The future for children in Muntigunung: A social enterprise project in transition

• Main Authors: CHANG, Jonathan, DULA, Christopher, APPASAMY, Lakshmi
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2015
• Subjects: Social enterprise; business model; stakeholder; stakeholder analysis; partnerships; international development; non-profit; social enterprise; charity; programme development; positive social impact; scale up; sustainability; engagement; project transition; capacity building; poverty eradication; implementation; Asian Studies; Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics; Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations; Nonprofit Administration and Management
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cases_coll_all/138; https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/case/2171
• Institution: Singapore Management University

This case is set in January 2015 and follows Future for Children (FCC), a poverty eradication charity initiated by a Swiss banker, Daniel Elber, in Muntigunung, Bali (Indonesia). The lack of means to earn a livelihood in the arid lands of Muntigunung had forced the community to resort to begging in the tourist pockets of Bali. Elber embarked on an unrelenting endeavour to eradicate poverty in Muntigunung. Future for Children was founded in Switzerland in 2004, to mobilise funds and support from donors in Switzerland. FFC piloted a phased development programme, with the objective of creating a sustainable and quality livelihood for the community. The water scarcity issue was first addressed by building community catchment reservoirs to harvest rainwater during monsoon seasons. The successful implementation of rainwater harvesting projects resulted in the availability of 25 liters of clean water per person per day on every day of the year. The next phase focused on developing the skills of locals through capability development programmes. Paid training resulted in community projects that produced marketable goods and services, such as an acclaimed trekking service. With support from key players in the local hospitality sector, the projects evolved into profitable enterprises. FFC chose to remain as a non-profit enabler for the social projects that had to eventually evolve into profitable enterprises. By 2014, the third pilot phase, improving health and sanitation, was complete. The initiative now had to be replicated to the rest of the villages in Muntigunung. However some key challenges needed to be addressed – the social enterprises needed to be handed over to the community, more funds were needed for replication and scale up; and a sense of community ownership had to take hold. In addition, the business model of FFC needed to be reviewed for its efficacy in achieving the mission’s goal. This case provides students the opportunity to learn the importance of engaging local partners for successful implementation of social programmes and a strategic problem-solving approach to creating positive social impact . Students will examine the challenges faced when a capacity building project transitions into a profitable enterprise and brainstorm and evaluate solutions to such issues.