread over 10 months, the programme aims to empower Emirati and UAE-based female entrepreneurs above the age of 20, through knowledge-exchange and expert sessions that will equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to turn their business into profitable social enterprises.
After a rigorous selection process that was undertaken by BSEP in the first quarter of 2018, it was successfully launched with participants flying to the UK for 10 days of intensive learning in London and Cornwall, organised by SSE.
The programme’s customised curriculum will expose the participants to the social enterprise ecosystem in the UAE, England and India. They will learn what it is really like to run a social enterprise — an organisation which goes beyond commercial success to create a positive social impact — through project visits, practical learning sessions, talks from established social entrepreneurs.
On their UK leg, the entrepreneurs learned about the purpose and goals of social entrepreneurship from Alastair Wilson, CEO of the School for Social Entrepreneurs; attended sessions on business model canvas by Reetu Sood, a social enterprise consultant; and
discovered how to communicate their stories effectively from Jean MacKay, Director at Jump Training.
Project visits are a central focus of BSEP, as social enterprises thrive on a unique dynamic, which is being socially conscious and requires in-depth exploration of opportunities and resources within the context of their social impact.
In Cornwall, participants learned about the social entrepreneurship vision behind the historic Eden Project, guided by the project’s development director, Dan James. In London, they visited Stour Space, a socially minded organisation offering exhibition, performance and studio space for the development of creative enterprises. Juliet Can, Director of Stour Space, spoke about her journey, detailing how she set up her vibrant business and overcame challenges she faced along the way.