Entrepreneurship is about solving problems and creating value. A social entrepreneur improves the lives he touches. By exposing students to entrepreneurship, they develop problem solving ability, leadership skills and social commitment.
Entrepreneurship development clubs (called Startup Bootcamps) have been set up in colleges in Kerala, as not-for-profit societies. CEOs, CTOs, CXOs will come from amongst students and run the society in their college.
One of their activities will be to solve a social problem in and around the Kochi hub. The Kochi hub will curate, make available and work closely on one social project with each college.
The hub has set up a high-powered advisory body ( head of the state government, head of the bureaucracy and head of the state industry body) to support the students for successful delivery on the social projects.
5000 social entrepreneurs from 500 colleges will work on solving 500 social problems and the best of them will be invited to join as shapers the following year.
Some of the projects identified include a medical camp for the elderly, a blood donation drive, repairing a worn out road, constructing a house for a homeless couple, teaching under-privileged children, mentoring school students on higher education opportunities, weekly technology workshops for school children, an inspiration conference about success-after-failure, a help-line for college girls facing harassment, an art exhibition, etc.
By giving responsibility to the college students and making entrepreneurs out of them, we are solving the biggest social problem – lack of leaders in the society.