0 UNSW School of Public Health and Community Medicine

https://sphcm.med.unsw.edu.au/centres-units/yunus-social-business-centre-health

School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Yunus Social Business Health Hub Report prepared by Samra Saikal, SPHCM YSBHH Intern

Image: Anne Bunde-Birouste and Samra Saikal with the WEP Participants

Overview An agenda of the Yunus Social Business Health Hub (YSBHH) is to engage with the community, and promote the key concept of social business: marrying philanthropy with social justice. Since the Hub’s establishment in 2015, a Work Experience Program (WEP) has been conducted annually for high school students – with the fourth ‘Festival of Young Ideas’ occurring on the 12th – 16th November this year. Through its work, YSBHH promotes social business and enterprise as a sustainable alternative to promote social change and improve social inequalities from a business and philanthropic perspective. Described succinctly by one of our high school students that attended the WEP this year – ‘It’s a way to do whatever you love and change the world!’ YSBHH Background The YSBHH was established on 10th October 2014 following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Professor Mohammad Yunus and the Deputy Vice Chancellor of UNSW, Les Field. The centre collaborates with other Yunus centres globally to improve outcomes in the Australian, Asian and Pacific regions. The Hub has a particular focus on sport for social change, E-health and engaging with younger communities. Subsequently, the WEP was formulated to engage high-school students in the idea of social business. Today, The YSBHH has its strengths in health promotion and advocacy, community engagement through sport for change and international health.

Yunus Festival of Young Ideas

2018 Workshop Report

1 UNSW School of Public Health and Community Medicine

https://sphcm.med.unsw.edu.au/centres-units/yunus-social-business-centre-health

The Work Experience Program The program was held at the YSBHH, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, on the Kensington campus of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) from 12th – 16th of November. Participants from thirteen different schools in Sydney applied, and the Hub was excited to host the highest number of participants in its history – thirty-one students. The main aim of the week is to provide workplace opportunities to students through practical implementation of the social business model, as well as exposing students to university opportunities and environment. The week included exposure and discussion of social business, an orientation to university life and careers and thought-provoking discussion of personal ethics and social beliefs. Dr Myron Godinho provided a comprehensive overview of the building blocks of social business whilst Dr Anne Bunde-Birouste provided every-day examples of social business successes. Dr Mahfuz Ashraf guided students through their own social business ideas – focussing on presentation of their ideas at the close of the WEP. Dr Adrienne Withall provided further advice regarding presentation techniques. The students had a tour of the university, and enjoyed an afternoon at the Michael Crouch Innovation Centre – where they engaged in a multitude of creations: creating wooden planes and competing against each other and creating money purses with personalised logos. As described by the MCIC staff, enthusiasm was nearing ‘chaotic’! Dr Assmaah Helal prompted personal ethical discussions with students, provoking individual passion exploration. The students each put forth their own inspirational hashtag that they have personally learnt and encouraged others to learn. Students displayed poignant, in-depth analysis of social issue problematisation and proposed thoughtful solutions. Over the week, the students knuckled down together to create and develop a social business plan. It was wonderful to see tight-knit friendships emerge between students and constant laughter whilst students explored their personal values and the social issues they and their communities face.

Image: ‘Life motto’ hashtags proposed by the students

2 UNSW School of Public Health and Community Medicine

https://sphcm.med.unsw.edu.au/centres-units/yunus-social-business-centre-health

Images: Students at the Michael Crouch Innovation Centre

The Outcome: Festival of Young Ideas On the final day, students allowed their creations to come to life through their presentations. Students were in five groups, 6-7 students in each, and presented on social enterprises targeting a range of social issues: Stand Up And Out, Tomorrow’s Future, Millennial Mental Health, Baby Better and Re-Focus Refresh. Anil Singh, Anne Bunde-Birouste and Samra Saikal took on the difficult task of judging such outstanding presentations. The presentations all displayed thoughtfulness, creativity, uniqueness and were well above expectations of their age. Each group presented clear and innovative ideas for social businesses in a health-related field, mastering the concepts involved, and accompanied by a well-co9nceived business plan. An outline of the various presentations follows on page 3. Whilst it was difficult picking a winner, the award for best project was awarded to Re-focus Refresh, as being most complete and determined most feasible from the presentation shared by the students.

3 UNSW School of Public Health and Community Medicine

https://sphcm.med.unsw.edu.au/centres-units/yunus-social-business-centre-health

Ideas Presented by the Students

Stand Up and Out!

The Issue: High rates of domestic violence in Mozambique.

The Solution: Empowering women through textiles and creating ethical clothing from bamboo, to sell globally and promote domestic violence around the world. Profits from selling the designs would be re-invested in the business, which also encouraged empowerment programs for women on the side.

The Highlight: An in-presentation fashion show of the proposed design!

Tomorrow’s Future

The Issue: High rates of unemployment in Indigenous Australians.

The Solution: Offering a service to up-skill in particular areas for employment, and connect the client with employment opportunities. Training would be provided to clients, and then a portion of client salary would be taken once they had obtained employment to re-pay the training.

The Highlight: A presentation filled with passion, and a targeted video to accompany!

Millennial Mental Health

The Issue: Mental health issues and stigma in Australian adolescents.

The Solution: An integration of mental health services specific to ages 12-16, including a smart phone application and gym access. Financial gain would be through service package purchases and in-application advertisement.

The Highlight: An emotional monologue video introduction, highlighting the need for the service, as well as engagement of evidence to support the motto ‘Helping fix the mind with the physical!’

Baby Better

The Issue: Poor maternal and infant health-care in India, and developing countries.

The Solution: A social business that environmentally and sustainable produces and sells baby blankets, with the knowledge of spreading awareness and promoting infant health. All profits are reinvested into the business.

The Highlight: A creative insight into how the website would look, in combination with passionate presenters.

Re-focus, Refresh!

The Issue: High rates of re-incarceration following release of prisoners in Australia.

The Solution: A rehabilitation program initially commencing in Bathurst Prison, focussing on up-skilling prisoners and working in a sustainable café to produce revenue.

The Highlight: A thoughtful, well-planned business proposal inclusive of maps and research of town highlights, as well as an insight into the company’s Instagram page.

4 UNSW School of Public Health and Community Medicine

https://sphcm.med.unsw.edu.au/centres-units/yunus-social-business-centre-health

Conclusion The WEP received positive feedback from students, teachers and parents. Students expressed satisfaction in being taught ‘new information and lifelong skills’. The WEP provided students with the chance to explore social issues, be exposed to the opportunities university can provide them and developed new friendships. As evidenced by their business proposals, students developed creative thinking and ideas, and developed sound understanding of social business. The YSBHH has received positive feedback and enthusiasm from participants’ schools and parents in the form of emails and phone calls. The success of this fourth WEP, and the attention it gained from such a multitude of schools, suggests the need for its continuation annually. Through arranging such opportunistic programs, the YSBHH is able to guide the younger generation of Australia to solve social issues in a philanthropic manner.

Image: Dr Anne Bunde-Birouste with the winning team.