Social Entrepreneurs of the Year in Asia for 2011

Lets applaud those who spend a lifetime making a change for the world - for those who needs help but everyone is too busy to do so.

Five entrepreneurs have been recognized as Social Entrepreneurs of the Year in Asia for 2011.

They hail from Cambodia, Japan, the Philippines and Pakistan, and address issues like healthcare, distribution of everyday goods to inaccessible places, nutrition in impoverished areas, and clean water supply.

The award was given out by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, a non-profit, independent organization that advances social entrepreneurship.

The winners are:

Bam Aquino & Mark Ruiz , Hapinoy, Philippines

Hapinoy provides business mentorship, leadership development, and branding assistance to women entrepreneurs who own small stalls in urban and rural areas. These women also get 5 to 15% cost savings and greater diversity of goods through Hapinoy’s bulk-sourcing and supply delivery network.

Lo Chay, 1001 fontaines pour demain, Cambodia

1001 fontaines uses sand filtration and solar-powered water purification technology to provide clean and cheap drinking water to over 50,000 people at US$0.01 per liter. Village entrepreneurs are taught how to maintain the water production site and distribute/sell the water.

Asher Hasan, Naya Jeevan, Pakistan

His enterprise partners with corporations to roll out catastrophic health insurance to low-income workers making less than US$6 per day. Drivers, nannies, cooks, waiters, and security guards can be insured at US$2.50 per month with a yearly coverage limit of approximately US$1,780. Naya Jeevan also value-adds the insurance coverage with annual medical checks, preventive care workshops, and access to a 24-hour medical care and claims assistance hotline.

Masa Kogure, Table for Two (TFT), Japan

One in seven people suffer from malnutrition, while 1.6 billion adults in the world are overweight or have health conditions related to ‘over-nutrition.’ TFT corrects this imbalance by transferring excess calories across the globe from developed countries to developing countries. Corporate cafeterias, university dining halls, and public restaurants serve balanced and healthy TFT meals, donating USD $0.20 per meal to lunches in impoverished African schools.